[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, November 15, 2026, the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
[00:00:25] This week's episode is entitled: Be Prepared, and for the third week in a row we are focused on dark and dismal warnings… appropriate as we enter into the season of autumn, here in the Northern hemisphere, when the earth prepares for its long winter slumber.
As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
When we hear Jesus’ Parable of the Talents, we all assume that we'll be numbered among the good and faithful servants, but - at the same time - we really don't want to do all the spiritually hard work, so we often end up more like the wicked and lazy servant instead. We know that we should be preparing for the end times, but we quickly find such preparations a bit tiring. That attitude is called acedia - and it is a state of spiritual apathy or boredom that that we all fall prey to now and again. So, how do we overcome that spiritual lethargy and be prepared - at all times - to meet Jesus?
Let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, at this time of year, as the hours of sunlight decrease and the world around us grows ever darker, we sometimes fall into spiritual darkness. Help us to rededicate ourselves to you, to your Son who is the light of our world, no matter the season, and to your Holy Spirit, who will guide us out of our darkness and into your eternal light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:02:25] Our Gospel this week is from Matthew 25: 14-30.
[00:02:32] “[Jesus told his disciples this parable:] ‘A man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.”
And he also who had the two talents came forward saying, “Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.” He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has, will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away way. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
[00:05:26] This week's Gospel follows immediately after last week's passage… we are still in that part of Matthew's Gospel identified as the Eschatological Discourse and Jesus is still on the Mount of Olives, and still very much focused on teaching his disciples that they must always be prepared for judgment. And we often forget that Jesus tells his disciples this Parable, and in fact all of the parables we have been hearing in this Discourse, just two days before his final Passover, two days before the Last Supper, three days before his Passion and Death, so it is no coincidence that his teachings are focused on the end times and judgment.
[00:06:26] We have no way of knowing exactly when the end of our lives will come, we don't know when the Second Coming will happen, but being prepared for the end of our lives, being prepared to meet the Jesus and face judgment, is within our control. And that is the lesson that Jesus is teaching in this Parable - the importance of being prepared.
[00:06:57] Speaking of being prepared, I want to alert you to the fact that there is both a longer and shorter version of this Gospel. As always, I hope the entire Gospel is proclaimed in your home parish this weekend, because it's always better when we hear all of Jesus' teachings rather than an abridged version of them. But I will indicate the boundaries of the shorter and longer versions as we go along through this passage. So, let's explore the Parable Jesus tells his disciples this week (and the shorter and longer versions both begin in the same place)…
[00:07:37] “A man going on a journey”
Of course, Jesus is the man, and this journey represents the time between his Death on the Cross and his Second Coming, the time that we call the age of the Church, the age in which we live. So, the man…
“called his servants and entrusted to them his property;”
The servants represent the disciples – Jesus’ original disciples, undoubtedly, and all of his followers throughout the past 2,000 years, including us.
[00:08:18] “to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.”
[00:08:29] We talked about talents a few weeks ago when we heard the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Now, you may recall that I said at that time that a talent had the value of roughly 16 years’ worth of wages - and that was sufficient for us to understand the parable we heard then, but we need a bit more information to understand this parable. A talent was actually a measure of weight, usually the weight of silver, and the value of that weight of silver was equivalent to about 16 years’ worth of wages. So, being entrusted with just one talent would have been a big responsibility, let alone two or even five.
[00:09:23] Jesus further qualifies that by saying that the man entrusted his wealth to his servants according to their individual abilities - meaning that the man knew and understood exactly what each servant was capable of handling. Unfortunately, we tend to focus on the monetary value of the talents Jesus talks about and forget that they are actually meant to represent the gifts that God entrusts to each of us that we in turn are supposed to use to benefit others… things like our own personal abilities and aptitudes, certainly, but also our financial resources, and the spiritual gifts we have received.
[00:10:23] “Then he went away.”
In hindsight, we understand that Jesus Christ was talking about his own Death, which was just three days away, when he spoke those words. The Apostles, however, were still unaware that Jesus's Death was imminent, so they did not realize that Jesus was referring to himself. Nevertheless, that is how Jesus provides the context for the rest of the Parable… and it is also where the first half of the shorter version of this Gospel passage ends.
[00:11:05] So, the next few sentences - which describe what the three servants actually did with the talents entrusted to them - are only in the longer version of this Gospel.
“He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.
