Ouch Again!

33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

Matthew 25:14-30 The Parable of the Talents

Ouch again!

Wailing and gnashing of teeth…so harsh!

Matthew’s gospel is ANGRY

(A tough Gospel for tough times;)

Tough on hypocrisy

Tough on the Pharisees

Tough on false believers

Tough on those who make life even more difficult for the powerless

But also

The gospel that gives us the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes

This parable is not about what I am good at

And not about money

It is tough talk in the face of an oppressive power
and nobody gives up power without a fight

The Master doles out opportunities

The question is

What do we do with them?

Every day

Opportunities arise for me to see

What I do

What I say

How I am…in my being

As opportunities to ‘speak a word’

What is my percentage?

How many of those opportunities do I bury?

How many do I bring my full self to in faith, hope and love?

These harsh Matthean judgment texts

Remind us that they matter

Those missed opportunities matter

They add up

And collectively

Imagine how much they might weigh

Being a good and faithful servant

Means not wasting them

And Paul seems to think that staying sober and alert

will make us better at this ‘no-wasting’ business