First Reading - Proverbs 31:10-13,19-20,30-31
Second Reading - 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Gospel - Matthew 25:14-30
Today’s readings remind us that the important question is not how much we have received compared with others, but what we do with what has been entrusted to us.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of a man who goes on a journey and entrusts his possessions to three servants. One receives five talents, another two, and another one, each according to his ability. The first two servants put their talents to work and double what they have received. The third, however, becomes afraid and buries his talent in the ground.
When the master returns, he praises the first two servants with the same words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Notice that the master does not praise them because they received the same amount or achieved identical results. He praises them because they were faithful with what had been entrusted to them.
The third servant’s problem is not simply that he received less. It is that fear prevents him from doing anything with what he has received. Instead of taking responsibility, he hides his talent and later blames his master.
How often can this happen in our own lives? We may bury our gifts because we are afraid of failure, criticism, or responsibility. We may tell ourselves that we are not as talented as others, that our contribution is too small, or that someone else can do the work better. We may even use our limitations as an excuse for doing nothing.
But God does not ask us to become someone else. He asks us to be faithful with the gifts we have received. A talent may be the ability to teach, organise, encourage, listen, care for the sick, guide a family, or support someone who is struggling. Even a small act of kindness can bear fruit when it is offered with love. The danger is not that our gifts are small, but that we refuse to use them.
The first reading from Proverbs gives us a beautiful example of this faithful use of gifts. The woman praised in the text works with willing hands, uses her abilities wisely, and opens her hands to the poor and needy. Her value is not measured merely by outward beauty or social recognition, but by her faithfulness, wisdom, generosity, and fear of the Lord. Her gifts become a blessing not only for herself but also for her household and those in need.
This is what faithful stewardship looks like. God gives us gifts not merely for our personal success, but so that we can contribute to the well-being of others. The gifts we receive become fruitful when we use them in love and service.
The second reading from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians adds another important dimension. Paul tells the Christians that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. Therefore, they must not live in spiritual darkness but remain awake and sober.
To live awake means to recognise that our lives have a purpose and that our choices matter. We cannot endlessly postpone doing good, reconciling with someone, serving those in need, or developing the gifts God has given us. The time entrusted to us is itself a gift, and we are called to use it responsibly.
These readings therefore invite us to examine three things: the gifts we have received, the fear that may prevent us from using them, and the opportunities God places before us each day. We do not need to wait for extraordinary circumstances to serve him. Faithfulness begins in our ordinary responsibilities, in our families, workplaces, communities, and encounters with those who need our help.
Dear friends, let us not spend our lives comparing our gifts with those of others. Let us not bury what God has entrusted to us because we are afraid of making mistakes. Instead, let us work faithfully, serve generously, and remain spiritually awake.
One day, the Lord will not ask us why we were not someone else. He will ask, in effect, what we did with the gifts and opportunities we received. May we then be able to hear those beautiful words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
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