Those two servants obviously lived up to their master's expectations of them. They took the initiative, accepted a certain level of risk, and - as a result - were able to provide their master with a substantial return on his investment.
So far, so good!
[00:11:59] “But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.”
It seems that the master may have overestimated this servant's abilities! The Lectionary now resumes the shorter version of this Gospel as we hear the results of the first servant’s efforts.
[00:12:26] “Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.”
[00:12:36] Remember, Jesus said: no one knows the day or the hour, right? We're still waiting for Jesus to return. And when he says settled accounts - we really should hear an echo of the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, that's kind of the point!
[00:12:55] “And he who received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’”
This servant was brave, he was bold, he took risks, he worked hard, and it paid off!
[00:13:16] “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’”
In other words, this servant accomplished the task his master set before him, therefore he is entitled to a reward. And remember, Parables teach about the kingdom of heaven, meaning this servant will be welcomed into the kingdom. When we hear the words: “well done, good and faithful servant” - we often assume Jesus will say the very same thing to us.
But will he really? And will we deserve to hear them? Do we use our abilities to benefit others? Do we share our financial resources with those who are in need? Do we place our spiritual gifts at the service of the Church? Or are we focused more on our own wants and needs, so that we hoard our financial resources, and allow our spiritual gifts to waste away from lack of use?
[00:14:44] Again, those things are all within our control, but they require courage, boldness, risk, and effort on our part to utilize the things that we have and turn them into things that benefit others and therefore benefit the kingdom!
The shorter version of this Gospel passage ends here. Luckily, we have the opportunity to hear the whole passage. So, let's go on…
“And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’”
Understand, the amount entrusted to each servant is immaterial! The master's knowledge of each servant's capabilities is the important detail. And this servant, like the previous servant, lived up to his master's expectations. He took a risk rather than playing it safe, he was brave, he worked hard, and it paid off. So, he was able to provide his master with a substantial profit.
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’”
Those are the very same words spoken to the first servant… so this second servant, although apparently entrusted with less to begin with, still accomplished the task set before him, meaning that he - too - is entitled to a reward; he - too - will be welcomed into the kingdom.
And one thing we often gloss over as we go through this Parable… both times the master says to each of these two servants: you have been faithful over a little.
[00:16:55] Five talents… two talents… don't seem like an insignificant amount to us. And yet to the master, they most certainly are. Which should remind us that even the smallest things that we do, even the smallest kindness we extend to someone else, everything we do as faithful followers of Jesus is considered by God to be worthy of a reward.
Okay, again, so far, so good!
But then things take a bit of a dark turn!
[00:17:37] “He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.’”
It is clear from the words of this servant that he knew his master was demanding, perhaps even greedy, yet even that didn't motivate him to act with any level of prudence. He was fearful, he was lazy, he refused to accept any sort of risk… he didn't even take the safe route to generate some level of profit for his master. Instead, he says…
“Here have what is yours.”
[00:18:31] This is not what God wants from us! He doesn't want us to be afraid to use our abilities, our gifts, our talents, all of those good things he has entrusted to us! He expects us to use those things to help others, to benefit others!
This servant - and his lack of effort - teaches us that fear only paralyzes… fear cripples discipleship. So, how does the master respond to this servant's timidity?
[00:19:21] “His master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You know that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed?’”
In other words, this servant knew his master very well and understood his master's expectations! But rather than using that knowledge and those expectations to spur him into action, he just was paralyzed with fear… his discipleship was crippled!
[00:19:51] “Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.”
[00:20:01] So, even a small amount of interest would have been better than no profit at all! Again, looking at this from the perspective of the kingdom - which is what we should always do when we hear parables - we have to ask ourselves… do we allow fear to stop us from using the gifts God has bestowed upon us to serve others, to serve our communities, to serve the Church?
[00:20:34] And knowing that the master is highly demanding, what is the fate of that lazy servant?
[00:20:41] “take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For every one who has more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
We are always taken aback when we hear such strong words from Jesus, and this isn't the first time we've heard them this year. Jesus made that same statement back in July when we heard the Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13. At that time, his words referred to knowledge of the kingdom, to an openness to Jesus’ own teachings, even to acceptance of Jesus himself.
This time, however, Jesus doesn't mean only knowledge of the kingdom… he means being in the kingdom, and that is confirmed by Jesus' very next words…
“And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
When Jesus says: “outer darkness” he means any place that is not illuminated by his light… he means being separated from him and being excluded from the kingdom.
