The work of our hands. 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Today, the penultimate Sunday of the liturgical year, the Church continues to direct our attention to the ultimate realities: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. Last Sunday we reflected on the inevitability of death and the need to be prepared for the moment when the Lord calls us to himself. Today, the Church presents us with another reality that follows death: the final judgment. We will not only die; we will also appear before the Lord and have to give an account of the fruitfulness of our labors.

At first glance, today's readings may seem unrelated. The first reading presents the familiar portrait of the hardworking woman from Proverbs 31, while the Gospel offers the parable of the talents. The second reading, taken from the letter of St. Paul, has a more direct connection to the Gospel. However, the common thread that unites these texts lies in the liturgical theme itself: active faithfulness through the work of our hands. The theme of the readings is usually the italicized text that appears at the beginning of each reading.

The first reading speaks of a woman whose hands are constantly busy:“She seeks wool and flax and works them with skillful hands. She puts her hands to the spindle, and with her fingers she holds the distaff. She opens her hands to the needy and reaches out her arms to the poor.”.

Far from being a rigid list of obligations or a portrait of perfection intended for women, this passage shows us hands working to care for the family, build the community, and reach out to the poor. They are loving hands, hardworking hands, generous hands. They care for their homes, provide for those entrusted to them, and extend themselves to the poor and needy.

This same idea leads us directly to the Gospel. Jesus tells us about a master who goes on a journey and entrusts his possessions to his servants. To one he gives five talents, to another two, and to another one: “to each according to his ability”. The first two servants immediately put their gifts to work, while the third, out of fear, buries his. When the master returns, he rewards the faithfulness of their efforts, the work of their hands.

The parable is a call to vigilance as we await Christ's return. It helps us examine ourselves, not so much for what we have received, but rather for what we have done with what we have received.

Our talents represent our personal gifts, our time, and our abilities. Each of us will have to give a personal account of how we have used what has been entrusted to us. It is about being responsible for the work and effort we have put in. How have we worked? What have we done with our talents and our gifts? We are called to be responsible and faithful with the gifts we have received. This faithfulness will be rewarded.

God does not demand the same results from everyone, but He does ask us for faithfulness. What a joy it will be to hear those words:“Well done, good and faithful servant; […] enter into the joy of your master".