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Letters to Jesus: Homily for 16 November, 33rd Sunday, Cycle A
By Fr. Dennis | November 16, 2008
One of the reasons Jesus was such a great teacher is that he used stories to get his point across. It’s what made him such a dynamic teacher, and it’s what has helped make his message so accessible to so many people across all cultures and through the centuries.
Sometimes, though, I wonder where he got his stories. I wonder if maybe these stories were about people he actually knew. It’s possible.
Dear Jesus,
How RU? I guess I haven’t seen you and your mom since that wedding we were all at. I left early when the wine started to run low, so I didn’t really see how things turned out that day. What a bunch of cheapskates, not thinking to buy enough wine for the wedding. I guess they didn’t realize that yours truly was going to be there! LOL!
I guess you heard about my idea, and I think it’s really working out well, though it really hacked my brother off. I D K Y. But I managed to talk my dad into giving me my cut of the inheritance early. GR8 idea, right? No sense waiting for him to die when I can start living my life right now!
We’ve been having some great parties here in Joppa. Maybe you can come down some time and we’ll hang out.
Your friend, Moronai.
Dear Jesus,
How RU? IMOK.
My investment in that party patrol idea did not turn out so well, but it’s not a total loss. I met some cool people, and I think I have a new job starting soon.
I met this investor guy who knows my dad, and I think he’s going to hire me. Get this, he started out with just enough money to buy an acre of land, and when he bought it, he found this huge treasure buried somewhere on the property, and now he’s this really big deal.
Anyway, I’ll let you know how that goes.
By the way, have you heard about some new miracle-worker guy who’s been going all over Galilee? Some say he’s John the Baptist, but others think he’s Elijah. I have no idea, but it sounds like a sweet gig. I wonder if I could start that kind of thing down here. LOL.
Your friend, Moronai.
Dear Jesus,
How RU? So I got that job, and my boss is such an idiot. He had to leave the country for a time, and so he left me and two other guys in charge, right? But get this. He gives one guy 5 talents to take care of, and he gives this other guy 2 talents to take care of, and he only gives me 1 talent to take care of.
Now, some people might think a talent is a lot of money, but what can you really do with just one talent? Not much, let me tell you. You can’t even throw a decent party for a hundred friends, so I’m not sure what he thinks I’m supposed to do with it. Maybe if I had 5, like that other loser, maybe I could invest it or something, but just one? No way.
And this guy is a harsh guy. I certainly can’t risk taking a loss. I mean, if he had given me more to work with… Anyway, he’s a loser. I’ll let you know how this works out.
Your friend, Moronai.
Dear Jesus,
So remember I was telling you about my boss leaving? Well, we just got word he’s coming back soon. But I had this great idea. I buried the talent he gave me in a place no one knows about but me. That way, there’s no risk. I learned my lesson with the partying. I can’t wait to see how angry he is when those other losers show up and explain how they invested his money and lost it all.
Any news on that miracle guy?
Your friend, Moronai.
Dear Jesus,
You won’t believe what happened. I got fired. Sacked. Like it was my fault. What an idiot. I hate that guy.
See, when my boss got back, I dug up that talent that I buried and gave it back to him. And he was angry! Can you believe that? Like he actually thought I was going to be able to do something with one stupid talent. What was I supposed to do? Sure, those other losers were able to make a profit, but they had more to start out with than I did. And do you know what he said to them? “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Well done! What’s that mean? Is he ordering a steak? Well done indeed.
It’s not fair to blame me when he was too stupid not to realize my true potential.Whatever. Anyway, forget him. He’s a loser.
And it doesn’t matter because I heard about this guy who owns a vineyard who needs someone to run it for a few weeks until harvest while he leaves the country, so I’ll be trying to get a meeting with him this week. And if that doesn’t work out, I know this guy that owns a pork operation.
Pork! I know, gross, right? LOL. But I’m not into all that kosher stuff, so no big deal.
Won’t be able to make it to Passover in Jerusalem. Tell your mom hi for me.
Your friend, Moronai.
Poor Moronai. Nothing is ever his fault. Nobody really understands him. Nobody gives him a break. And he’s always ready to point the finger at other people when things don’t go his way.
Poor Moronai. Poor, poor Moronai.
We all know Moronai. Sometimes, Moronai is you and me. We don’t have everything we want or that we think we deserve, but we have everything God gives us, and it’s all we need. We could use what God gives us for good, or we could squander it, or waste it, or hide it away. And sometimes, we do all those things.
Sometimes, we squander the talents and gifts God gives us. Sometimes we’re selfish and petty and we think only of ourselves, and sometimes we blame others when things don’t go our way.
And sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we take the gifts that God has given us, and we’re grateful to him. And we listen to his Word in our hearts, and we go out into the world and do great things, or sometimes we go out and do small things with great love. And those small things with great love return double what we put out, and we offer it all back to God in gratitude.
Sometimes. Sometimes we love and act as we should. And sometimes not. Sometimes we are Moronai, ungrateful and pointing fingers.
Poor Moronai.
If only he knew what we know. If only he would simply go back to his father’s house, fall to his knees and say, “Father, I have sinned against you and against God.” That’s all he would have to do and he would find his father running out to meet him, ready to welcome him home with joy and love. If only he would realize it. If only he would come to his senses.
And that goes for us as well. As we prepare to receive our Lord as he comes to us in the Blessed Sacrament, let us come to our senses, and fall to our knees, and gratefully commit ourselves to using our gifts and talents in love, so that we can one day hear the words of the master: Well done, good and faithful servant.
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