Today’s readings focus on accountability. Inevitably, one of two things is going to happen to each of us; either we will die, or Jesus will return. Whichever is the case, at that time we will be asked to account for the gifts that God gave us; how did we use them to further His kingdom? Were we good stewards of the gifts we were entrusted with, or did we not respect and use those gifts appropriately? One of the greatest gifts we’ve been given by God is our family; perhaps that is why both the first reading and the psalm extol the virtues of a good wife and husband, respectively. In each example, we read of the spouse taking care of the other and of their children, and of the blessings that come from doing so. No family is perfect, but do we cherish our families and try to build them up or do we look for the negatives in our spouse, our kids, or our extended family? Do we use the gifts that God has given us to better our families, or do we squander them on ourselves? Jesus then gives us the parable of the three servants given different “talents.” We may view talents as money, other treasure, actual talents (the ability to do something well), or as the environment that God has trusted us with. Jesus makes it clear that we are expected to use whatever “talents” we’ve been given wisely, and the reading from St. Paul tells us that there’s no time like the present because tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us. As the year begins to wind down and the days get shorter, now is a good time to take stock of the “talents” we’ve been given and of how well we’ve used them…individually, as a parish community, and as a society.