Homily for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 15, 2026

History was made in the baseball world in 1947. It was in that year that Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues. The Brooklyn Dodgers’ owner, Branch Rickey, told Robionson, “It’ll be tough on you. You are going to take a lot of abuse, be ridiculed, and receive more verbal punishment than you ever thought possible.” Rickey continued, “But I’m willing to back you all the way if you have the determination to make it work.”

In short order, Robinson experienced Ricky’s gloomy prediction. He was abused verbally and physically as players intentionally ran him over and ran him down. The crowd was quick with racial slurs and deriding comments. Opponents, as well as his own teammates, ridiculed Robinson.

Around mid-season, Robinson was having a particularly horrendous day. He had fumbled several grounders, overthrown first base, and batted poorly. The crowd that day was especially nasty. Then something miraculous happened. In front of this critical crowd, Pee Wee Reese, the team captain, walked over from his shortstop position and put his arm around Jackie Robinson.

Robinson later reflected, “That simple gesture saved my career. Pee Wee made me feel as if I belonged.”

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In today’s gospel story, individuals are given certain gifts or talents. The conclusion makes it obvious that those talents were to be invested, used to create a positive result. The simple gesture of putting an arm of friendship around a teammate changed the Jackie Robinson story, changed the history of sports, and perhaps began to change some attitudes and actions in the larger populace.

Sometimes, the actions we undertake can seem very small and inconsequential. For example, Mother Teresa was often asked how she hoped to make a real difference when the challenges of poverty and culture were so overwhelming. Nonetheless, Mother Teresa’s actions called the world’s attention to how some of its citizens were being treated. Her humility, courage and selflessness moved many women (and men) all around the world to join her. And we’ll never know fully how our perception of the poor changed because one tiny woman reminded us that every human being is a child of God with an innate dignity.

Over the years, I have often had conversations with people who feel that they are too small, too insignificant to make a difference. I believe that our efforts can be multiplied when we come together, pool our resources, and work for a common cause. Just think, for example, how many people are helped through our Community Meals program, or through the varied ministries of the Heartwing Center. Think of how many families have had a better Christmas each year because of our participation in the Adopt-A-Family program. Consider the fundraiser now underway by our Spanish-speaking community to help a family that is facing medical challenges.

In the sanctuary of our Church, we have a large painting of St. Therese of Lisieux, a cloistered nun who died at an early age. Sr. Therese championed what she called the “little way.” She knew that she was not strong enough to do great things, like some of the great Saints of the Church, and so, she decided to do little things with a lot of love. She even became an effective patroness of the missions, praying for various missionaries around the world. This inspired countless numbers of people to follow her example.

Regardless of which political party you supported, the recent elections in our country reminded us that democracy still works. Alone, our opinions can seem inconsequential, but together, they can indicate a cumulative direction in which the people of our country wish to go. Thankfully, democracy still works.

My point in all this is that, like the characters in Jesus’ story, we have been given various talents and abilities. With these gifts, we can make a difference, trying to make life better, helping people to understand they are not alone, showing others that they are precious. It doesn’t matter how many gifts we have, or how grand they may be. Jesus simply asks that we use them to make life better. It will not do to bury our gifts, to be indifferent and uncaring, to close our eyes to a suffering world, or to let someone else do it. Sometimes, as Pee Wee Reese reminded the baseball world, all it takes is putting your arm around someone’s shoulder.