Homily: Thirty-third Sunday Year A

 Reading 1: I am sure some husbands may say, I wish my wife was like that. At the same time, I am sure some wives may say, I wish my husband would entrust his heart to me, not just at the time of marriage, but throughout our lives.

 

What is the key phrase of the worthy wife, whose value is immeasurable? She “fears the Lord.” What is this exactly? There is a natural emotion of fear. Examples are if we see a poisonous snake, a charging grizzly. Then there is a spiritual gift of fear of God. This is not fear in the human sense, but awe and wonder of the very being of God. Who am I to gaze on the loveliness of God, to be blessed by God, to be in very presence of God? It is the reverential respect of the person of God.

 

The valiant woman’s life flows from a right relationship with God and, therefore, a right relationship and self –worth in relationship with her husband, her children, her neighbors. She knows who she is as a daughter of God. She knows her purpose in life is to be with God forever, as well as to lead her husband and children to the Lord.

 

Gospel: What was the basis of judgment for the servants? Faithful service in small matters. What was the reward? Sharing in the master’s joy. What are the gifts and abilities that the Lord has entrusted to us? What are we doing with the natural and spiritual gifts and graces? How faithful have we been?

 

The third servant had a fear of the master’s expectations. He let fear paralyze him, rather than see and respond to the generosity and trust of the master in him. The other two saw the master differently? They respected him and anticipated what he wanted them to do.

 

What is the greatest gift God has given us? Life, not just human life, but a share in his own divine life. At baptism we became a child of God.  What have we done with this gift? Are we growing in our relationship with God or have we squandered this gift through sin?

 

On the day of judgement, when the Lord returns, seeking an accountability of our years of human existence as his servant/disciple, will we have grown in our life with God or will we have nothing to show. The first two disciples were in awe of the living God and wanted to do that which pleased him. The third disciple feared the Lord, not in a reverential way but with human fear.  He had nothing to show for the great gift entrusted to him.  Sharing in the divine life of God was not that important to him.

 

Reading 2: The Day of the Lord can be seen from two different aspects. The Day of the Lord is the coming of the Son of God in glory to judge the living and the dead at the end of the world as we know it. It will come as a “thief in the night” we will not be able to predict it. It is only known by God. There will be signs alerting us. Another way of looking at the Day of the Lord is that it is the day of my own death. No one can predict it. Both realities are true.

 

What is Paul’s point? Be prepared. The children of light living in relationship with God live with this reality as a given and are prepared for either. Their reward is eternal life with God. But the children of darkness, living in unrepentant sin, are caught off guard. Eternal ruin is their reward.