It is 20th November 2019. The readings are from 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31; and the Gospel Luke 19:11-28. The martyrdom of seven sons in front of their mother in the first reading is a reminder for all of us to bear witness to our faith. A mother to witness her own children one by one to be martyred and eventually she herself was to be martyred is so painful. When parents have such profound faith, children prove it by their actions. It is also true that when parents are selfish and keep their children for themselves, then the children would be behaving all the more sinful and individualistic. Since our faith is the gift from God, we need to demonstrate our faith in a heroic way like that of the mother in today’s reading. Most of us forget the gifts belong to God and God expects us to utilize and multiply the gifts for God and the Church. Giving totally to God who gave us all is the expression of our faith. Declaring our faith beyond this life is the one we all need to aspire for. The responsorial Psalm praises, “I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.” (Ps.16:15). The Gospel reminds us about our responsibility towards the gifts we have received from the Lord including our faith. A detailed account of all that is entrusted to us will be required of us when we meet the Lord. The faithful and fruitful ones will be rewarded while the unfaithful and fruitless will be stripped of what they have. Spiritual life is indeed risk-taking for God in every given moment and for the constant test for our faith. “I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” (Lk.19:27). Some of us are like the third servant in the Gospel passage holding the gifts of God, neither wasting nor investing nor doing anything with it out of fear for the master. When we have love in abundance, we multiply everything that is entrusted to us. Our trust and confidence in God need to be seen in our productive and fruitful life of love, mercy and compassion. We must do everything in our power and capacity to put all the resources entrusted by God to build and expand God’s kingdom and to instil the values of the Gospel to humanity. We will be asked for the account of the gifts and how we used it and multiplied it? We all need to fulfil the intention of the giver of all gifts. May we learn to be faithful and fruitful in our spiritual life and offer glory to God. May you have a good day. God bless you.