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33rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Cycle A)

Readings:
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
Psalm 128:1-5
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Matthew 25:14-30

Abbreviations: NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition), NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name, YHWH (Yahweh).

The two Testaments reveal God's divine plan for humanity; therefore, we read and relive the events of salvation history in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).

The Theme of the Readings: The Rewards of Fidelity
Being faithful to a commitment, whether friendship, marriage, parenting, a job, or our covenant relationship with God, requires the dedication of constancy, perseverance, and sometimes courage and selflessness. Today's readings describe the blessings of fidelity.

The First Reading describes the fidelity of a woman who is the ideal wife. The inspired writer describes her as a woman who demonstrates wisdom in every situation. Her desire to please God is the source of her wisdom, for which she should receive praise. Symbolically, the poem illustrates wisdom as a gift with which God endowed His creation. The poem also complements the moral strength of all good women.

The Responsorial Psalm praises the wisdom of the person who fears offending God. That person will experience God's blessings in life. Then, as now, obedience to the Lord God's commandments and the willingness to live a righteous life that pleases God is the path to good relationships within our families and the community. The summit of every week for faithful Christians should be liturgical worship on the Lord's Day and participating in the life of Jesus Christ in receiving the gift of the Eucharist. It is how our Lord continues to bless us on our journey through life on our way to eternal beatitude in His heavenly Sanctuary.

In the Second Reading, St. Paul wrote about the reward for those who persevere in faith until the Lord's return. Paul argues that every Christian should remain alert because he does not know when the Lord Jesus is coming. Paul wrote that it shouldn't matter when the Lord returns so long as Jesus finds them doing good and not evil in the last moments of life. Therefore, those who are "children of light" must remain in a state of grace because if we walk in the light, as he is the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn 1:7 NABRE).

In the Gospel Reading, Jesus told a parable about the degrees of fidelity of a master's servants and their rewards according to their service. Jesus promised that His servants who strive to be faithful by using their spiritual gifts to serve the Church and to advance His Kingdom will receive even more blessings to enrich their lives. However, the warning is that those who neglect their spiritual gifts will lose what God initially gave them. Those Christians who refuse to use their spiritual gifts are guilty of quenching the work of the Holy Spirit.

These readings should make us reflect on the degree of our fidelity to the Lord Jesus Christ. Are we numbered among the "children of light" (Second Reading) who show their love for Jesus by being faithful and obedient to His commands (Jn 14:23-24; 15:10)? Are we vigilant in avoiding sin and living in the blessings of the Sacraments of our faith? Are we obedient to the command to stay awake, alert, and ready for the day when Jesus, our Master, returns (Gospel Reading)? If so, our promised reward is the gift of eternal life and our participation in the communion of the angels and saints in Heaven!

The First Reading Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 ~ The Ideal Wife
10 When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. 11 Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. 12 She brings him good and not evil, all the days of her life. 13 She obtains wool and flax and works with loving hands. [...] 19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. 20 She reaches out her hands to the poor and extends her arms to the needy. [...] 30 Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her a reward for her labors and let her works praise her at the city gates.

Proverbs 31:10-31 is the epilogue to the Book of Proverbs. It forms an acrostic poem where each verse's first letter corresponds to a Hebrew letter in alphabetical order. Our first reading presents a series of wise sayings from a mother to her son concerning the qualities of an ideal wife. The entire poem may be symbolic since the prologue to the Book of Proverbs depicts "Wisdom" is personified as a woman who invites everyone to a banquet at her house.

