Readings and Virtual Homily for November 15, 2026, Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time; Waiting on the Lord; Winter is Busting Out All Over
Readings for Mass this Sunday:
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
Psalm 128:1-6
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Matthew 25:14-30
Dear Friends and Family,
One general theme in today's readings is that of talent, its application and its rewards, both temporal and eternal. Tied in with that theme is the over-arching and very November-ish theme of eternal reward (or punishment). I think what I will do today is opt for the let's-take-each-reading-on-its-own approach and try to make connections among them with these two themes.
The first reading from the last chapter of the Book of Proverbs describes a strong and faithful wife. It is a well-known Old Testament passage; sometimes read at weddings. The verses (selected by that committee in Rome) for today's reading unfortunately omit some of the most striking images of this woman; they do not convey the passage's power. Because of that, I am going to color outside the lines a bit here, and include descriptions of this remarkable woman found in verses not included in today's reading.
The verses we do have extol the woman's sewing ability. But the verses we don't have extol a lot more than that. They mention her dealings in the marketplace where she supplies merchants with the fruit of her handiwork (vs. 24); they tell us that she "inspects a plot of land and acquires it," adding that "from her earnings she plants a vineyard" (vs.16). Not only her husband and children, but her entire household benefits from her prudence, her strength, her foresight, her tireless labors (various verses).
Proverbs 31 describes a woman of many talents, all activated, all put into play for the good of her husband, her children, her household, the vendors in the marketplace, the poor and the needy to whom she stretches out her hands (vs. 20). The good wife of Proverbs 31 is a skilled artisan, an intelligent and prudent businesswoman, a devoted mother, and a generous patroness (to her maidservants; to the poor).
The woman of Proverbs 31 is a powerful example of what life can look like when we put our God-given talents to work. Others benefit, others are empowered when we place our talents at God's disposal. And part of the beauty of it is that, in developing our talents, we ourselves are fulfilled.
Psalm 128 picks up on the theme of a good and supportive wife; one may infer from the description that this wife, too, manages her household well; that she, too, places her talents at the service of others, to their benefit.
The second reading largely concerns itself with the hereafter. It relates to the rest of the readings today because the Gospel, too, concerns itself with both talent and reward, in particular, eternal reward.
The Gospel passage is, of course, the Parable of the Talents. The owner, about to embark on a lengthy journey, has left some part of his fortune in the hands of three servants; each given according to his ability. The judgment which comes upon the servants is the direct result of their efforts to place their talents in play; to use their gifts to build up the kingdom of God; to create possibilities and opportunities for the benefit of others. The judgments described -- two of the servants are well rewarded, the third condemned -- lead precisely into the rest of Matthew 25 which is the description of the Last Judgment.
As mentioned last week, Matthew 25 is 100% eschatological; that is, the entire chapter is about ultimate human destiny, our final-and-forever state of being. The point of the Parable of the Talents is beautifully exemplified by Proverbs 31. The good wife provides a bright and engaging example of what is possible in our lives, when we trust the talents God has given us and put them into action.
I want to close by observing that when speaking of talents, of gifts and abilities, we needn't limit ourselves to the kind of skills that produce income, or material advance in the world. A talent for kindness, for understanding, for listening, for prayer may easily outrank a talent for math, science, law or architecture, from the perspective of heaven. St. Augustine said that the glory of the greatest saints is known to God alone. These saints, Augustine infers, never seeking worldly reward, passed hidden lives of tenderness, forgiveness, patience, quiet fore-bearance and more, winning untold graces for the salvation of souls. But their heroism went unacclaimed; the world did not notice them. Their reward is with the Lord; and their contributions will be acknowledged by all, on the day of judgment.
On the subject of talent...I have been most uncharacteristically quiet and withdrawn where mine is concerned, the past six weeks. When I think of all that I was planning to get done, this autumn, only to have found myself a temporary invalid, instead...
Well, as I have said before, I have from the night of the slip on the stairs considered this time-out to be divinely inspired; something ordained by a loving Providence for my instruction and ultimate benefit. Rarely in my life has there been a better time for me to quote the passage from 1 Samuel 3:9-10, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening."
So far as I can tell, I am listening. I have plenty of quiet time each day despite the pt exercises, despite the visitors, despite the occasional work for San Gabriel Media, despite keeping abreast of messages to and from the high school, to and from friends, to and from family, to and from my medical team...I have time -- quite a bit of it -- to be quiet. And I am taking that time to be quiet, to try to hear anything God may want to say to me during this absolutely unique season in my life, this autumn of 2026 when I...have time...to listen. And --
So far, I ain't heard nothin'.
I am not saying the Lord does not have several weeks of rehab ahead yet to speak to me -- he does. I am not saying that months or even years from now I will not be able to draw deep insights and understandings from this set of experiences -- perhaps the whole point of this is future learning, deeper insights down the road.
I am saying that I do not believe in accidents. And that I believe this time was arranged by Providence precisely so that I might slow down and HEAR some things from the Lord and that so far, at least, no dice.
There ARE times, situations, circumstances in life where we do not understand what is happening or why. Maybe enlightenment comes years later as we look back and reflect; time helping us gain the perspective that leads to understanding. Or maybe not. Some of life's experiences, I think, only become transparent, are only really understood, once we are on the other side. Maybe this autumn's unplanned hiatus is such an experience for me.
In any event, while I have no great insight to report on the spiritual side, I am happy to be able to say that physically, things have really begun to move, and move at a comparatively rapid pace, toward recovery. The flexibility in my knees -- something I had taken for granted until six weeks ago -- is now something I take grateful delight in, given their stiff immobility just a few weeks ago. I am doing double the original number of pt exercises now -- fifty minutes or so each session, two sessions a day, and it feels great. I am confident on the walker and my therapists and I are beginning to plan for the time when I will be getting around without it.
I just want to follow that last sentence up with this observation: It can be amazing to stop and think about what we take for granted. Believe me, after this autumn's adventure, I will never again fail to be grateful simply for the ability to walk, unaided. So there's SOMETHING on the spiritual side, I guess, that I have gotten from this -- deep gratitude for gifts (like being able to walk unaided) that I never thought of as gifts before. I am glad to have this new appreciation of just how much I have -- have always had -- to be thankful for.
But I still think there's more at work here for me, in terms of spiritual growth. I'll keep you posted.
It's been glorious fall weather this week with bright sunlight and temps in the seventies; I am impressed with the ten-day forecast showing most of a week ahead of heavy rain with temps dropping into the high fifties. It's like we are flipping a switch from autumn to winter this weekend. No great surprise, given that it is mid-November and given, too, that this is predicted to be a heavy El Nino winter. I am praying especially for lots of rain and snow down in the Four Corners region, with this El Nino. Lakes Meade and Powell are in desperate need of replenishment.
Guess that'll do it for this one. My thanks for all the many messages of love and support, which continue to flood in -- my thanks above all for all the prayers. Keep the prayers coming -- they are working!
Take good care. God bless.
Love,
Fr. Brawn