HOLE IN THE GROUND - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Homily for the 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Based on Mt 25:14-30 (Gospel), Pr 31:10-13,19-20,30-31 (First Reading) and 1 Th 5:1-6 (Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

HOLE IN THE GROUND

But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.  (Mt 25:18)

The Gospel for this  33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time  (Cycle A) is taken from Mt 25:14-30, under the title: “Parable of the Talents^c”. Footnote  ^c  says “Christians are servants expected by Jesus, their master, to make full use of any gifts he has given them so that his kingdom may grow on earth; they must give an account of this administration. The parable of the pounds, Lk 19:12-27, has a similar form but rather different moral.”

Parallel text is Lk 19:12-27that says: “Accordingly he said, ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant  country to be appointed king and afterwards return (v. 12).^d He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. ‘Do business with these” he told them ‘until I get back (v. 13).” But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, “We do not want this man to be our king” (v. 14). ‘Now on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made (v. 15). The first came in and said, “Sir, your one pound has brought in ten” (v. 16). ‘Well done, my good servant!” he replied “Since you have proved yourself faithful in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities (v. 17).” Then came the second and said, “Sir, your one pound has made five” (v. 18). To this one also he said, “And you shall be I charge of five cities” (v. 19). Next came the other and said, “Sir, here is your pound. I put it away safely in a piece of linen (v. 20) because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you pick up what you have not put down and reap what you have not sown.” (v. 21). “You wicked servant!” he said “Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew I was an exacting man,  picking up what you have not put down and reaping what you have not sown? (v. 22). Then why did you not put my money in the bank? ON my return I could have drawn it out with interest (v. 23).” And he said to those standing by, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds” (v. 24). And they said to him, ‘But, sir, he has ten pounds…(v. 25)’^e “I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away (v. 26). “But as for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence (v. 27).”’

Verses 14 to 18 say: ‘It is like a man on his abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out. The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

Parallel text of verse 14 is Mk 13:34 that says: It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake.

Verses 19 and 20 say: Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir’ he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more than I have made.”

Parallel texts of verse 19 are:

1.       Mt 18:23 - And so the kingdom may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants…

2.       2 Co 5:10 - For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law court of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the body, good or bad.

Verses 21 up to 28 say: His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant;  you have shown you can be faithful in small thing, I will entrust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness”.^d Next, the man with two talents came forward.  “Sir’ he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more than I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant;  you have shown you can be faithful in small thing, I will entrust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness”. Last came forward the man who had the  one talent. “Sir,” he said “ I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not  sown and gathering where you have not scattered; So I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.”  But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered?  Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents.  Footnote ^d says “The happiness of the heavenly banquet, Mt 8:11+. ‘I will trust you with greater things’ implies an active sharing with Christ in his reign.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Mt 19:28  - Jesus said to them, “I tell you solemnly, when all is made new^g  and the Son of Man sits on his throne of glory, you will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Footnote ^g  says “The reference is to the messianic ‘renewal of all things’ which is to be revealed when the world ends but which, on the spiritual plane, will already have begun when Christ rises from the dead as Kyrios in the Church.”

2.       Mt 24:47  - I tell you solemnly, he will place him over everything he owns.

3.       Lk 16:10  - The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great.

Verse 29 says: For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but for the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Mt 13:12  - For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.^d Footnote ^d says “For those of good will, what they have learnt from the old covenant will be added to and perfected by the new, cf. 5:17,20. The ill-disposed will even lose what they have, namely, the Jewish Law which, without the perfection Christ brings to it, is destined to become obsolete.”

2.       Lk 8:18  - So take care how you hear; for anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.

Verse 30 says: And as for this good for nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”

Parallel text is Mt 8:12 that says: but the subjects of the kingdom^d will be turned out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth^e” Footnote ^d says  “Lit ‘the sons of the kingdom’, that is to say the Jews, natural heirs of the promises. Their place will be taken by the pagans, who prove more worthy.”; and Footnote ^e says “Scriptural image for the dismay and frustration of the wicked as seeing the virtuous rewarded, cf Ps 35:16; 37:12; 112:10; Jb 16:9. In Mt it is used as a description of damnation.”

The First Reading is taken from  Pr 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 which says: A perfect wife-who can find her? She is far beyond the price of pearls. Her husband’s heart has confidence in her, from her he will derive no little profit. Advantage and not hurt she brings him all the days of her life. She is always busy with wool and with flax, she does her work with eager hands. She sets he hands to the distaff, her fingers grasp the spindle. She holds out her hand to the poor, she opens her arms to the needy. Charm is deceitful, and beauty empty; the woman who is wise^h is the one to praise. Give her a share in what her hands have worked for, and let her works tell her praises at the city gates. Footnote  ^h says “‘the woman who is wise’ corr.; ‘the woman, the fear of Yahweh’ Hebr. The Hebr. gloss, incorporated and developed by the Greek (‘a wise woman will be praised-the fear of the Lord, that is the thing to boast of’) seems to show that the scribes understood this whole passage allegorically as a description of Wisdom personified, cf. 8:22+. This would make it an apt conclusion to the book. The Roman liturgy applies this passage to Holy Women.”