The poem is a compliment to the moral strength of all godly women. An ideal woman's wisdom is evident in every situation, and the source of her wise actions, for which she should receive praise, is her desire to please God (verse 30). Symbolically, the poem illustrates wisdom as a gift with which God has endowed His creation. St. John Paul II commented that this wisdom and strength of character is evident in the lives of many women in the Old Testament, in Jesus's times, and throughout the age of the Church. He wrote: "Thus the 'perfect woman' (cf Prov 31:10) becomes an irreplaceable support and source of spiritual strength for other people who perceive the great energies of her spirit. These 'perfect women' are owed much by their families and sometimes by whole nations" (Mulieris dignitalem, 30). To that long list of wise and strong women, we should include Mary of Nazareth, the seven women disciples who followed Jesus, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Therese of Avila, and Bl. Mother Therese, to name only a few.

Responsorial Psalm 128:1-5 ~ The Blessings of Fidelity
The response is: "Blessed are those who fear the Lord."

1 Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways! 2 For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed you shall be, and favored.
Response:
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home, your children like olive plants around your table.
Response:
4 Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. 5 The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
Response:

The psalm begins with a statement concerning the blessings of good fortune for the person who fears offending Yahweh (verse 1). It then describes how that good fortune manifests in a person's life (verses 2-4). The passage ends with a blessing invoking God on Mount Zion, a reference to worshipping in the Jerusalem Temple (verse 5).

Fear of Yahweh means demonstrating reverence and obedience to God by keeping His commandments (Dt 6:2, 13, 24-25). The phrase "fear of the Lord" in verse 1, repeated in verse 4, makes verses 1-4 a unit by repeating the necessity for the wisdom of a healthy spiritual fear of offending God. Verses 2-4 are a beatitude promising a happy family life with enough to eat, unity between husband and wife (verse 2), and content and healthy children (verse 3). The passage concludes in verse 5 with a divine blessing for the individual covenant believer and the covenant people.

Then, as now, obedience to the Lord God's commandments and the willingness to live a righteous life that pleases God is the path to good relationships within our families and the community. For Christians, the climax of every week must be liturgical worship on the Lord's Day and participating in the life of Jesus Christ in receiving the gift of the Eucharist. In this way, our Lord continues to bless us on our journey through life towards the eternal beatitude He promised the faithful in Heaven.

The Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 ~ Stay Alert for the Day of the Lord
1 Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night. 3 When people are saying, "Peace and security," then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness for that day to overtake you like a thief. 5 For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.

The "Day of the Lord" or the "Day of Yahweh" in the Old Testament referred to the point at which God will decisively intervene in human history, usually in judgment (Is 6:13; Amos 5:18-20; Mt 24:36, 43). In St. Paul's letters, the "day of the Lord" refers to the "Second Coming" of Jesus when, in the fullness of His glory, He will judge the people of all nations in the Last Judgment (1 Cor 1:8; 2 Cor 1:14; 2 Thes 4:16; CCC 1038-41). Like Jesus's warning of the Day of Judgment in the Gospels, Paul warns that it will come suddenly and unexpectedly. Like Jesus's discourse in Matthew 24, Paul compared the time leading up to the Last Judgment to a woman experiencing labor pains before childbirth (compare verse 3 to Mt 24:19).

4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness for that day to overtake you like a thief. 5 For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.
Night and darkness are symbols of sin and evil in Scripture. Paul wrote that the Parousia ("coming") of the Lord would take people by surprise like a thief in the night (verse 4). A thief works at night because he thinks the darkness will give him an advantage, and the householder will be unprepared. But the Christian must not be "in darkness" on that day; he must be in a state of grace to be received by the Lord. Jesus used the same comparison of a thief taking his victim by surprise in Matthew 24:43. In this passage, Paul presents the argument that Christians should keep alert because they do not know when the Lord Jesus is coming, nor does it matter so long as Jesus finds them doing good and not evil in the last moments of life. Therefore, those who are "children of light" must be vigilant and remain in a state of grace because if we walk in the light, as He is the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn 1:7).

