Returning Gifts:

 

                                                             Returning Gifts:

The Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026 

November 15, 2026

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Proverbs 31:10-31; Psalm 128; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30

 

 

The parable of the talents tells us what God expects of us; Paul's letter to the Thessalonians tells us why we should not delay. Because life is precious, unpredictable, and limited, we are called to live intentionally. We cannot afford to bury the gifts God has given us, postpone the good we can do, or sleep through life’s opportunities. The talents represent everything that has been entrusted to us: intelligence, creativity, compassion, faith, relationships, opportunities, and the capacity to love. Notice that God never tells us how to use what we have received; They are entrusted to us with room to exercise creativity, initiative, and discernment. These are opportunities for us to participate in God’s plan for the world.

Paul reminds us that the uncertainty of tomorrow gives greater significance to what we choose to do today. I think of some reasons why I often postpone things I would like to do. I’ll wait a week or so when I have more available time. I can get half an hour of rest rather than exercising. I’m not as young as I once was. My prayer life will deepen when activities settle down. I’ll spend more time with loved ones once I finish this project that needs my attention. I’ll be more generous when I have more resources. I can go on and justify all my reasons, and I know life does not always give me the time or circumstances I expect. Something else always comes up.  

Life and time have genuine limitations. We have to choose. We cannot do everything or respond to every need. God is not asking us to exhaust ourselves or to measure our worth by productivity. We discern what is most important and how I can make the greatest contribution to others with the circumstances and resources I have. We ask if there is fear, hesitation, or the pursuit of perfectionism that will prevent me from doing some good now. What causes me to procrastinate? This is not about trying to do it all or accomplishing the greatest number of activities. It is about making our lives fruitful. God’s life will flourish through the talents entrusted to us. Sometimes the best use of our time is to be human – to encourage someone who is down, to support someone who feels vulnerable, and sit and listen patiently. These moments are an exponential investment that produces a hundredfold. 

We are not given life simply to preserve it; we are given life to make something meaningful of it. The challenge is to recognize that our lives have a purpose, and that we have something valuable to contribute now. When we use our gifts appropriately and generously, we are not simply repaying God for what God has given us. The gifts we receive become gifts we give. We are the gifts to be shared.

We live as though there will always be more time. We live as if we will never become diminished or die. We think there will be more time in the future to love better, to forgive a grievance, to reconcile an estranged relationship, to sit with someone who needs our presence. There will not be more time. This is what we have. We are to spend the time to become the people God wants us to be. Jesus tells us not to bury our talents. Paul tells us not to fall asleep. They are both urging the importance of the present moment.

          What do we do then? I am asked to develop the gifts God has entrusted to me. You have to answer that in a way that gives you most integrity. Has someone’s life become richer because I was here? Has someone’s burden become lighter? Have I given hope to someone who needs to be strengthened? We want to be “woke.” We want to be aware of God’s presence and be willing to invest whatever gifts we have received. We want to see God at the end of our lives, with empty hands, to say, “I have invested everything you have given to me. I have nothing left. I have loved as fully as I could. I have done my best.”