Gospel for November 19 2023 – Matthew 25:14-30
Gospel Reflections for November 19 2023
Growing your investment…
Today’s Gospel offers great investment advice! Any investment that grows in value is a good one for sure. This actually happens at every Mass.
Soon after the homily, parishioners walk down the center aisle bringing gifts of bread and wine, and your donations, to the altar.
The priest accepts them, and then says two beautiful Offertory Prayers as he prepares them for the consecration.
Blessed are you Lord, God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given, and human hands have made, it will become for us the Bread of Life.”
Blessed are you Lord, God of all creation, through your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine, and work of human hands, it will become for us our Spiritual Drink.
Notice he does not consecrate wheat and grapes but rather bread and wine, both of which require the work of our hands to make. While God designed wheat and grapes to grow naturally from the earth, we increase their value and turn them into bread and wine by our efforts. The Mass is a combination of what God does …and what you do.
The Gospel affirms any work you do that produces a positive effect will be blessed by God…a good return on your investment of time and effort. If you have talents, skills, or special gifts, use them to accomplish something beautiful for your family, society, but especially for God. When you do, God designed you to feel enormously satisfied and happy.
The Mass continues this beautiful sequence of ever-increasing value. From wheat and grapes to bread and wine and then to the real presence of Jesus Christ, you see ever-increasing goodness.
Finally, at the end of Mass come the two most important events…you receive this real presence of Jesus at communion. That should immediately impel you to sit or kneel in contemplation of His presence within you, and how you will be different and better the rest of the day because you now have Our Lord within you. You then leave Mass …and make a positive and better difference in your world outside.
This sequence of ever-increasing value applies to our parish in a special way with the new Hall for All project. The Mass itself inspires even making our parish a better place!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Thanks Father for pointing that out about the words at Mass. Just shows that though we have attended for years there are still things we can learn and put into our presence and practice while attending this magnificent celebration of our relationship with our Savior and Creator..
The Reception of Eucharist plays a great part in the celebration of this wonderful connection.
We are true Beneficiaries of this wonderful Sacrament. Lord I am not Worthy that thou should enter under my roof. Only say the word and my Soul shall be healed.
Yes, one of the other meaningful phrases from the Mass.
Fr Dave,
Thank you for the reminder that gifts given to us by God should not be wasted but used wisely to serve Him. Also, what a beautiful gift Mass is!! I recently learned that at every Mass the Last Supper & Crucifixion are actually happening in real time, with all the choirs of angels present—an awesome thing to think about!
Blessings,
Sherrie
Yes, you understand the Mass well!
Love your precious words!! Love our precious Jesus, love our loving God, love our beautiful Blessed Mother and love you our precious Father Dave for giving us the gift of our precious Jesus!! and we must be Jesus for others in all our actions, joy and loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick
Thank you!
Adding value to God’s goodness – it sounds like a great opportunity for the union of wills by completing the purpose of what God did by making the wheat and grapes.
Yes, we ourselves are in thee sequence of steps that starts with wheat and grapes.
Thankyou for this beautiful Homily 🙏🙏🙏🙏
You are welcome!
Fr. Dave,
Thanks again for your insightful Spiritual nourishment. Wishing you a Holy & Happy Thanksgiving, I remain
Shalom Aleichem
Joe Guarrasi
John 8.32, JP II
Thank you. I hope you also had a blessed Thanksgiving.
Beautiful, Fr. Dave! We reap the benefits of what we bring to the table. This gospel weaves so appropriately with Thanksgiving holiday approaching. Wishing you holiday blessings.
Thank you!
Dear Father Dave,
Thank you so much for your tireless ministry.
God bless you and Happy Thanksgiving.
Kathleen
You are welcome!
‘Happy Thanksgiving Fr. Dave!
We are grateful for your reflections that are so helpful in living
our daily lives.
You are welcome!
A good message on a dark day … thanks.
You are welcome!