Troubled by Angels

The angel appears to Mary and begins with a beautiful greeting: “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” Why then does the next line tell us that Mary was greatly disturbed?

Three Gifts, Three Kings

The scriptures do not tell us how many wise men came to honor the Christ Child. But the Christian imagination concluded that if there were three gifts, there were three magi. This insight has deep spiritual meaning.

Burning Up

What if Peter’s mother-in-law was “burning up” not with a fever but emotionally? If she was really upset about something, it would change the nature of Jesus’ miracle.