1st Reading – Proverbs31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
When one finds a worthy wife,
her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,
has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil,
all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax
and works with loving hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor,
and extends her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;
the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward for her labors,
and let her works praise her at the city gates.
The book of Proverbs is a compilation of human wisdom imbued with faith in the Lord, the God of Israel. Although the book is attributed to King Solomon (Proverbs 1:1), it was actually written and assembled over a period of 500 years, from the days of Solomon to the time of Alexander the Great. The book derives its name from the Hebrew term mashal, which means “a provocative saying.”
Today’s first reading is from a poem in the epilogue of the book of Proverbs, an acrostic poem about the qualities of a perfect wife. Portrayed as someone who wholeheartedly embraces the modest daily responsibilities assigned by God, she exemplifies energetic faithfulness. This serves as a contrast to the fearful servant in our gospel reading — unlike him, the worthy wife puts all her talents to good use.
When one finds a worthy wife,
The adjective hayil is typically translated as “virtuous” or “worthy,” but it actually has a much richer meaning.
It conveys strength, capability, and virtue on every level — physical, moral, and intellectual.This is the kind of valor a warrior might have.
her value is far beyond pearls.
The rarity and value of such a wife are emphasized, highlighting the challenge of finding a woman of this caliber.
Wisdom is often compared to jewels throughout Proverbs (3:15; 8:11; 16:16; 20:15).
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize.She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
The Hebrew word for “heart” (lēb) is used to describe the seat of understanding, intention, and decision-making, not just emotions.
The Hebrew perspective traditionally didn’t make the strong distinction between mind and heart that we often do in Western thought. Instead, the heart was seen as the central and essential organ of human life, encompassing the totality of a person’s inner nature.
To say the woman’s husband has entrusted his heart to her implies she understands his thoughts and feelings and is able to take on at least some of his responsibilities — not in the subservient way a housewife is often stereotypically understood, but in the self-sufficient manner of the one in charge.
This kind of assertion is obviously very unusual in a patriarchal society.
She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with loving hands.She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.
The woman exemplifies the virtues needed in a well-run household: industry, versatility, trustworthiness, constancy, and general goodness.
She improves everything she touches.
She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.
The woman is compassionate and generous. Her hard work has brought prosperity to the household, enabling her to share resources with those in need.
Notice that here, too, the woman is in charge. She is described as personally reaching out in order to give.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;
Charm and beauty are external qualities, not marks of wisdom.
As cherished as these traits may be, they are ultimately vain and empty.
the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
This is the only explicitly religious element of the entire passage. The source of the woman’s virtue is her fear of the LORD. She demonstrates a deep reverence for God’s sovereignty, goodness, and justice.
This is the foundation of religion. As is stated in Proverbs 1:7, “Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”
This sentiment is echoed in today’s responsorial psalm, which proclaims that the same fear of the Lord is to characterize the happily married man.
Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
This woman is the model not only for a good wife but for a generally wise person. Her virtue and success stem from the wisdom rooted in her fear of the Lord, which is why her husband entrusts his heart to her.
Her virtues merit praise at the gates of the city, the place where the business of the community was transacted.
Among all people, those who fear the Lord are truly valiant.
“The moral and spiritual strength of a woman is joined to her awareness that God entrusts the human being to her in a special way. Of course, God entrusts every human being to each and every other human being. But this entrusting concerns women in a special way – precisely by reason of their femininity – and this in a particular way determines their vocation.
The moral force of women, which draws strength from this awareness and this entrusting, expresses itself in a great number of figures of the Old Testament, of the time of Christ, and of later ages right up to our own day.
A woman is strong because of her awareness of this entrusting, strong because of the fact that God ‘entrusts the human being to her,’ always and in every way, even in the situations of social discrimination in which she may find herself. This awareness and this fundamental vocation speak to women of the dignity which they receive from God himself, and this makes them ‘strong’ and strengthens their vocation.