Parallel texts for verse 10 are:

1.       Pr 5:15 - Drink the water from your own cistern, fresh water from your own well.^c Footnote ^c says “Metaphors for the lawful wife. The condemnation of adultery, 2:16+, is now complemented by this eulogy of martial fidelity and of the lawful wife, vv. 15-18a and vv. 18b-19. For further passages in praise of the ideal wife, a gift from God and the consolation of her husband, cf. 18:22; 19:14 (cf., by contrast, 11:22; 19:13; 21:9,19; 25:24; 27:15; 31:3) and cf. particularly the enthusiastic commendation of the perfect wife with which the book ends, 31:10-31. Perhaps here too, as in 31:10f, behind the characteristics of the lawful wife we should see a symbolic portrait of Wisdom personified. In the context of ch. 1-9, adultery and married faith would, according to the prophetic apostasy and faithfulness to God and his Law as the source of wisdom.”

2.       Pr 11:16  - A gracious woman brings honour to her husband, she who has no love for justice is dishonor enthroned.^a Footnote ^a says “Following Greek. Hebr. ‘A gracious woman wins renown, bold men acquire riches’.”

3.       Pr 12:4  - A good wife, her husband’s crown, a shameless wife, a cancer in his bones.

4.       Pr 18:22  - Who finds a wife finds happiness, receiving a mark of favor from Yahweh.

5.       Si 26  - Happy the husband of a really good wife; the number of his days will be doubled. A perfect wife is the joy of her husband, he will live out the years of his life in peace. A good wife is the best of portions, reserved for those who fear the Lord; rich or poor, they will be glad of heart cheerful of face, whatever the season. There are three things my heart dreads, and fourth which terrifies me:^a slander by a whole town, the gathering of a mob, and a false accusation-these are all worse than death; but a woman jealous of a woman means heartbreak and sorrow, and all this is the scourge of the tongue.^b A bad wife is a badly fitting ox yoke,^c trying to master her is like grasping a scorpion. A drunken wife will goad anyone to fury, she makes no effort to hide her degradation. A woman’s wantonness shows in her bold look, and can be recognized by her sidelong glances. Keep a headstrong daughter under firm control, or she will abuse any indulgence she receives. Keep a strict watch on her shameless eye, do not be surprised if she disgraces you. Like a thirsty traveler she will open her mouth and drink water any water she comes across; she will sit in front of every peg, and open her quiver to any arrow. The grace of a wife will charm her husband, her accomplishments will make him the stringer.^d A silent wife is a gift from the Lord, no price can be put on a well-trained character. A modest wife is a boon twice over, a chaste character cannot be weighed on scales. Like the sun rising over the mountains of the Lord is the beauty of a good wife in a well-kept house. Like the lamp shining on the sacred lamp-stand^e is a beautiful face on a well-proportioned body. Like golden pillars on a silvery base are shapely legs on firm-set heels.^f There are two things which grieve my heart and a third arouses my anger: a warrior wasting away through poverty, intelligent men treated with contempt, a man turning back from virtue to sin-the Lord marks this man out for a violent death. Footnote ^a  says “‘terrifies me’; var. ‘is for me a subject of prayer’.’; Footnote ^b says “Following Syr.; ‘ and the scourge of the tongue that falls on all alike’ Greek. “; Footnote  ^c says “Which rubs and slips back and forth on the creature’s neck, causing galls and pain.”; Footnote ^d says “Lit. ‘fatten his bones’.”; Footnote ^e says “Probably alluding to the seven-branched lamp-stand”; and Footnote ^f  says “Following some MSS and Lat. Add. Vv. 19-27 -

19: My son, preserve the bloom of your youth and do not waste your strength on strangers. (cf. Pr 5:9-10).

20: Search the whole plain for the fertile field, sow your own seed there, trusting in your own good stock.

21: Thus your offspring will survived, they will grow great, confident of their breeding.

22: A woman for hire is not worth spitting at, but a lawful wife is a strong as a tower.

23: A godless wife is assigned to a transgressor as his fortune, but a devout wife given to the man who fears the Lord.

24: A shameless wife takes pleasure in disgracing herself, a modest wife is diffident even with her husband.

25: A headstrong wife is no more respected them a dog, but one with a sense of shame fears the Lord.

26: A wife respects her husband will be acknowledged wise by all, but one who proudly despises him will be known by all as wicked.

27: A loud-mounted, gossiping wife is like a trumpet sounding the charge, and any man saddled with one spends his life in the turmoil of war. “

   

The Second Reading is taken from 1 Th 5:1-6

Verse 1 says: You will not be expecting us to write anything to you, brothers, about ‘times and seasons’.^b Footnote  ^b says “‘about times and seasons’: a cliché, cf. Ac 1:7+, underlying which is the idea of God as outside time and yet as controlling it and its divisions, Ac 17:26.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Dn 2:21  - His, to control the procession of times and seasons, to make and unmake kings, to confer wisdom on the wise, and knowledge on those with wit to discern.

