Why was Jesus angry with the disciples for trying to stop people from bringing children to him? For one, he liked children and wanted to give them his blessing. He also didn’t want his disciples to get in the way of a teachable moment about why it was important to have the trust of a child in order to accept the kingdom of God.

According to Christian doctrine, one of the “offices” or roles that every baptized person shares with Jesus is his “prophetic office.” Part of Jesus’ mission was prophetic: He reveals the will of God.

It’s amazing to think that the disciples were arguing about which of them was the greatest just after Jesus had told them—for the second time—of his Passion to come.

The Letter of James has some of the strongest language in scripture about the necessity of living your faith.

In the Letter of James this week we hear of the importance of showing the same impartiality to others that God shows to us. If God doesn’t make distinctions between rich and poor, neither should we.

In the gospel Jesus found himself in the kind of conflict that would eventually accelerate into his Passion.

Those among Jesus’ disciples who raised the question “this saying is hard; who can accept it?” reflect just how “shocking” was Jesus’ teaching that eating his flesh and drinking his blood would bring eternal life. Not everyone who didn’t believe took Judas’ path of murderous betrayal; most only fell away and “returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.”

As a person of faith, what does wisdom mean to you? Wisdom has a built a house and is having a banquet spread with her teaching. Will you attend, “not as foolish persons but as wise”? What will you find on the table?

Elijah was despairing—again. This time it wasn’t only famine and drought. His land and king had gone bad, the prophets who might have pointed things in a better direction were dead, and someone wanted to kill him, and so he decided to lie down under a tree and wait to die. God, however, wouldn’t let him—also again. Twice an angel woke him and fed him, not only to keep him alive but also to prepare him for a long walk to meet his God.

The Israelites “grumbled” many times during their sojourn through the desert to the land God had promised them. In many cases God’s reaction was anger at the people’s failure to trust in God’s guidance, despite the circumstances. In this week’s reading, however, God’s ultimate response was an act of care: sending them the “flesh” and “bread” they desired.