Thus the ‘perfect woman’ (cf. Prov 31:10) becomes an irreplaceable support and source of spiritual strength for other people, who perceive the great energies of her spirit. These ‘perfect women’ are owed much by their families, and sometimes by whole nations” (Pope Saint John Paul II, Mulieris Dignitatem, 30).
2nd Reading –1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief at night.
When people are saying, “Peace and security,”
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief.
For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober.
Today we conclude our study of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians.
In this passage, Saint Paul continues his discussion on the theme of Christ’s return but shifts the focus to the unpredictability of the timing.
Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,
Paul links the two Greek words for time, chrónos and kairós:
- Chrónos (“times”) generally refers to intervals of measured, chronological time.
- Kairós (“seasons”) conveys the idea of opportune or appointed times, i.e. decisive moments.
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
Paul suggests that he doesn’t need to write extensively on this matter, indicating that his audience has already received some instruction on the subject.
For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord
Several of ancient Israel’s prophets spoke about the mysterious “day of the Lord” (Amos 5:18; Isaiah 2:12; Ezekiel 7:10). It was considered the day of fulfillment, the moment when God’s justice would be unveiled on the earth. It would bring rejoicing and vindication for the righteous and reproof and lamentation for the wicked.
will come like a thief at night.
Christ himself used the image of a thief in the night to emphasize the unexpected and sudden nature of this event (Matthew 24:43; Luke 12:39), calling for constant vigilance and readiness.
The day of the Lord is not bound by chronological time, so it cannot be scheduled; it happens when we least expect it. The day of the Lord is kairotic; it will be a decisive moment totally out of our control.
When people are saying, “Peace and security,” then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel before him, Paul warns against having a false sense of security and peace (Jeremiah 6:14, Ezekiel 13:10).
Paul goes on to compare the inevitability and intensity of the coming judgment to a pregnant woman’s labor pains, another image taken directly from Christ’s teachings (Matthew 24:8).
Birth pangs are agonizing, but they bring in new life. So too will it be when Christ’s return ushers in a new age.
But you,brothers, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief.For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness.
Paul uses the dichotomies of light-darkness and day-night to describe both the situation and the vigilance it demands.
Unlike those in spiritual darkness, the Thessalonians have the light of God’s grace. As long as they remain in his grace, they have nothing to fear.
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.
Paul uses the metaphor of sleep to symbolize spiritual indifference or unpreparedness. He encourages believers to stay spiritually alert and sober, always on the watch, so they are not found unprepared when the day of the Lord comes.
Gospel – Matthew25:14-30
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master’s money.
After a long time
the master of those servants came back
and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents came forward
bringing the additional five.
He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master’s joy.’
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,
‘Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master’s joy.’
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.’
His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’”
The gospel reading for today is the Parable of the Talents, a lesson in eschatology and a continuation of our theme of preparedness.
This parable follows immediately after last week’s, so the setting is the same: Jesus is in the middle of his discourse about the end times.
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one – to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
A talent was the largest unit of currency in the time of Jesus, a silver piece that amounted to about six thousand denarii; one denarius was a day’s wage. Entrusting each servant with such a substantial amount indicates the man’s confidence in all three.
The master distributed unequal amounts not as favoritism but based on each servant’s abilities and responsibilities.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
The first two servants work diligently to double the amount entrusted to them. The third safeguards the money by burying it.
After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
The return of the master and the settling of accounts alludes to the Second Coming, the day of judgment, the parousia.
The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.
Understanding the master’s expectations, this servant aimed to maximize what he was given. His faithful efforts result in being assigned even greater responsibility.
Come, share your master’s joy.’
This is likely a reference to the joy of the banquet of the kingdom (Matthew 8:11).
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’
Notice that even though the second servant was charged with less responsibility (two talents vs. five), his outcome is the same (doubling the entrusted amount) and the reward is the same (greater responsibility, sharing the master’s joy).
This story seems to be a simple lesson about accountability; diligent servants are rewarded. However, when we interpret it as a parable, we will see that it has a deeper, very important lesson.
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant andgathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’
The third servant justifies his inactivity with fear of the master’s perceived harshness.
He lost nothing of his master’s — but neither has he gained anything.
