33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
Today’s gospel reading gives us the parable of the talents, a parable about a master who before going on a journey, called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. This parable teaches us how to live our lives here on earth and how to attain the kingdom of heaven. In this parable, the servants represent us, who are entrusted with gifts or talents from God. The Master who entrusted His possessions to His servants is God. The talents given to the servants represents all God’s blessings, graces, mercies and gifts to us. This includes what we have achieved in life, and what we have today, that is, our intelligence, abilities, strengths, wisdom, personality and even our earthly goods. The journey the master embarked on, represents how much time we have to live here on earth. The return of the master signifies our death, while the settling of the accounts by the master is our judgment by God. The banquet the hardworking servants will participate in, signifies the kingdom of heaven they have attained by their sacrifice and hard work.
So today’s gospel reading, reminds us of the need to pay attention to how we live our lives here on earth especially with the gifts God has given us. What are God’s gifts to you? How do you make use of these gifts given to you by God to praise and glorify His name? Do you really use God’s gifts to you for the greater glory of His name, or for your own praise, or for your own personal interests? Are you contributing to the common good of all with the gifts God has given you, like with your belongings, strengths, professions, gifts, personalities, blessings, etc. How have you shown and shared God’s love with others, especially with His gifts to you? How generous are you with God’s blessings, gifts, graces and mercies? Do you serve God with all the gifts He has given you, or have you let it waste away? Are you living your life on earth as you should as a child of God? Are you putting God’s gifts to you in good use like the first two disciples, or have we buried them in the ground like the last servant?
My brothers and sisters in Christ, someone once said that, “Eternal Happiness with God in heaven is the divine reward for an earthly life faithfully lived, or earthly service faithfully rendered. Hence, since life on earth is a time of service to God, let us use our time here very wisely and well, by being generous towards God, that is, by being good and faithful stewards of His gifts to us because we are His children, and co-heirs of His kingdom.
