Making the Talents from God into the Manifold Fruit to Prepare for the Coming of the King – 33rd Sunday, A

As Liturgical Cycle (Year) ends with the week of the 34^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, which has been known as Christ the King Sunday since 1925, we are really coming nearer to the end of this Liturgical Cycle (A). And, after this, an another Liturgical Cycle, Cycle B, will start with on First Sunday of Advent. We will return to Cycle A, following the completion of Cycle C, which comes after Cycle B.

 On any liturgical cycle, there is juxtaposition between the end of liturgical cycle and the end of time (eschaton). That is why Sunday Gospel readings reflect eschatological theme, reflected in the Book of Revelation toward the 34^th Sunday from the 25^th Sunday on.

 To prepare ourselves for the conclusion of this Liturgical Cycle (Year) with a theme of Parousia – the return of Christ as the King of the Universe, we first reflected on the Kingdom, for which we have been given tasks to consummate its development (25^th, 26^th, 27^th, 28^th Sundays). Then, Sunday Gospel themes shifted a focus from the Kingdom per se to some important doctrinal issues pertinent to our eschatological preparedness, such as absolute and steadfast loyalty to God (29^th Sunday), the primacy to love God above all in connection to our call to love our neighbors as ourselves (30^th Sunday), and the virtue of humility (31^st Sunday).

 This year, 2020, the 31^st coincided with the Solemnity of All Saints. But, the Gospel Reading for the Solemnity, the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, reminds us the importance of humility as it is the first virtue in the Beatitudes. And it matches the Gospel Reading theme for the 31^st Sunday.

 Then for the last three Sundays, 32^nd, 33^rd, and 34^th Sundays, Gospel Readings are drawn from the second half of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, which was given to his disciples before Jesus was anointed in Bethany to prepare himself for the intense suffering, death, and burial, in order to show the triumph of his Gospel by resurrection. We really need to understand that what we read for the last three Sundays of this liturgical year reflects Jesus’ strong desire for his disciples to be prepared for his second coming even before his death, resurrection, and ascension.

 For the 32^nd Sunday, a main theme of the Gospel Reading through the Parable of the Ten Virgins is to remain prepared vigilantly. It is not just being prepared but to keep our preparedness all the way. All the virgins were once prepared as they all had lamps. However, the five foolish ones let the oil run out, while the other five, the wise ones, had spare so that they never let the oil run out until the coming of the bridegroom.

 On the 33^rd Sunday, the Gospel reading (Matthew 25:14-30) also addresses our need of preparedness for the eschaton . In this Gospel text, the preparedness means the fruitfulness of our work with what has been given by God. Namely, how fruitful we become through our diligent work on the grace from God bestowed in each of us. And the grace was symbolically addressed as the talent in the Gospel reading.

As the master goes out on a journey, he entrusted talents to his servants. It means that Jesus has entrusted grace of God, as well as, his will to us, before his Ascension. 40 days after his Resurrection (Acts 1:3), Jesus journeyed back to the Father (John 14:28; 16:28), to prepare places in heaven for us (John 14:3) vand to have the Holy Spirit as another Parakletos be sent to us in his name (John 16:7), leaving his disciple everything they needed to do his will – to act on his commissioning commandment, which is to make disciples of all nations. And, the master’s return to settle account with his servants suggests the Parousia, return of Jesus, the Christ, as the King of the Universe, to judge us – to judge to decide who are fit to enter the Kingdom and enjoy the place that he has prepared.

 So, who are to share the joy of Jesus upon the judgement and to enter the Kingdom?

 The Gospel narrative tells that those who have made most and best to their abilities with what has been bestowed upon them. And, the two servants who let the talents that they received from the master grow by trading represent this. On the other hand, the servant, who did buried the talent and did not let it grow, represents those who waste what God has given to them.

Remember, Jesus promised to have the Holy Spirit be sent to us (John 14:16, 26), after his Ascension. So, the Holy Spirit has descended, empowering us (Acts 2:1-13) and infusing us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10; Romans 12:6-8). Jesus did all this arrangement after his Resurrection and before his Ascension so that we can become fruitful through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, bearing abundant multifaceted fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), by the time of his return to judge us.

 The preparedness for the return of Christ, according to the Gospel text of the 33^rd Sunday, the Parable of the Talent, is fruitfulness – how fruitful we are with the gifts (graces) of the Holy Spirit. And, it requires our diligent and committed work. We cannot be lazy and waste what has been given to us by the Father in heaven through the Holy Spirit at the Son’s bequest and in his name.

 So, we must ask now, how is our hard work with the gifts of the Holy Spirit bearing fruit? Is it becoming ready for abundant harvest to enjoy with Christ the King?

 One element of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, which requires patient commitment. And, this is a main theme in the Gospel Reading of the 34^th Sunday (Matthew 25:31-46) to conclude this Liturgical Cycle.

 Remember, nothing out of God to us shall be returned to God without added value through our work, as indicated metaphorically in Isaiah 55:11. So, what is our hearts to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God shall be the fertile ground for good seeds sowed by Christ as we have learned from Matthew 13: 1–9, 18–23, the Parable of the Sower. The 33^rd Sunday Gospel text also reminds us that faith without fruitful work means nothing (James 2:17).

In terms of our preparedness through the fruitfulness with grace of God, addressed in the 33^rd Sunday Gospel text is echoed in the First Reading (Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31) through the metaphor of the loyal and hardworking wife, who brings many good things. This is known as King Lemuel’s wisdom, as Proverbs 31 is King Lemuel’s discourse on important virtues. It is also important to note that the First Reading text calls our attention for the 34^th Sunday Gospel text (Matthew 25:31-46) as it touches the importance of the work of agape – caritas for those who are in need.

The Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6) reflects back to the 32^nd Sunday Gospel text (Matthew 25:1-13), as it addresses how earthly peace and security can be snapped away, suggesting tribulations before the return of Christ as the King. Paul’s words in this reading also reminds us that we have nothing to worry because we are the children of light – like the wise virgins, who never let their lamp light go out. So, Paul calls us to stay alert and vigilant  - γρηγορῶμεν (gregoromen) (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

 Here is a bit of interesting thing in reading in the biblical Greek, the language that the New Testament was originally written.

The biblical Greek used for 1 Thessalonian 5:6 – to stay vigilant (γρηγορῶμεν (gregoromen) comes from the verb, γρηγορέω (gregoreo), which is a key word in the Gospel Reading. Its variation is found in Matthew 25:13, where Jesus commanded to stay vigilant – to remain prepared with vigilance, not to waste our preparedness by falling asleep into darkness, by letting the lamp oil run out.

 A key word in the 33^rd Sunday Gospel Reading is τάλαντον (talanton), which is translated as the talent. This word has its root in φέρω (phero), which means "to bring forth and to bear fruit".

 So, to be saved, we must bring forth something out of what is given by God, bearing abundant fruit through our diligent, vigilant, and faithful work on what God the Father has given us through the Son, who is the Word, and the Holy Spirit, loaded with many gifts.

Two important Greek words: γρηγορέω (gregoreo) and τάλαντον (talanton) to take them into our heart as a lesson from the 32^nd Sunday and the 33^rd Sunday to prepare for the 34^th Sunday to end this Liturgical Cycle meaningfully and with joy in celebrating the coming of the King. We need to remain vigilant in our diligent work on the talent entrusted to us to be fruitful servants of God.