When I was growing up in Buganda, I was already a little businessman! I had several sources of income. One was what I called my tooth fairy business. Whenever I lost a baby tooth, I would wrap it in a piece of paper and hide it in a dark corner, hoping the tooth fairy would come and buy it! I also had another side hustle. In our African homes, visitors usually removed their shoes before entering. I would volunteer to clean their shoes, and sometimes they rewarded me with a little change. Between the tooth fairy and cleaning visitors’ shoes, I was building my fortune! I was very proud of myself. My brothers and sisters would spend their money almost immediately, but I was wiser; or so I thought! I kept my savings for almost two years because I had a big dream: I wanted to buy Mom a beautiful Christmas cake! As Christmas approached, I decided it was time to open my secret bank. My bank was not in a commercial building, of course. It was under the rug beside my bed! I lifted the rug, reached for my savings, and discovered a financial disaster! Some notes had faded because of moisture. Others had been eaten by rats. My beautiful savings had become a collection of historical documents! I cried and cried. All that hard work, all those teeth, all those polished shoes, and nothing! All Gone! I told Mom that I had wanted to buy her a big Christmas cake, but unfortunately, no shop would accept my money. My brothers and sisters were laughing because they had already enjoyed their money while I had been busy protecting mine! I learned a painful lesson: money that is kept but never put to good use can lose its value. I wish we had piggy banks! Even today, whenever I hear this Gospel about the talents, I remember the tears I cried over my lost savings when I was in about fourth grade. Jesus tells us about a master who entrusts his servants with different amounts of money before going on a journey. Two servants put their talents to work and multiplied them. But the third servant, out of fear, buries his talent in the ground. The problem was not that he received only one talent. The problem was that he did nothing with it. And that brings us to an important question: What are we doing with what God has given us? God has entrusted each of us with gifts and opportunities. Perhaps we have financial resources, education, a job, good health, the gift of parenthood, leadership, musical ability, wisdom, or simply the ability to listen and encourage another person. Dear people of God, the question is not whether we have received five talents, two talents, or one. The question is whether we are using what we have for the good of others and for the growth of God’s Kingdom. There is also a deeper spiritual lesson here. The talents are not simply about money, capital, or investment. They remind us that God’s gifts are entrusted to us, not given to us merely to keep for ourselves. Think about God’s mercy. We receive forgiveness, but we are also called to forgive. We receive love, but we are called to love. We receive kindness, but we are called to be kind. We receive faith, but we are called to share it. A gift from God is meant to bear fruit beyond ourselves. When we keep God’s gifts locked away as though they belong only to us, we misunderstand their purpose. God’s mercy is not something we hoard; it is something we extend. His love is not something we bury; it is something we share. This is why the master’s words about taking the talent from the servant should not be understood as God being vindictive. No, no, no. Rather, Jesus is warning us that a gift we refuse to use cannot bear fruit in our lives. The more faithfully we respond to God’s grace, the more room we make for His grace to work through us. My beloved brothers and sisters, the first reading praises a woman whose hands are busy with good work and whose heart is open to the poor. St. Paul reminds us to remain awake and alert because we belong to the light. So perhaps we can ask ourselves: What have I buried? Have I buried my ability to serve because I am afraid? Have I buried my generosity because I want to keep everything for myself? Have I buried my faith because I am afraid of what others might think? Have I buried my love because someone hurt me? Brother! Sister! We do not have to be famous or wealthy to make a difference. A little kindness, a little generosity, a little encouragement, and a little time given to someone who needs us can produce extraordinary fruit. And finally, we come to the Master’s Table. The same Jesus who speaks to us in the Scriptures now gives Himself to us in the Eucharist. He does not bury His love or keep His mercy to Himself. He gives us His Body and Blood, pouring out His life for us. At this Table, we receive the greatest gift, Jesus Himself. And having received Him, we are sent to become gifts to one another. May we never bury what God has entrusted to us. May we use our talents, our time, our resources, and our love to build His Kingdom. And when the Master returns, may we hear those beautiful words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come, share your master’s joy.” Unlike my childhood savings under the rug, may the gifts God has placed in our hands never be wasted, but bear fruit for His glory and the good of His people.