As we have discussed in previous weeks, to interpret a parable we must ask, “To whom in the story is the audience compared? What lesson is being taught through this comparison?”
The disciples are compared to the servants entrusted with talents in their master’s absence because, during the time between Jesus’ ascension and his second coming (the “in-between time”), the disciples will be entrusted with carrying on Jesus’ mission on earth.
His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter?
The word used for “wicked” (ponérós) can also be translated as “worthless.” The servant has passively waited for his master’s return, literally taking no action except to bury the money — which the master could have done himself before his departure.
Recall that the master has been away a “long time,” indicating a prolonged period of idleness for the servant.
Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
The master suggests that even a basic investment would have been better than doing nothing.
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
As punishment, the master takes the single talent from the unproductive servant and gives it to the one with ten talents.
He now has nothing.
For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This axiom appears throughout the gospels (Matthew 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18, 19:26). In a Christian context, its meaning goes beyond practical wisdom: God gives further understanding to one who accepts his revealed mystery; from the one who does not, he will take it away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
As if forfeiting the talent was not enough, the lazy servant is cast out of the household. The master’s judgment is swift and unrelenting.
The phrase “outer darkness” is a symbolic expression often used in Jesus’ teachings to depict a state of separation from God’s presence and blessings. “Wailing and grinding of teeth” is a recurring image in Matthew’s gospel that represents sorrow, regret, and anguish in one’s final condemnation (see Matthew 8:11-12, 13:42, 13:50, etc.).
As with other parables, this story is easily misinterpreted if it is treated as though it were an allegory. (Recall that in a parable, the details are not emphasized, whereas with an allegory, every character or element represents something in real life.) This parable is not teaching about the free enterprise system, nor about labor relations. It is not teaching about the nature of God or about hell. Obviously the master in the story does not stand for God, as his actions reveal that he is mean and unscrupulous.
So what is the parable actually teaching, then? The main message is the need to respond to grace by making a lifelong genuine effort. All the gifts of nature and grace which God has given us should yield a profit. It doesn’t matter how many gifts we have received; what matters is our generosity in putting them to good use. A person’s Christian calling should not lie hidden and barren: it should be outgoing, apostolic, and self-sacrificial.
“Don’t lose your effectiveness; instead trample on your selfishness. You think your life is for yourself? Your life is for God, for the good of all mankind, through your love for our Lord. Your buried talent, dig it up again! Make it yield” (Saint Josemaría Escrivá, Friends of God, 47).
Connections and Themes
Good and faithful servant. As Christians, we are called to wait patiently for the Lord’s return, but that’s not enough: we must be industrious while we wait. Each of us has been entrusted by God with talents, talents that we are required to use to the best of our ability. Regardless of the number or nature of our talents, they are entrusted to us like a servant’s responsibility for the master’s possessions.
The ideal Wisdom figure in our first reading is our example in this. She faithfully pursues a broad range of interests and responsibilities. Her tremendous worth is not in her productivity per se, but rather in the fact that fear of the Lord governs her life. This fear is not servile; it enriches her, unlike the fear that paralyzed the servant in the gospel reading.
Willingness to risk. Investing our talents while not knowing the timing of Christ’s return means taking risks. We must spend and be spent without any certainty that we will reap the rewards of our investment.
To refuse to invest oneself this way is to refuse to trust. We often desire control over our future, or at least a certain level of control over our lives, seeking some kind of assurance that we will not fail. If we allow this desire for control and lack of trust to immobilize us, we will stand before the Lord on the last day having done nothing, like the servant in the parable. Refusing to take risks means never knowing success.
The judgment. Christ’s return will be sudden, like a thief in the night, and his judgment will be exacting. If we wisely use the talents entrusted by the Lord, we’ll be rewarded; if we neglect or bury them, we will be punished.
In the latter case, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. The foolish servant in the gospel knew the householder’s expectations, yet he chose idleness out of fear and was forced to accept the consequences.
May we all have the courage to invest ourselves while we wait for Christ’s return so that we might hear the words we all long to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
