Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

These readings for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time call us to a healthy sense of vigilance. This is the second-to-last Sunday before the Advent Season. The liturgical year of the Catholic Church will begin again, and we will count down the days to the celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ coming in the flesh. This is the time to keep our eyes open, both in body and in soul. Now is the time to pay attention to everything happening both in our lives and in spiritual things.

Our brother monk Fr. Aquinas gave a great homily a few years ago where he reminded us to remember that we are serving Jesus in what we are doing. “Remember who you serve.” It can be so easy to be caught in our own ways or in the trends of the times. Whatever we are doing we need to have a healthy vigilance. St. Paul tells the Thessalonians that they don’t need anyone to speak to them about ”times and seasons.” He reminds his disciples in Thessalonica that they are “children of light” and need to stay awake. We should not fall asleep in the bad times or habits of the age.

We are all servants of the same master who “leaves on a journey,” and will return and ask what we did with the talents he gave us. These talents are the gifts we’ve received from the Lord and the responsibilities we have. Are we using them prudently? Can we turn five into ten and two into four? Or do we bury the talent we have because we think it’s too demanding to bear it? It can be said well that if we bury our talent we will get buried with it. We cannot just walk away from our responsibilities without consequences.

One great privilege and talent we all have as Americans participating in elections. Many people in other nations don’t get the same privilege of voting in a free election. As Americans, we have a responsibility to vote in an informed manner and to treat the process with respect and humility. We have a civic responsibility as US citizens and an obligation to seek the truth as Christians. This is one way of using our gifts well.

So, remember whom you serve. Use your talents, whatever they are, to serve Jesus your true master. Then He will be happy to say, “Come, share your master’s joy.”

Reflection by Br. Matthew Marie, OSB