2 Macc 7:1, 20-31 / Luke 19:11-28
A couple I know conceived a son after a long while. The wife just gave birth and they are now happy and thankful parents.
Both of them are amazed at the miracle of birth and life and the mother is especially overwhelmed at the fact that another life was created within her own body.
That is probably why the maternal instinct is especially strong when a mother has to protect her young - there is a very intimate physical connection between mother and child.
In the 1st reading, we can feel for the mother who watched the death of her seven sons in the course of a single day.
It was heart-wrenching and painful to see that the fruit of her body were tortured and killed right before her eyes.
Yet she endured it resolutely because of her hopes in the Lord, and she even encouraged each of her sons to face death bravely and to be faithful to the Lord.
She reinforced her womanly argument with manly courage, and for that she was especially admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance.
In the gospel parable we hear of the servants reporting to the master of the profits they had made.
The last servant gave back to the master exactly what he had been given because he was afraid of his master who was an exacting man.
So in today's two readings, we hear of courage and fear. Both had their consequences. May we have the courage to choose what is right and just. We only need to fear that we do otherwise.