[00:22:17] When we are judged, each and every one of us will have to give an account of our lives to God. We will have to stand before him and justify our actions. That alone should inspire us to always be prepared for the end time, that alone should help us overcome our spiritual apathy.
That knowledge alone should remind us to invest our spiritual gifts, our personal abilities, and our financial resources… so that we can generate a profit for God - we can spread the Good News, we can bring others to Jesus - and when we do that, we will share our Master's joy!
[00:23:17] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Proverbs 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31.
“Who can find a good wife? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.”
[00:24:15] Proverbs is part of the Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament, accepted by all faith traditions. It is a compilation of sayings attributed to a variety of authors… from King Solomon to an individual named Agur to a relatively obscure king named Lemuel. The book reached its final form somewhere around 600 BC.
[00:24:43] This passage comes at the end of Proverbs. It is part of what is called, depending upon the translation, the Poem on a Courageous Wife, the Poem on a Woman of Worth, or the Praise of a Good Wife. And it is another one of those Hebrew acrostic poems. This part of the Book of Wisdom is 22 verses in total length, and each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. When all 22 letters in ancient Hebrew were used to create an acrostic poem, as was the case here, it indicated that everything that could be said about a particular topic had been said… meaning everything about a good, worthy, and courageous woman, in this instance.
[00:25:35] And this passage is used quite often at funerals for women. So, let's explore what Proverbs has to say about a good woman…
“Who can find a good wife?”
Different translations, of course, use different words… we run into that all the time. But every word is meant to convey the notion of strength - physical strength, of course, but also financial acumen, and strength of character. Proverbs equates finding an excellent wife with finding wisdom for both, we are told, bring favor from God.
“She is far more precious than jewels.”
The NAB says: “Her value is far beyond pearls” - although the NABRE (which is the NAB Revised Edition - which reflects more recent scholarly work) says: “far beyond jewels is her value” - which seems to be drawing the NAB translation back closer to the RSV translation. Regardless of the translation, the meaning is the same… that a good wife is a man's greatest treasure.
“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.”
[00:26:53] Again, the NAB says: “Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize.” Both statements praise the wife, but in different ways. The NAB focuses on HOW the husband values his wife; the RSV focuses on what the wife DOES for her husband by ensuring that everyone's needs are met and that her husband's household prospers.
“She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”
And honestly, in every good marriage that should be a two-way street!
“She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.”
[00:27:40] Saying that the woman seeks these things demonstrates that she is willing to take the initiative… she doesn't wait for the things she needs to come to her, she goes out and attains them herself. And since most of us purchase pre-made clothing rather than making our own, we may not fully understand the significance of that line. So, let me explain why those two items were important.
[00:28:06] Wool and flax are both natural fibers that are spun into thread which is then used to make clothing. Wool is used to make winter clothes and flax is used for lighter-weight linen which is worn in the summer. So, basically, that sentence again says that this good wife provides all of the clothing necessary year-round for her family and her household.
“She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.”
Very few of us understand what those two things are or how they are used, so let me explain. A distaff holds raw fibers that are, in turn, spun neatly onto a spindle. That act of spinning is a necessary step in the process of creating threads, which are then used to weave fabrics, and fabrics are then used to make clothing.
I have a picture of a distaff loaded with wool and the spindle onto which the wool thread is being spun, and I'll include them on my Instagram post this week.
[00:29:26] “She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy.”
An open hand is often used as a metaphor for generosity; as opposed to someone who is tight fisted - meaning someone who is greedy. And by opening her hand, this woman displays her generosity to those who are less fortunate… and by reaching out to the needy, she demonstrates her compassion and kindness toward those in need.
[00:30:00] “Charm is deceitful,”
Meaning that overly polite speech and graceful manners can mask a person's true self… that it is all too easy for a hypocrite to appear charming while internally holding others in contempt.
[00:30:22] “and beauty is vain,”
The NAB says: “Beauty is fleeting” - and both can be true. The purpose of the author's words is simply to illustrate that outward beauty often lacks permanence. That's not always the case, of course, and when we see an older person that is still quite attractive, we often remark that they are aging gracefully. But whenever a marriage has lasted for a long time, even if the wife may not be aging quite so gracefully, their husbands often remark that they still see the woman they married no matter how many years they have been married… despite hair turning gray, facial lines appearing, and scars accumulating. Outward beauty says nothing about inward character and temperament… and that is the real point the author is making.
