First Reading
Proverbs
31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
1. “The woman who fears the Lord is to be praised, ... give her a reward for her labors.” Do you see a connection between the woman in this reading with the wise servant portrayed in the Gospel? How do awe and wonder in the presence of God (“fear of the Lord”) 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? Are they working to end wars, fix racial justice and climate change? Are they 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 that has security with dying in peace at one end and constant dread at the other?
Gospel
Matthew 25:14-30
1. Were the gifts of Puccini, Michelangelo and Van Gogh 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?
2. 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? Why does Pope Francis say we were given gifts?
We possess a great wealth that depends not on what we possess but on what we are: the life we have received, the good within us, the indelible beauty God has given us by making us in his image. … All these things make each of us precious in his eyes, each of us is priceless and unique in history! This is how God looks at us, how God feels towards us. …
This brings us to the center of the parable: the work of the servants, which is service. Service is our work too; it makes our talents bear fruit and it gives meaning to our lives. … But what kind of service are we speaking of? In the Gospel, good servants are those who take risks. They are not fearful and overcautious, they do not cling to what they possess, but put it to good use. … The reason we have gifts is so that we can be gifts for others. And here, brothers and sisters, we should ask ourselves the question: do I only follow my own needs, or am I able to look to the needs of others, to whoever is in need? Are my hands open, or are they closed?
Pope Francis homily for 33 Ord A
Nov 15, 2020