The Gospel of Matthew 25:14-30 ~ The Parable of the Servants and the Talents
Jesus told his disciples this parable: 14 "A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately 16 the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. 17 Likewise, the one who received two made another two. 18 But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. 19 After a long time, the master [kyrios = lord] of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received five talents came forward, bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master [kyrios = lord], you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.'  21 His master [kyrios = lord] said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' 22 Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master [kyrios = lord], you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.' 23 His master [kyrios = lord] said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's [kyrios = lord's] joy.'  24 Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master [kyrios = lord], I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; 25 so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.' 26 His master [kyrios = lord] said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? 28 Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

In the Greek text, the "man" in the parable is referred to as kyrios, "lord," ten times in verses 18, 19, 20, 21 (twice), 22, 23 (twice), 24, and 26. All the elements in the parable are symbolic:

A "talent" was a vast sum equal to 6,000 Greek drachmas. One commentator estimated a single talent was worth the wage of a common laborer for fifteen years. (Fr. McKenzie, Dictionary of the Bible, "money," page 583). You may recall that the double drachma was the amount due for the Temple tax (Mt 18:24-27). Therefore, the talent amounts in the parable represent an enormous amount of money in the ancient world. God is generous in giving spiritual gifts to His covenant children. And like the man in the parable, He calibrates those spiritual gifts according to the disciple/servant's abilities. However, He expects His servants to use those gifts to advance the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, the Church.

Notice that Jesus congratulated the servant with many spiritual gifts and the one with less. He judges each according to his ability to use what he receives. All the servants are believers and members of the covenant. The servants who used their gifts wisely received the promise of entrance into their Lord's joy (25:21, 23), eternal salvation, and entry into the life of the Most Holy Trinity in the heavenly Kingdom.

The failed servant admitted that he knew what his lord required, just as we know what our God requires for those in a covenant relationship with Him. The servant with one talent neglected to use his talent, making the excuse that if he buried it, he believed he couldn't fail. His master did not accept his explanation, just as our Lord God will not accept our excuse for not using the spiritual gift He gave us. The failed servant received the opposite of the faithful servants. Instead of "entering in," he was "cast out," representing those consigned to a state of eternal separation from God in Gehenna (the Hell of the damned), the place of "wailing and gnashing of teeth" (CCC 1033-37).

26 His master [kyrios] said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?'
God calls men and women to salvation even outside the Church, where He did not plant and scatter the seeds of the Gospel. The failed servant knew the scope of God's call to salvation but ignored his obligation to help with the harvest. The least he could have done would have been to invest what he received. He could have used the temporal gift of money to spread the Gospel by financially supporting the Church, which is "the bank" that converts material gifts into caring for the poor and dispossessed.

29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"
"Wailing and gnashing of teeth" is a term that St. Matthew used six times in his Gospel (8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; and for the last time in 25:30). The expression vividly describes the frustration and anguish felt by those souls who have been, through their unrepeated sins, excluded from the Lord's joy in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus/the Lord promises that those who are faithful servants who use their spiritual gifts to serve the Church and advance the Kingdom will receive even more blessings to enrich their lives in the service of Jesus Christ. However, Jesus warns us that those who neglect their spiritual gifts will lose what God gave them initially. Those who refuse to use their spiritual gifts are guilty of quenching the fire/work of the Holy Spirit in their lives (1 Thess 5:19; CCC 696).

Catechism References (* indicates Scripture quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 (CCC 675*); 5:2 (CCC 673*); 5:5 (CCC 1216)

Matthew 25:14-30 (CCC 546*, 1936*); 25:21 (CCC 1029*, 1720*, 2683*); 25:23 (CCC 1029*, 1720*)

Our merits for good works come from God's goodness (CCC 2006-2011)

Our Works manifested at the Last Judgment (CCC 1038*, 1039*, 1040*, 1041*)

Keeping busy as we await the Lord's return (CCC 1048-1049, 1050*)

Diversity of talents (CCC 1936-1937)

The dignity of woman (CCC 2331, 2334)

Marriage in the order of creation (1603, 1604*, 1605*)

Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2014; revised 2023 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.