HOMILY, 33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

HOMILY, 33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

THEME: LATENT TALENTS – THE TRAGEDY OF SPIRITUAL DORMANCY!

By:  Benedict Agbo (Rev Fr)

Prov 31: 10 – 31, 1Thess 5: 1 – 6, Matt 25: 14 – 20.

A. PREAMBLE
As the Church’s liturgical calender gradually winds up, the readings get more escatological and remind us to be wise and prudent in getting ready for the last day – our judgment day. The 2nd reading warns us succinctly; ‘It is not as if you live in the dark, my brothers, for that day to overtake you like a thief. No, you are sons of the day… you must stay awake!’.
We must be praying and reflecting on the Word of God all the time. This habit of spiritual introspection will help us remain vigilant and wise and not get deceived by so many forces of demonic deceit and ignorance round and about us.

B. THE TRAGEDY OF DORMANCY
In day to day commerce, we all know that when an account is dormant, then it is useless unless it is reactivated. In physical biology, the theory of evolution states that unused potentials are often most likely to disappear. In spiritual life, it is even the greatest tragedy for God’s gifts to be unused. Christians are expected not to keep their faith to themselves alone. According to F Lincione, ‘God never intended his Church to be a refrigerator in which to preserve perishable piety. He intended it to be an incubator in which to hatch converts’. St John Chrysostom puts it this way: ‘Nothing is colder than a Christian soul which does not seek for the conversion of other souls’. In today’s gospel we are presented with the tragedy of the man who received one talent and went and hid it for a long time. He had both a bad heart and a bad mouth. Just hear him speak to his master: ‘I had heard (from gossip perhaps) that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow… so I was afraid (negative thinking) and I went and hid your talent on the ground. Here you have what is yours’.

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This pericope contains 3 ‘R’ s: Reward, Rebuke and Remark.
(a) Reward: Faithful servants who used their talents well were rewarded with more talents.
(b) Rebuke: The wicked and lazy servants were rebuked for cowardice and insolence.
(c) Remark: Everyone who has (faith) will be given more and from the man who has not; even what he has will be taken away. The lesson is that divine grace must be accounted for no matter how little. In simple arithmetic, a gain of 1 million from 1 million is the same as a gain of 1 naira from 1 naira (both are a 100% gain). People who are charitable can exhibit their sense of charity even in modest occupations like farming, civil service, petty trading, etc. People who are prayerful can find time for their prayers even in the midst of busy family life. There is zero tolerance for domancy in the spiritual life.

C. VARIETY OF GIFTS
There are varieties of gifts in the Church; Some have artistic gifts; they can contribute their quota in the house of God as writers, musicians, actors, architects or builders. Some have the gift of Wisdom and leadership; they can contribute their quota in the Church as bishops, priests, teachers, politicians, chairmen of Church councils, etc. Some have the gift of physical strength; they can contribute their quota in the Church as labourers, carpenters, masons, security men, etc.

Every temperament has areas of strength and weaknesses that should be exploited for the benefit of the Church; Cholerics have self confidence that can be useful in leadership; Sanguines have friendliness that can be used in evangelism; Phlegmatics have self control that can be used in teaching and formation of Youths; Melancholics have deep feeling and sensitivity that can be used in the prayer and service ministries. Today’s 1st reading speaks of the eulogy of the ideal wife – a biblical imagery that stands for the Church as the bride of Christ. The ideal wife enjoys the confidence of her husband. She is dutiful as she sets her hands on desk making soap, cakes, clothes, shoes, bags and doing whatever she can do to help her husband cater for the family needs. She is charitable to the poor and takes good care of both her husband’s relations and her’s alike. She is wise and provides good counsel for her husband.

D. SPIRITUAL VIGILANCE
The test on the last day is whether we made full use of our talents for the growth of his kingdom on earth. Many of us have a poor sense of responsibility and record keeping /assessment of our investments /output especially in spiritual matters. Many think they are in good shape spiritually when in fact they may have little or nothing in their heavenly bank accounts. Take note that every account is made up of credits and debits, inputs and outputs, talents and their use. We must learn how to check our spiritual account balance everyday.

E. CONCLUSION
The Church is like the ideal wife who is faithful, creative, charitable and kind. Priests and Church leaders must realize that the Church is not a toll gate for the collection of levies from the healthy but more of a field hospital for the healing of the sick. According to Pope Francis, ‘I prefer a Church which is bruised than a Church which is unconcerned with the plight of sinners and the weak’ (Apostolic Exhortation ‘Evangelium Gaudium’, 49, pg 41). In Nigeria today for example, the Church is gradually turning into a toll house where in some dioceses and parishes, Sunday worship has been turned into a money hunting jamboree with only few minutes for the Word of God and the liturgical prayers. Many priests have reduced the barometer of judgment of their success in the ministry to how many physical structures they are able to put up. They therefore spend sufficient time and energy every Sunday (and at opportune moments such as when the rich gather for their ceremonies) scouting for money without caring for the spiritual needs of their flock. Many parents spend a lot of their time and energy in providing for the financial needs of their family without teaching their children the need for prayer and the fear of God.

Accountability is the watchword of today’s readings. We must all prepare to render accounts one day to the master checker of the Universe. Pope Francis in ‘Amoris Laetitia’ insists that parishes must develop a spiritual support system for newly married couples to guide them through at least the first 6 years of their married life. Most times, what we do here in Nigeria is collect huge clearance money from them and rush through their marriage course preparations. Then, as soon as they come to the marriage tribunals complaining after a few years, we quickly grant them annulment. The wealthy class more especially needs more pastoral care in our climes. Priests, especially those working in poor rural areas must not be beclouded by their poverty and fail to admonish the rich ones in their midst many of who are enmeshed in gross wastage of resources and insensitivity to the plight of the poor.

St Ireneus says that ‘The glory of God is the glory of the human person fully realized’. Parents and pastors should help their children and parishioners realize their physical and spiritual potentials. The one talent we are all called to develop is that of loving God and loving our neighbours. We must all render account for this. Happy Sunday dear friends!

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