[00:31:25] “but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”
Remember, this portion of Proverbs is a Poem about a Good Wife, a Courageous Wife, a Woman of Worth! In Proverbs 1, we read that: “fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” so this phrase implies that the woman who fears the Lord is to be PRAISED for her wisdom. And remember, fear of the Lord means respecting God and being in awe of his divine power, rather than actually being afraid of God.
[00:32:06] “Give her of the fruit of her hands,”
That's really awkwardly translated. The NAB translates that as: “give her a reward of her labors” - meaning that no labor should be considered insignificant. God gives us the privilege of cooperating with his purpose whenever we do work here on earth. Remember, God even assigned work to Adam BEFORE the fall! So, Proverbs is saying that the work a woman does is valuable and she should be appropriately rewarded for it.
[00:32:46] “and let her works praise her in the gates.”
[00:32:50] We do not have the context to understand the real significance of that phrase. A city's gates were places where news of the outside world was proclaimed or important announcements were made… so, these words are the author's way of saying that this courageous, good, worthy wife is someone incredibly special and deserving of every honor.
[00:33:18] Saint Benedict of Nursia (6th century Italian monk and founder of the Benedictine order), wrote a foundational guide for the monastic life in 540 AD called “The Rule of Benedict.”
[00:33:34] Benedict's Rule divides the day into set times for prayer, work, study, food, and rest - and all of that is summed up very neatly in the Benedictine motto: ora et labora, which is Latin for: pray and work.
Benedict clearly understood the importance of both work AND prayer. Pairing those two things together highlights their importance for our daily lives and reminds us that both physical laziness and spiritual apathy are to be avoided. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul says that we are to “Pray without ceasing” - suggesting that everything we do can, and perhaps should, become prayer. Our physical work, especially if it is accompanied by prayer, is something that can help us overcome our spiritual lethargy and therefore be prepared for Jesus… regardless of when he comes to judge us.
[00:34:50] That takes us to our Responsorial Psalm, which is Psalm 128, and the refrain is:
“Blessed is every one who fears the Lord.”
And here are the verses:
“Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.”
“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.”
“Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life!”
[00:35:39] This Psalm is a Wisdom Psalm - and how appropriate that is for this week! Wisdom Psalms are often used to teach many truths… about the Law, about the nature of wisdom, about the fate of the righteous, AND about the fate of the wicked. Wisdom Psalms illustrate that studying Scripture is a form of worship and this Psalm, in particular, talks about the fruits of wisdom and the blessings that result from our dependence on God. Again, that ties in with what Paul said in 1 Thessalonians: “Pray without ceasing.”
[00:36:24] The first stanza - like the book of Proverbs - reminds us that fear of the Lord is the foundation upon which other blessings rest. And, as I said earlier, it means being in awe of God rather than actually being afraid of him. And the blessings the Psalmist lists in this stanza include happiness and well-being.
[00:36:51] The second stanza offers the promise of a productive wife and strong children; and the third stanza is a prayer that God's people will be blessed with peace and prosperity.
[00:37:06] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is from 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-6.
“[A]s to the times and the seasons, [brothers and sisters], you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. But you are not in darkness, [brothers and sisters], for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”
[00:38:08] This is our final passage from 1 Thessalonians this fall, and remember Thessalonians was a Pastoral Letter written simply to offer encouragement to the Christians in Thessalonica, rather than to address any particular problem or issue that had arisen within the community.
[00:38:31] This passage is very close to the end of the letter, and it's quite apparent that it pairs well with our Gospel. Remember Paul, and in fact most Christians in the early Church, thought that Jesus’ return was imminent. And that's exactly what Paul taught the Thessalonians.
[00:38:52] As Paul brings this letter to a close, he reminds the Thessalonians that Jesus' return, his Second Coming, can occur at any time.
[00:39:04] Our challenge is to maintain that belief and ACT LIKE IT! Act like we really do believe it - so that we are prepared! Let's listen as Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they should always be prepared…
“[A]s to the times and the seasons,”
[00:39:28] Jesus uses those same words in Acts 1 when speaking about his Heavenly Father establishing the new and eternal Jerusalem. The book of Acts was not in written form when Paul was making his Missionary Journeys, but one thing we often forget is that Luke (who wrote the fourth Gospel and the Book of Acts), was a companion of Paul's and spent a great deal of time with Paul as he made his various Missionary Journeys. So, Paul had access through Luke's own recollections, his own memories, his own research, to what Luke knew and - therefore - to what Luke later wrote. That's why his use of those words is important!
