May We Never Underestimate Ourselves, the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year A

My Sisters and Brothers:

Although a reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Galatians is not included in our Scripture lessons for today’s Mass, the message of the Gospel (see Matthew 25:14-30) reminds me of a passage from the letter, which reads: “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up” (see Galatians 6:9).  As a Franciscan, this sentiment reminds me of a favorite quotation from St. Francis of Assisi in which he said: “While we have time, let us do good” (from the Exhortation of our Blessed Father Francis to the Friars).

Doing good, and reaping a harvest as a response to God’s will, is our common calling.  From an eternal perspective, each and every person’s role in that is important and valuable.   Even the most humble and simple people among us have an important role to play in God’s plan.

I think the best illustration of this is the example given to us by our Blessed Mother Mary.  She was a poor and seemingly insignificant young woman from an out of the way, and supposedly unimportant, town called Nazareth.  Even though she was poor, humble and lowly, Mary responded greatly to God's call, and therefore she became the mother of Jesus, the Savior of all of humanity.  We all may know people who, because they are humble and/or not perfect, believe they “count for nothing” and are unable to make a positive contribution to the world in which they live.  That person may just be our very selves.

In the Gospel for today's Mass, Jesus challenges each one of us to use our God given talents, to whatever degree we have them, for some kind of greater good.  He clearly teaches us that we must never minimize our ability to make the best of these.  My sisters and brothers, let us not underestimate ourselves and the good that we can do for others.  We have been given the great gift of faith, and we believe in the power of the Lord Jesus over our lives.

May our faith inspire us to greatness, and may we never be overcome by fear because we are not perfect and/or because we are sinners.  I believe it is in just such people, the humble and weak, that our God places his greatest hope!  My friends, “while we have time, let us do good.” 

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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