Liturgy
‘GOOD NEWS’ for 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Because you have been faithful over a few things, enter into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:14-30)
The reflection is Fr Michael Tate’s homily for this Sunday and is printed here, with kind permission. Fr Michael Tate is currently a Parish Priest in the Archdiocese of Hobart and is Catholic Chaplain to the University of Tasmania where he is an Honorary Professor of Law, lecturing in International Humanitarian Law.
There is a certain type of religious person for whom time is the enemy. Time is full of anxiety over what one has done which might make God angry. The solution seems to be to bury one’s personality traits, what one might call one’s talents, which is really to bury oneself and to become invisible. What such people don’t realise is that God gives us the dimension of earthly time as a gift, in fact, this dimension of earthly time as a gift.
Why were you born, not in the 11th century in China, or the 19th century in Ireland, or even 1963 rather than 1965? Why were you brought into existence as a human being, an inhabitant of this small planet, at this particular time and no other?
You were not just born into existence, you were loved into existence to fulfil a destiny which is yours, and yours alone, in the whole history of the world. Each of us has a unique, irreplaceable role to play in the unfolding of salvation history, to be achieved now, in this time.
God’s plan for human happiness during that time is mostly frustrated by good people not doing things with the gifts of personality and opportunity which God will provide to fulfil his plan… Of course, there are the usual suspects trying to prevent that destiny from being fulfilled. The old enemy, Death, hovers around seeking whom it may devour. And his generals – poverty, illness, injustice, malice – have their victories from time to time.
But, this parable tells of us of another way in which God’s plan is frustrated: failure of courage, failure to take risks, failure to put everything on the line with the personality and the moment in time given to you and to me. Perhaps it is a false humility. ‘I am only a one-talented person. Surely I can’t be expected to do anything?’ But our Lord does expect us to do something with whatever talent has been given us, and in a timely way.
Image © Jenny Close
This moment in time will not recur. Stop daydreaming, befriend time. Follow through whilst you have the time.
As Shakespeare says in Julius Caesar:
‘There is a tide in the affairs of men
which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
omitted, all the voyage of their life
is bound in stillness and in miseries.’
The Divine Tide is flowing through human history. We should trust ourselves to that tide which can carry us to the shores of Heaven. We have a choice. Procrastination and anxiety lead to ‘stillness and miseries’. Whereas the taking of a risk, the courageous using of one’s talents, will lead to the good fortune of hearing the Lord say as we die:
‘Well done, good and faithful servant … come and join in your Master’s happiness.’
©Michael Tate
Community Liturgy
Community Liturgy is celebrated every Friday morning at 8:00am in term time. Next Friday, 24 November, our celebration will be prepared by Year 7. All Year 7 students, whether or not they are ‘leaders’, as well as their families are especially welcome! During the month of November, we continue the tradition of remembering in a special way our loved ones who sleep in Christ. As always, there is an open invitation to the liturgy and to the café afterwards! Further queries about Community Mass:
lumley.mary-anne@johnxxiii.edu.au or 9383 0513.
When: Fridays in Term Time
Time: 8:00-8:30am
Where: College Chapel