The Gift You Cannot Bury

Prov 31:10-13.19-20.30-31, Psalm: 127, 1Thess 5:1-6, Mt 25:14-30

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

What are you doing with what God has given you? The answer to that question will shape your eternity. Today’s readings present us with three images of a life well lived: the industrious and generous woman of Proverbs, the vigilant believers of Thessalonica, and the faithful servants of the parable. Together they form a single call: God has entrusted you with gifts, time, and grace. Do not bury them.

The Book of Proverbs sings the praise of the worthy wife. She is not merely a domestic manager. She “works with loving hands,” reaches out to the poor, and “fears the Lord.” Her worth is “far beyond pearls.” She is a model of wisdom, diligence, and charity. She does not waste her days. She invests them. Every hour, every talent, every resource is used for the good of her family and the glory of God. She is not idle. She is not afraid. She trusts in the Lord, and her works praise her at the city gates.

Saint Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, warns us that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” While people are saying “Peace and security,” sudden ruin will come. “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day should overtake you like a thief.” We are “children of the light and children of the day.” Therefore, we must “stay alert and be sober.” The Christian life is not a passive waiting. It is an active vigilance. It is living every moment as if Christ could return today. Because He could.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the talents. A man entrusts his property to his servants—five talents, two talents, and one talent, “each according to his ability.” The first two invest their talents and double them. The third buries his in the ground. When the master returns, he praises the faithful servants: “Well done, good and faithful servant… Come, share your master’s joy.” But the third servant is condemned: “You wicked, lazy servant!” He is thrown “into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” The tragedy is not that he was given little. It is that he did nothing with what he was given. He buried it out of fear.

Pope Francis has said, “God does not ask us to be successful. He asks us to be faithful. He asks us to use the gifts He has given us, however small, for the good of others.” Saint Josemaría Escrivá, the saint of ordinary life, wrote, “Your ordinary work is not an interruption of your prayer. It is the material of your prayer.” Saint Thérèse of Lisieux teaches us that even the smallest acts—a smile, a kind word, a hidden sacrifice—can be great if done with love.

What are your talents? Perhaps they are not five or two. Perhaps they seem small: a listening ear, a steady presence, the ability to cook a meal, the patience to teach a child, the courage to speak truth in the workplace. Whatever they are, do not bury them. God has given them to you, and He expects a return. The day of the Lord is coming. Are you ready?

Today, let us examine our hearts. Are we like the faithful servants, investing what we have been given? Or are we like the fearful servant, burying our gifts out of anxiety or laziness? Let us ask the Lord to give us the courage of the virtuous woman, the vigilance of the Thessalonians, and the faithfulness of the two good servants. For the time is short. The Bridegroom is coming. And the gift you have been given is not meant to be buried. It is meant to bear fruit. Amen. May God bless you all!