The Interest is Astronomical

In Greek and Cypriot culture, “Worry beads,” also called Kompoloi, are strings of beads manipulated with one’s hands to pass the time. Among the traditional uses, the beads serve as an amulet, to guard against bad luck. It should come as no surprise that worry beads are a hot topic of conversation these days.

In today’s Gospel Lesson, we return to a conversation that took place between Jesus and His Apostles on the evening of Holy Thursday. In that conversation, Jesus tells the Apostles that He is about to leave them. He knows that His hour of crucifixion is drawing near. The Apostles are filled with worry. And we can imagine them fidgeting with their worry beads or anything else they can find to guard against what they fear is to come. In the verses immediately preceding today’s Lesson, the Apostle Peter tells Jesus that he will follow Him wherever He goes. Jesus answers, “Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now.” Peter replies,…