November 13th 2011: Sunday Gospel Reflection

Matthew 25:14-30

Just as the sun is setting earlier and the length of days is narrowing, we Catholics are drawing to the close of our Liturgical Year. On November 27^th, the First Sunday of Advent, we will begin a new year, marking the four weeks to prepare for the Light of the World to be born at Christmas. Until then the themes of the readings at Mass are focused on endings, specifically the end of the world where we believe, as we profess at Mass, “Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end”.

“There is no way of telling people that they are walking around shining like the sun!” 
-Thomas Merton

In today’s Second Reading, taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Christians living in the town of Thessilonica, he tells them that all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are made to live in the light, not to dwell in darkness and shadows. Sometimes bringing things ‘to light’ can be scary because we can’t hide what we would prefer others not to see: a bad habit, doubts, fears, an addiction, a secret, etc. In the light we are seen as we are and that is not always comforting!

In truth we can never really keep parts of our lives in complete darkness. The God who made us and holds us in existence knows us perfectly-even those parts of our lives that are darker. He made us to live in the light of day and waits for us to be with Him there.

Holding things back from God or others is tiring and ultimately affects our relationships with others whether we want it or not. If a friend tells us a secret about someone else, it is very difficult to have the same comfortable relationship with that person because we cannot be fully honest with them, ultimately a good friend will know that something is up.

In today’s Gospel, The Parable of the Talents, Jesus teaches his followers about using and sharing the gifts God has given. God has given us much in our life as a gift and He expects much from us in return! The Gospel message is about letting our light shine so that it might be shared with others, unlike the servant in the parable who buries his talent out of fear. When we bury our gifts in the dark ground we don’t allow them to be given as gifts.

As our days get darker we also approach the Season of Advent and prepare for Jesus, the Light of the World, to be born and made present in our hearts. As Christmas approaches may we commit ourselves to live as people of the light and to shine like the sun, sharing that light with those around us. 

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