33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time November 15, 2026
Fr. Alexander Albert St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville
What’s a worthy wife got to do with the end of the world? You see, for Sundays of Ordinary Time, the readings at Mass follow this pattern: the first reading from is from the Old Testament and is matched thematically with the Gospel. The psalm always reflects the theme of the first reading. The second reading does its own thing, though. It simply goes in order through one book at a time in the New Testament from Sunday to Sunday. We spend a few months in Romans, a few in 1st and 2nd Corinthians, and so on. We’ve been going through 1st Thessalonians for several weeks now. Sometimes, like today, it just so happens to line up with the theme of the Gospel – both the 2nd reading and the Gospel are about the end of the world.
But that doesn’t answer my first question. The Church intentionally picked this first reading to match the Gospel, which raises the question: what does a reading from Proverbs about a worthy wife who makes clothes have to do with Jesus’ parable about using our talents well and final judgment? Well, both readings do talk about being profitable and doing good work. That’s a good start, but it gets even better when answer this question: who is Jesus’ wife?
Unserious people on the internet might tell you it was Mary Magdalen. At least one movie runs with that ridiculous idea, but the real answer is far more powerful. Who is Jesus’ wife? We are. The Church is called “the bride of Christ.” Jesus often compares himself to a bridegroom. St. Paul refers to the marriage of Christ and the Church in his letter to the Ephesians. The book of Revelation describes the “New Jerusalem” – the Church – adorned as a bride and calls her the “wife of the lamb.” Jesus is that lamb. And who is the Church? We are.
Scripture uses different images for his relationship to the Church. Jesus is the head; we are the body. Jesus is the builder; we are the building. Jesus is the vine; we are the branches. Today we see Jesus as the master, and we are servants entrusted with his possessions. In all of these comparisons, Jesus repeats this theme that we should cooperate with him to bear fruit or grow or be profitable. Well, the Church is also his bride and Revelation says that the bride’s wedding dress is the “righteous deeds of the holy ones.”
So this reading from proverbs is not just some antiquated list of requirements for a housewife. There’s a reason it describes her using tools for making clothing, the “distaff” and the “spindle.” Notice that it immediately goes from that to saying “she reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.” This is how Hebrew and the Bible often does poetry. Instead of focusing on audible rhymes, it likes to put ideas and concepts side-by-side. It’s using a particular genre – a proverb – to say that caring for the poor is like making a beautiful dress. Revelation explicitly tells us that “dress” – the works of charity we do – is what makes our souls glorious and beautiful at the end of time.
When you understand that, the connection between a proverb of a worthy wife and a parable about making a profit with the talents God gives you is more obvious. In the end, we will be judged by what we do with what God gave us. Salvation is a gift received through faith. Whether you like the marital imagery or the economic imagery, the point is that, once we’ve received the gift of salvation, what we do with that gift matters.
It isn’t just about being afraid of hell. That’s a good start, but notice how Jesus responds to the men who make more money with what he gave them. “Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.” The “master’s joy” is more responsibility. If you stick to the economic metaphor, that might not sound like a reward. “Oh, I’ve done good work and earned all this money, so you just make me busier so I can’t even enjoy what I got?” But go back to that marital imagery. When a husband finds a worthy wife who makes good use of what she has, what does he do? “Entrust[s] his heart to her.”
Do you get what’s happening there? How does Jesus reward his bride? “I will give you great responsibilities… entrusting [my] heart to” you. Come share [my] joy.” Our actions on this earth matter not because we earn heaven but because by bearing much fruit, by multiplying our talents, by clothing ourselves with righteous deeds, by caring for the poor… we become more and more capable of receiving the heart of Jesus. Why do you think Jesus went through all the trouble of appearing to Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 1600s to talk about his heart? Why do you think St. Augustine talked about our restless hearts that find rest only in Jesus? Why do you think that, on the very first day Jesus rose from the dead, he had St. Thomas the Apostle touch the hole in his side? Why do you think that the final moment of his crucifixion was his heart being pierced with a lance and pouring forth blood and water?
Because this entire story… all of human history is the story of God wanting to entrust his heart to the human beings created in his image. Marriage is just the first symbol of God’s plan to be united in a perfect love with every person for eternity. He asks us to accept mercy and salvation so we can become capable of loving. He asks us to grow in our love, to increase our talents, to bring extra oil, to bear much fruit, to do good works so that we can become capable of receiving his heart and therefore capable of sharing our “master’s joy.”
If your heart is not on fire when I tell you this… you should be afraid. If you are not yet mature enough to respond to the immensely rich tapestry of God’s eternal proposal to you, then maybe fear is a good place to start. St. Paul certainly appeals to our fear. The lord will come “like a thief at night” and “sudden disaster” will come upon those who are not ready. If you aren’t moved by God’s love for you, then at least wise up enough to be afraid of what it will mean when he shows up and you have nothing to give him: “wailing and grinding of teeth.”
The last servant in the parable is right that his master is a “demanding person” who looks for profit even in places he didn’t plant. Despite knowing this, he didn’t even do the bare minimum and so condemns himself. You know God is demanding. You should be afraid of having nothing to give him. So, at least fear him for the right reason! Don’t focus on what he’ll take away from you. Focus instead on what you will never receive if you don’t at least try!
The truth is that Jesus will judge us at the end of time. The truth is that those who refuse his mercy will go to hell for all eternity. Even still, we have got to stop imagining it like God’s out to get us! God is not a haughty master who demands we earn his love. He already loves you! He is demanding because he wants to be able to receive more of that love. God loves those in Hell! Those who go to hell go there because, in the end, they refuse to even put on the wedding garment; they hide their talents and so never learn what it means to receive their master’s joy. People in hell are those unable and unwilling to receive His love!
God is a demanding person because He is love! He demands that you do good things so you can make room in your heart to receive his love, to receive him, to make you as glorious as he knows you can be. God is our master, yes, but he is a master whose only goal is to share his joy with his servants. And what is our master’s joy?
To give us a great responsibility, the responsibility of being someone to whom he can entrust his heart.