One of my cultural shocks after coming to the United States was discovering how far ahead Americans prepare for celebrations! Back home in Buganda, we prepare for important visitors, too. We clean the house, prepare food, and make sure everyone is ready. But here on the South Shore, I have discovered that sometimes the celebration arrives in the shops long before it arrives on the calendar! You walk into a store, and suddenly everything is red. Red hearts, red balloons, red chocolates Valentine’s Day! And we are still weeks away. Before we have finished recovering from all that red, green for St. Pats. Then rabbits and coloured eggs appear everywhere for Easter. Sometimes we are still in Lent, trying to pray, fast, and repent, but the stores are already inviting us to follow the Easter Bunny! Then come the American flags for the Fourth of July. Before we have even finished enjoying summer, pumpkins begin appearing everywhere. Halloween arrives with skeletons, ghosts, and scarecrows. And when I look at some people’s front yards, I think, Oh, my Jesus! Is this a garden or a cemetery? Then come Thanksgiving turkeys, pumpkins, pies, and advertisements reminding us what to eat. Before we can finish digesting the turkey, Christmas lights appear, Santa Claus is everywhere, and the music begins! Sometimes I wonder whether the stores have a secret calendar that the rest of us have not seen! But I have to admit something: Americans know how to prepare! They plan ahead, decorate ahead, shop ahead, and sometimes celebrate ahead. And I find myself thinking: if we can put so much effort into preparing for holidays that last a day or a season, imagine what could happen if we put the same care into preparing our hearts for Jesus! That is the message of today’s Gospel. Jesus tells us about ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Five are wise and bring extra oil for their lamps. Five are foolish and come unprepared. When the bridegroom is delayed, all ten fall asleep. But when the announcement comes, only those who prepared have enough oil. Jesus concludes: “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Jesus is not asking us to live in fear. He is inviting us to live in readiness. We do not know when we will meet Him face to face, but we can prepare for that meeting through the way we live today. The first reading tells us that Wisdom is radiant and unfading. St. Paul, in the second reading, reminds us that those who have died in Christ have the promise of eternal life. Our hope is not in decorations, shopping lists, or even the best-planned holiday. Our hope is in Jesus, who died and rose again for us. So what is the oil for our lamps? It is our daily relationship with God: prayer, forgiveness, the sacraments, generosity, and love. It is making peace with someone we have hurt, visiting someone who is lonely, returning to Confession, and choosing kindness when impatience comes more naturally. We cannot borrow someone else’s faith at the last minute. Our parents may have taught us to pray, and our grandparents may have shown us how to trust God, but each of us must personally respond to His invitation. The good news is that we do not prepare alone. God gives us grace, and every new day is another opportunity to turn toward Him. Perhaps we could begin preparing for Jesus with the same enthusiasm with which we prepare for Christmas. Instead of waiting until Advent to think about God, we can begin today. Instead of saving prayer for when life becomes difficult, we can make room for it now. Instead of waiting until someone is gone to appreciate them, we can love them today. And finally, we come to the Master’s Table. The same Jesus who speaks to us in the Scriptures now feeds us with His Body and Blood in the Eucharist. He gives us Himself to strengthen our faith, nourish our hope, and prepare us for the heavenly banquet. We prepare for holidays by filling our homes with decorations. We prepare for Jesus by allowing Him to fill our hearts with grace. Brother! Sister! Let the stores prepare for the next season months ahead. Let us prepare our hearts today. At the Master’s Table, Jesus feeds us for the journey, keeps the flame of hope alive, and prepares us to meet Him—not with fear, but with hearts ready to welcome the Bridegroom. May it ever be so. Amen Amen.

Thank you to all those who participated in both parishes Respect Life Displays for October, respect life month.