2017 November 19,SUN33ORDA

2017 November 19,SUN33ORDA

PRV 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31

1.         The blessedness of a good wife and husband in the family

2.         The good family life is where God is the in the Center

3.         Charity for the poor and the needy is part of a good home.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R/ Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

1 THES 5:1-6

1.         St Paul presents the identity of the community as the children of the light

2.         Becoming the children of the light is being alert always for the Will of the Father.

MT 25:14-30

1.         Personal Responsibility is the key to Salvation

2.         Becoming Responsible is making our lives fruitful for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

3.         Gratitude for God’s gift is caring, producing and sharing.

  

Good ……

Today we celebrate the 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time A and the Theme of the Readings today is To Be Responsible for our lives, for our families and for our communities.  

Next Sunday will be the Christ the King Sunday which is the end of another season and we will enter a new season the Advent Season.

If we can recall the themes in the last Sunday’s Readings, in summary, there were the themes about the Kingdom of God, and followed by the misunderstanding of the Pharisees and Scribes about the teaching of Jesus, and followed by the theme that we are the saints of God called to be Holy, and the theme of becoming always prepared for God, these readings and themes prepare us for the celebration of the Christ The King.

And in Readings today, we can see a gradual teaching about our own responsibilities to our family, to our community and to ourselves as persons.

In the First Readings from the Books of Proverbs we are told of three things:

 a. The blessedness of a good wife and husband in the family : “When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.”

 b. The good family life is where God is the in the Center: “the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

c. Charity for the poor and the needy is part of a good home : “She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.”

The Book of the Proverbs put the harmony of the Family as the Responsibility and expression of the love between husband and wife.

In the Second Reading from the letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians, St Paul presented the responsibility and/or identity of the Christian Community as the children of the light. : St Paul says: But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. For St Paul , Becoming the children of the light is being alert always for the Will of the Father. This means that God is the Center of Life of the Christian Community.

The Gospel of St Matthew focuses not on the Family, nor on the Community BUT on our responsibility as persons. For St. Matthew Personal Responsibility is the key to Salvation and Becoming Responsible is making our lives fruitful for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

God gave us talents depending on our capabilities. This is the reason why we should not compare ourselves with others, for we have different talents, nor be envious of what others have for they have different responsibilities. We have to appreciate our talents and make use of them, make them fruitful not only for ourselves but more so for our families and for our Christian communities, for our parish.  Let us remember that Being Responsible is our Gratitude for the gifts we have received.

When we can become responsible, the Father according to St Matthew will tell us : 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.’ AMEN.