Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mass Celebrated by Archbishop Denis Hart
at Tarrawarra Abbey, Yarra Glen,
on Sunday, 13th November, 2005, at 10.30 am

Introduction

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this Lord’s Day I rejoice at being united with you and in receiving the challenge given us by the Word of God; to be challenged by that Word and, when confronted with the needs of the world, to meet it courageously and with imagination.

We will be judged by the fruit that we produce in prayer, in witness and in good works.

Homily

My dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are challenged to examine the gifts, which God has given us and to remember that all we have comes from him.  These Sundays in November remind us naturally of our prayer for those who have died, of the certainty of death in our own life and of the living for the kingdom, which is our response to Jesus Christ. 

Already we have responded in prayer:  “Happy are those who fear the Lord.”  (Psalm 127:1)  And in the Alleluia:  “Live in me and let me live in you, says the Lord; my branches bear much fruit.”  (John 15:4, 5)

In the parable in today’s Gospel Jesus tells us that there can be no true religion without spiritual adventure and that God can find no use for the shut mind.  But there is much more in the parable than that.  It tells us the truth we know, that God gives people differing gifts.  One man received five talents, another two and another one.  It is not people’s talents that matter.  What does matter is how we use them. 

God never demands from us abilities, which we do not have, but he does demand from each of us that we should use to the full the abilities, which we do possess.  We are not equal in talent, but we can be equal in effort.  Because God has given us everything that we are and have, the parable tells us that whatever talent we have, be it little or great, we have to lay it at the service of God.

William Barclay in his commentary on this Gospel says, “The parable tells us that the reward of work well done is still more work to do.  The two servants who had done well are not told to lean back and to rest on their oars because they have done well.  They are given greater tasks and greater responsibilities in the work of the Master.  The reward of work is not rest, but more work.  This comes from the fundamental attitude shown by our Saviour of being totally given and spent for others.  The discovery that we can be and do things for others as a result of our contact with Jesus and our prayer is the ongoing challenge to continue using our gifts.”

The parable tells us that the one who is punished is the one who will not try.  The man with the one talent did not lose his talent; he simply did nothing with it.  Even if he had adventured with it and lost it, it would be better than doing nothing at all.  It is always a temptation for us to say, I can do so little that it is not worthwhile to try.  Yet, our world and our Church have to be made of people who will have big ideals in love of God and service of God and others, who will allow those ideals to inspire them and will achieve great things. 

The Communion Antiphon today, “I tell you solemnly whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours, says the Lord”, is something which spills over into our daily service. 

As we offer this Mass, praising the Lord, the Giver of all good gifts, let us remember that he invites us, not to fear, but to take courage in what, with God’s strength, we are able to achieve; looking forward and not back, bringing hope and not despair, as we journey together towards eternal life.

+ Denis J. Hart,
Archbishop of Melbourne.