First Reading: Proverbs 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31

A narrow understanding of this reading is to apply the ‘Perfect Wife’ to marriage. A more noble and challenging interpretation is to apply the ‘Prefect Wife’ to our understanding of the Church, the bride of Christ. As in all relationships trust and confidence is a two-way process.

Christ has confidence in his Church, in spite of its human frailty, to ‘hold out her hand to the poor and her arms to the needy’. Her life is about giving praise and glory to God.



Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-6

For Paul, our whole life is about preparing for the ‘Day of the Lord’. Trying to know when that day will come is foolish and a waste of precious time and energy. Every day is ‘the day of the Lord’ and every day is an opportunity for us to prepare to recognise his abiding presence with us. We are children of the light and if we live in his light and love we will always be ready for and alert to his presence with us.

Predictions that lead to fear prevent us from having a close relationship with the God who has saved us.


Gospel Reading: Matthew 25: 14-30

We are all blessed by God, gifted in many different ways, we are the work of his hand. We are children of God, but each individual is special and unique. That’s the wonder of the human person – no two are the same but unfortunately we sometimes try to be the person we are not. Matthew has Jesus challenging the Pharisees about their total dependence on ‘the Law’. Their aim was to keep the Law exactly as it had been given to them. There was no room for change, exceptions or alteration. Jesus disturbed them in their comfort zone and so they rejected him. The gospel should continue to disturb and unsettle us today.