2.       Ac 1:8  - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,ⁱ and then you will be my witnesses^j not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth’.^k Footnote   ⁱ says “The Holy Spirit is a favorite theme of Luke (Lk 4:1+); he talks mostly about the Holy Spirit as a Power, Lk 1:35; 24:49;Ac 1:8;10:38; Rm 15:13,19; 1 Co 2:4,5; 1 Th 1:5; Heb 2:4, sent  from God by Christ, Ac 2:38, to broadcast the Good News. 1. The Spirit gives the charismata, 1 Co 12:4f, that guarantee the message; the gift of tongues, Ac 2:4+, of miracles, 10:38, of prophecy, 11:27+; 20:23; 21:11, of wisdom, 6:3,5,10:2, the Spirit fives strength to proclaim Jesus as Messiah in spite of persecution 4:8,31; 5:32; 6:10;cf. Ph 1;19 and to bear witness to him, Mt. 10;20p; Jn 15:26; Ac 1:8; 2 Tm 1:7f,cf. following note; 3. The Spirit guides the Church in her major decisions: the  admission of pagans, Ac 8:29,40; 10:19,44-47; 11;12-16; 15:8, without obligation to observe the  Law, 15:28; Paul’s mission to the pagan worlds, 13:2f; 16:6-7; 19:1 (Western Text) cf. Mt. 3:16+,Ac also mentions the Spirit  as received in baptism and forgiving sins, 2:38, cf. Rm 5:5+.”  Footnote ^j  says “The primary functions of the apostles is to bear witness: not only to Christ’s resurrection, Lk. 24:48, Ac 2:32, 3:15, 4:33, 3:32, 24:48,13;31, 22:15, but also to the whole of is public life, Lk 1:21, Jn 15:27, Ac. 1:22, 10:39f.”; and Footnote ^k says “nothing can limit the apostolic mission.”

Verse 2 says: since you know very well that the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night.

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Mt 24:36,43 - But as for that day and hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son ^u; no one but the Father only (v. 36).  You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house (v.43).

2.       2 P 3:10  - The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then with a roar the sky will vanish away, the elements will catch fire and fall apart, the earth and all that it contains will be burnt up.^g Footnote ^g says “‘burnt up’ corr.; ‘uncovered’ (Greek). This destruction of the world by fire was, in Graeco-Roman times, a common topic for philosophers.”

3.       Rv 3:3 …and yet do you remember how eager you were when you first heard the message? Hold on to that. Repent. If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, without telling you at what hour to expect me.

Verse 3 says: It is when people are saying, ‘How quiet and peaceful it is’ that the worst suddenly happens, as suddenly as labor pains come on a pregnant woman; and there will be no way for somebody to evade it.

Parallel text of verse is Jr 6:14  that says: They dress my people’s wound without concern: “Peace! Peace!” they say, but there is no peace.ⁱ Footnote   ⁱ says “Allusion to the lying promises of the false prophets, 14:13; 23:17; 28:8-9, of whom Jeremiah is to make bitter enemies by his forecast of disaster. They foretell ‘peace’, shalom, Which for the Hebrew means not merely the absence of external danger (a primary preoccupation in the times of Jeremiah) but an ideal state of happiness in which individual and nation prosper and social harmony reigns (the ‘peace’ characterizing the messianic age, cf. Is 11:6+). ‘Peace! Peace!’ could be translated here as ‘All is well!’”

Verses 4 and 5 say: But it is not as if you live in the dark, my brothers, for that Day^c to overtake you like a thief.  No you are all sons of light and sons of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness…Footnote  ^c says “Mention ‘the Day’ without further qualification, 1 Co 1:8+, helps Apostle Paul to introduce the mention of light and day and contrast ‘wakefulness’ with the dark, night and sleep (in a different sense from 4:13f), and also make the contrast between Christians (sons of the light) and others (sons of darkness), cf. Jn 8:12+.”

Parallel texts of verse 4 are:

1.       Ep 5:8-9  - Make sure that you are not included with them (v. 8). You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light, For the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness and right living and truth (v. 9)

2.       Jn 8:12  - When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: ‘I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light of life’.

Verse 6 says: so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake and sober.

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Mt 24:42  - ‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day^v when your master is coming. Footnote ^v “Vulg. ‘hour’.”

2.       Rm 13:12-13  - The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon-let us give up^h all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light (v. 12). Let us live decently as people do in the daytime; no drunken orgies, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy (v. 13). Footnote ^h says “Lit. ‘let us divest ourselves of’; var. ‘let us cast away’.”

3.       1 P 1:13  - Free your minds, then, of encumbrances, control them, and put your trust in nothing but the grace that will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

4.       1 P 4:7  - Everything will soon come to an end, so, to pray better, keep a calm and sober mind.

5.       1 P 5:8  - Be calm but vigilant, because your enemy the devil^h is prowling round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to eat.  Footnote ^h says “The word diabolos (lit. ‘one who passes to another information against a third party’) may be translated ‘accuser’; it is applied to the devil in its legal sense of ‘prosecutor’.”