“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.” We are conceived from the noise of lovemaking. We are born from the noise of childbirth.…
We learn from the story of the Magi that those who are wise seek out peacemakers to be educated by them, ‘We saw the child’s star rising… and have come to follow him.’ We learn from the story of Herod that those who are rulers target peacemakers and lie about being educated by them,…
Sunday’s readings show a consciousness about a culture’s laws. First there is a consciousness of the Ten Commandments, then consciousness of the Levitical priesthood and its many laws, and finally the consciousness of a scribe who questions Jesus about all law. The scribe, a legal scholar, asks Jesus, “Which is the first of all…
This Sunday’s readings are concerned with wisdom and its effects. Some of the wisdom is conventional, conveying generally accepted beliefs, opinions, and judgments. It can be contrasted with true wisdom that counters convention. The two wisdoms meet in the Gospel. A conventionally wise rich young man who glorifies rulers, their wealth and laws, seeks…