We are now approaching the end of the liturgical year as we celebrate this Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Church invites us to lift our eyes towards the ultimate horizon of our lives. Not to frighten us or paralyze us with anxiety about the end of the world, but to remind us of our true vocation as we journey through this earthly life.
Saint Paul tells us clearly in the second reading: we are not children of the night or of darkness; we are children of light and of the day. Therefore, we cannot live asleep in routine or apathy; we are called to remain awake, sober and committed to the Kingdom.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers us the well-known Parable of the Talents. Through this parable, he teaches us what we are called to do while awaiting his coming.
Before setting out on a journey, a man entrusts his possessions to his servants, according to each one’s ability: to one he gives five talents, to another two, and to another one.
The first two servants do not waste a single moment. Full of enthusiasm, they set out, take risks, invest what they have received and manage to double their master’s wealth. When the master returns, he rewards not only their results but also their faithfulness and courage: “Well done, good and faithful servant! Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.”
But what happens to the third servant? He receives one talent, yet instead of putting it to work, he goes and buries it.
And when called to account, he justifies himself by saying: “Master, I knew you were a demanding person… so I was afraid and went off and buried your talent.”
As Pope Francis reminded us when reflecting on this Gospel, this servant had a completely distorted image of his master: he imagined him to be selfish, demanding and merciless. And when we relate to God through fear rather than trust, everything goes wrong. Fear paralyzes, whereas trust sets us free. Afraid to take risks, this man preferred to do nothing; afraid of making a mistake, he chose the comfort of burying the gift he had received. His greatest sin was not doing something wrong, but doing nothing at all. His failure lay in complacency, omission and a lack of courage. This is a good opportunity to reflect more deeply on our “sins of omission”: all the good we could have done but failed to do.
Sometimes we fall into the temptation of thinking that being a good Christian consists merely in “not breaking any commandments”, in keeping everything we have intact without lifting a finger. We worry about preserving our faith, preserving our customs, preserving our peace and comfort… but the Gospel is not meant to be kept behind glass in a display case! Faith comes alive when it is shared, grace grows when it is given, and love bears fruit when we dare to take risks.
God has not given us life, family, the ability to serve, forgiveness or the Gospel so that we may bury them in selfishness or isolation. The first reading, from the Book of Proverbs, presents the image of the industrious woman as a model of living wisdom: a person who works with her hands, who does not stand idly by, and who generously opens her hands to the poor and the needy. This is what it means to make our talents bear fruit! Our life is a gift; therefore, to live it fully means to give it away. Everything we have has a mission that goes beyond ourselves.
It does not matter whether you feel you have received five talents, two, or just one. The difference in talents does not mean unequal opportunities before God; rather, it is a personal invitation to respond with creativity and wholehearted commitment. Let us not resign ourselves to a dull or lukewarm spiritual life. We must work to develop our talents: empathy, listening, forgiveness, bearing witness in our workplace, reaching out to those who suffer and helping to build a more just society.
In the Book of Proverbs, the image of the industrious or strong woman embodies wisdom in everyday life. She is neither passive nor enclosed in comfort: she works skillfully, manages with foresight, brings abundance to her household, and “opens her hands to the poor and extends them to the needy.”
We see this same active attitude in the first two servants in the Gospel, who immediately set out to trade with the talents they have received and manage to double their master’s investment. In contrast, the third servant represents the sin of omission and laziness: digging a hole in the ground to keep God’s gift safe, but barren and unproductive.
The first reading concludes with a famous statement: “The woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” In the Bible, the true fear of God is neither panic nor anxiety, but reverent love, a filial relationship and a trust that inspire responsible action. In other words, this message applies to everyone who wishes to live faithfully according to the commandment of love, because it is our deeds, not our appearances, that reveal what lies within each heart.
The Gospel shows us the other side of the picture: the third servant tries to justify himself by saying, “I was afraid”, because he imagined his master to be a harsh and merciless man. This distorted image of God stifles his freedom and initiative, because fear freezes the soul, whereas trust sets us free to serve actively.
Both the woman in Proverbs and the faithful servants understand that grace has not been given to us so that we may keep it behind glass in a display case or return it untouched without ever putting it to use. Both readings praise those who dare to put their lives on the line, embrace their work with joy, and are declared worthy of enjoying the fruits of their labor and entering into the joy of the Lord. Ultimately, our deeds show how grateful we are for the trust the Lord has placed in us by entrusting us with our talents…
Today, the Lord speaks to our hearts and asks:
- What are you doing with the talents I have entrusted to you?
- Are you living your faith through the joy of service, or are you paralyzed by fear?
When the moment comes to meet him face to face, may we hear those words that bring comfort to our souls: “Come and share your master’s joy.”
Sister Cristina Lenska
Saint Rose of Lima Province
