First Reading
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31

1. “The woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Do you see a connection between the woman in this reading with the wise servant portrayed in the Gospel? How does fear of the Lord (awe and wonder in the presence of God) help make a person wise?

2. Do you know some people like the woman in this reading? How are they “reaching out to the needy and extending their arms to the poor”? Are they feeding the hungry and caring for the sick in this pandemic? Are they working to fix racial justice or climate change? Do they spend time doing something and not just talking?

Second Reading
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

1. Apparently “The Day of the Lord” can overtake you ”like a thief at night.” Are you always ready? Almost ready? Dozing a little?

2. Where would you put yourself on a continuum of false security with dying at one end and constant dread at the other?

Gospel
Matthew 25:14-30

1. Are you willing to take risks, or are you paralyzed by fear? If you were a leader in the Church, what kind of risks would you take to insure the growth of the faithful? Is there a person whom you observe taking risks for such growth?

2. Were Puccini’s and Michelangelo’s gifts given to them for themselves alone? Do you think your gifts were given to you for yourself, to keep hidden away where no one can see them? What does Pope Francis tell us about that?

Have you thought about the talents that God has given you? Have you thought of how you can put them at the service of others? Do not bury your talents! Set your stakes on great ideals, the ideals that enlarge the heart, the ideals of service that make your talents fruitful. Life is not given to us to be jealously guarded for ourselves, but is given to us so that we may give it in turn. … Do not be afraid to dream of great things!

Pope Francis, General Audience 
St Peter’s Square. April 24, 2013