Today’s Scripture readings show contrasting expressions of fear. In the first reading, a woman endures witnessing the deaths of her sons due to her unwavering faith. In the Gospel, we find a servant who, out of fear, hides away a gold coin instead of investing it, leading to punishment. Where do you sit on the spectrum of fear?
“Fear is mastered through love,” said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., wisdom no doubt borne from experience. There is a famous story that says, after one death threat, Dr. King sat at his kitchen table trying to figure out how to leave leadership without looking like a coward. In prayer, he heard Jesus respond that he would be with him always. From that moment forward, despite whatever fear he felt, Dr. King continued the mission.
Do we also believe that God is with us always? I once met an abbot of a Cistercian monastery who told me he did one thing each day that frightened him. I was inspired by this practice as a way of growing in faith.
What small thing might we do today out of love—even if it makes us a little fearful? Perhaps speaking when we prefer to be silent or trying something new despite the possibility of failure. Just as the servants were celebrated for being faithful in a “very small matter,” this small gesture might serve as a reminder that, with God, we can acknowledge our fear while still acting courageously in love. Fear is not the end of the story.