“[A]s to the times and the seasons, [brothers and sisters], you have no need to have anything written to you.”
[00:40:36] And by that, Paul means that he taught the Thessalonians everything they needed to know when he was with them.
“For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief and in the night.”
[00:40:51] The words: “the day of the Lord” are from Old Testament prophets like Joel and Amos - they refer to the Day of Judgment. And Paul - as a Pharisee - knew the Jewish Scriptures (what we call the Old Testament), he knew them very well. And Paul then uses those words to apply them to Jesus' Second Coming. Paul says that Jesus' return will come suddenly, unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. And just last week we heard Jesus himself say: “you know neither the day nor the hour.”
[00:41:33] “When people say, ‘There is peace and security,’”
[00:41:37] That pronouncement - there is peace and security - that's the type of thing that people throughout the Old Testament would say when they refused to acknowledge the message of the prophets. So Paul is placing those same words now in the mouths of those who foolishly refuse to prepare for judgment… let's do our best NOT to be included in that group!
[00:42:07] “then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a woman with child,”
The NAB translates “destruction” as “disaster” - which is perhaps a better word choice for the point Paul is trying to make. And remember, this comparison applies only to those who bury their heads in the sand and refuse to be prepared.
[00:42:33] I've never been a big fan of Paul using “labor pains” as a metaphor for people who refuse to be prepared for judgment… because there is a very big difference between refusing to be prepared for judgment, which is inevitable, and a woman being caught off guard when labor begins. Labor is inevitable, although its onset is unpredictable, but it has nothing to do with preparation!
“and there will be no escape.”
We can't avoid judgment, and we can't talk our way out of it!
[00:43:14] “But you are not in darkness, [brothers and sisters,] for that day to surprise you like a thief.”
[00:43:21] Paul means that those who have learned about Jesus, who have heard the good news, who have been baptized, and have committed themselves to following Jesus - those people do not live in darkness, therefore they will not be startled - they will be prepared.
“For you are all sons of light and sons of the day;”
[00:43:48] That was a Jewish way of saying people were devoted to goodness, righteousness, and truth. And Jesus talked a lot about that… in John 8, Jesus said: “I am the light of the world” and in John 11, he asked his disciples: “are there not twelve hours in a day” - meaning that while he was with them, they walked in his light. Paul is saying the same thing to the Thessalonians… that if they follow Jesus, they will walk by HIS light.
“we are not of the night or of darkness.”
[00:44:28] Just as light and day indicated goodness - night and darkness were Jewish ways of saying people were wicked or evil. And in John 11, Jesus further warned his disciples: “if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” Paul is reminding the Thessalonians that ultimately the choice is up to them. Follow Jesus and be in the light… or turn away from Jesus and be in darkness. He offers that same choice to us!
[00:45:10] “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”
[00:45:17] In other words, don't metaphorically snooze your life away. Stay alert, avoid distractions, and work together to shine Christ's light in the darkness of the world.
[00:45:34] In this week's Gospel Parable, Jesus spends a lot of time explaining the fate of the servant given only one talent, because many of us fall into that category now and again.
Being entrusted with the message of salvation entails great responsibility… so, if we bury that message through inaction, we fail as disciples… we fail to fulfill our obligation to God, who has called us - each of us - to share the good news with others.
[00:46:16] And when Jesus comes to judge us, if he finds that we HAVE BEEN worthless servants, if he finds that we did not work FOR the Lord during our time here on Earth… then we may just find ourselves idling away all of eternity in darkness, excluded from the kingdom.
[00:46:44] Being prepared isn't always easy… it can be difficult, it can be tiring, but it is absolutely necessary. So, as we descend into the darkness of winter, as the outside world becomes dormant until the warmth of the springtime calls everything back to life… let's all adopt the Benedictine motto of: ora et labora… let's all rededicate ourselves to work and prayer… to working for the kingdom, to studying the words of Sacred Scripture, and to praying for ourselves, our families and friends, and especially for our world.
That will help us overcome our spiritual apathy and be prepared for Jesus’ return when we will all - hopefully - hear him say:
“Well done, good and faithful servant, come enter into the joy of your Master!”
[00:48:04] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you safe and secure in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of this show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless!
