Sunday, November 15, 2026 · Year A
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Don't bury your talent
A master entrusts his wealth to three servants. Two invest it and double it; one buries his out of fear. God's gifts are meant to be used, and to bear fruit.
The Readings
- First Reading Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
- Responsorial Psalm Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
- Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
- Gospel Matthew 25:14-30
Open the readings on USCCB.org →
First Reading Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
The worthy wife is praised for her hard work, her care for the poor and her reverence for the Lord. Her faith shows in her daily life.
Psalm Psalm 128
Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. Their homes are filled with his blessing.
Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Paul reminds us that the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Children of the light stay awake and alert.
Gospel Matthew 25:14-30
A master entrusts his servants with his wealth. Two put it to work; one buries it out of fear. Jesus wants us to use what he has given us.
Step Into the Story
Proverbs closes with a poem in praise of the "worthy wife." In Hebrew each verse begins with the next letter of the alphabet, an A-to-Z portrait of a woman whose faith shows in her work and her generosity. Paul reminds us that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night, quietly and unannounced.
A talent was not a coin but a large weight of silver, worth about 6,000 denarii, many years of a laborer's wages. Even the servant who received one was entrusted with a fortune. Burying money was a common way to keep it safe, but Jesus wants more from us than safety.
Meet Christ
The master calls his servants together and hands each a fortune before he leaves. Watch the first two hurry off to put it to work. Then watch the third, alone in a field at dusk, digging a hole and lowering the silver into the dirt.
Listen to the master's heart when he returns. He is not a tyrant counting coins. He is overjoyed with the servants who tried. "Come, share your master's joy." What grieves him is the servant who thought so poorly of him that fear buried the gift. Christ trusts you with real gifts because he believes in what his grace can do in you.
Name one gift you have been burying out of fear or laziness. This week, use it for someone else: your time, your skill, your faith, your money.
The Church Teaches
- 163–164·the Last Judgment and the end of the world
- 341·good works and heaven
Merit as God's Gift
We have received everything from God (CCC 2007). Merit arises because he freely associates us with the work of his grace: his initiative comes first, our free response follows (CCC 2008).
Talents Given for Others
Differences of gifts belong to God's plan, so that those endowed with particular "talents" share them with those who need them (CCC 1936-1937).
The Last Judgment
At the Last Judgment the good each has done or failed to do will be laid bare (CCC 1039). Its message calls us to conversion while God still gives us time (CCC 1041). Proverbs' worthy wife reminds us that God gives man and woman equal personal dignity (CCC 2334).
Sharing Your Gifts
Name one gift you have been burying, and share it this week with someone who needs it (CCC 1937).
Journal Prompts
What gifts has God entrusted to me that I rarely thank him for?
Where has fear kept me from using a gift? What exactly am I afraid of?
When I picture my life laid open before God, what do I hope he will see?
Who has invested in me, and how might I invest in someone else?
Talk to God
Lord, everything I have is Yours. Free me from fear, and let me use what You have given me for Your glory and my neighbor's good. Amen.