Overview:

Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

A Reflection for Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. (Ps 17)

Find today’s readings here.

While I can’t say it happens every day, or that it has even happened more than a handful of times, I’ve had a few instances in my life of feeling like God is speaking directly to me. Not because of words I’ve heard out loud, but rather a feeling I’ve had in my gut. Go to this place. Go to this person. It’s almost as if he is saying, “Look at this gift you’ve been given. Do something with it.”

It took me a minute to get past the language used in today’s Gospel: gold coins, banks, interest, wicked servants. There is even a line that could easily be construed as “the first shall continue to be first and the last shall stay in last.” It doesn’t feel very Jesus-like to me. But I’m willing to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt and assume he was simply using words and ideas that the crowd would have been familiar with. I choose to interpret his language as a lesson in meeting people where they are. Because the message of the parable is, in fact, very Jesus-like: Make the most of the gifts you’ve been given.

My interpretation of this story is that in order to do just that, two things are required: responsibility and patience.

The Gospel states that Jesus told this parable because people “thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately.” He wanted to find a way to illustrate that good things require intentionality and time. In this way, making the choice to use one’s gifts thoughtfully feels like a spiritual investment. It might not be easy or rewarding in the short term, but it will ultimately yield the most fruitful results.

This call feels more specific than simply “to be a good person and do the right thing.” We are called to draw on the unique gifts that each of us have been given, which vary from person to person. We’re all different, which is a crucial piece of this puzzle. This story should inspire us to explore a career path or extracurricular in which we know we can make a difference. To extend a hand to a friend or family member who we know we can connect with. To do the sort of things that only you are capable of, because of the way God made you. 

In a rather corny attempt at finding the most meaningful yearbook quote possible as a high school senior, I chose the following by Mark Twain: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” In today’s Gospel, I think Jesus is calling us to move closer to our “why.” Through deliberate and thoughtful actions, we can live our lives in a way that maximizes our potential to feel joy and serve others. 

We won’t see all of the results immediately. And we’re not meant to. We just have to trust that feeling in our gut.

Jackson Goodman is the Strategic Programs Manager at America Media, creating mission-driven events in partnership with Jesuit schools and parishes. He is a graduate of Fordham Prep and Boston College.