Look a little longer

Occasionally our interpretation of the events of life needs to be disturbed by taking a look from the point of view of the other. This is the presented in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the view of the author of the First Book of Maccabees about the death of the Greek Emperor who had sacked Jerusalem and desecrated the Temple. The deep depression which beset the ruler over these crimes leads to his death. The truth of our feeling at times that the death of some world leaders would bring such good as we would expect changes from oppression to freedom, starvation to health. The root causes of these situations are often deeper than one person. Nate Romano, S.J. ofCreighton University finds some words to share a more considered view of the Sadducees, the very conservative Jewish sect who did not accept resurrection from the dead, who challenge Jesus in the Gospel passage today from the Gospel of Luke. The method used by Jesus to change their frame of reference gives them room within their own paradigm to consider some a different bit of evidence from Moses. The little bit of light which is reflected from situations which we may initially see as completely dark is perhaps the Spirit encouraging patience and perseverance to discover the point of departure to another path.