Sunday November 19, 2023

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“We are all gifted enough to make a difference for God’s kingdom, because our abilities come from him.”

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Good News Reflection for:

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 19, 2023

Today’s Prayer:

Good Father, I will do everything possible with the help of Your grace to ensure that when You call me home, I will hear from Your lips the beautiful words: “Well done, My good and faithful servant…Come share your Master’s joy.” Amen.

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Today’s Readings:

Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
Ps 128:1-5
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Matthew 25:14-30
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111923.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-november-15-2023

Well done, my good and faithful servant!

This Sunday’s Gospel reading reminds us not to bury the gifts that God has given us. To do so is to be a “wicked, lazy servant!”

Ouch.

We all have at least one buried talent. There’s more we could be doing for the kingdom of God, but we think: “Not me. I’m not gifted enough” or “Someone else can do it better than I can” or “God can’t be telling me to do that” or “I don’t have the time, the financial resources, the know-how, or good enough health” or “I’m retired now and I’ve been waiting a long time to finally focus on my own desires.”

There’s no holy excuse for wasting anything good that God has given us, but sadly it happens quite often, because we don’t realize how necessary our talents are for the Church and our joint mission of spreading Christ’s influence upon the world.

What’s pushing your gifts and talents aside? What’s interfering with your usefulness to the kingdom of God? Now is the time to open wide your potential and release your talents into God’s plans!

We are all gifted “enough” to make a difference for God’s kingdom, because our abilities come from him. We’re his servants, and it’s up to him, not us, to decide what we’re capable of doing. Even the homebound and the bedridden have a divine purpose that can be accomplished in their circumstances and sufferings. Often, these precious people are very powerful prayer warriors and have some of the soundest wisdom on earth.

Have you ever been challenged by the question: “If God is so good, why does he allow evil to happen?” The answer is: It’s not God that allows it. It’s we who allow it! We are the Body of Christ on earth. We are his hands and feet and vocal chords and embracing arms. Jesus truly wants to make our world more heavenly, but too many of us have seemingly good reasons to bury the gifts that could make a difference. Indeed, this is wicked laziness!

Questions for Personal Reflection:
What good have you done? Hear God assuring you: “Well done, my good and faithful servant! Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you greater responsibilities. Come, share your Master’s joy!” What “greater responsibilities” can you say yes to by offering the gifts that he’s provided to you? What’s stopping you from saying yes?

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
How would you recommend, based on your own experiences, that Christians invest the gifts of God? How do you identify (1) your giftedness and (2) God’s purpose for it?

For more on the topic of this subject read “How to Be a Good Ambassador” @ gnm.org/about-us/about-how-to-be-missionary/.

2023 by Terry A. Modica

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