The 33rd Sunday of the Year brings us close to the end of another liturgical year in the church. Next week’s feast of Christ the King concludes the current Year A liturgical cycle before we celebrate the beginning of Year B and Advent. So today’s readings reflect the nearness of the end times. The gospel has the theme: “the responsibility of talent.” No two of us gathered here today are alike. God has given us different talents or gifts to use for the good of all. Ultimately the “talent” from God is God’s very life, or grace. It is the talent of love that explodes from the reign of God everywhere in our midst, combating every form of evil. In using these talents we enrich our life and the lives of those around us. Sometimes we bury that gift. The first reading speaks of the wise woman who uses her talents to live a simple yet industrious life. The second reading suggests that the Master is nearer than we think. But the overall message is for us not to fear, but to know the Lord, and ourselves, in a new way, and be glad that his Day is near.
