In the ancient world, “household” was a wide-reaching concept. When Joshua today speaks of his household serving the Lord, he meant not just those people who lived inside his walls or those related to him by blood or marriage; he meant slaves or servants and their families, and anyone indebted to him in any way. Even his livestock and other possessions would be consecrated to service of God.

Some things about human nature don’t change, even over the course of centuries. When we celebrate a holiday, we have a meal; when we celebrate a significant event, we have a feast. In today’s first reading, Lady Wisdom is setting a feast, a sign of celebrating the covenant that Israel has with God. Israel’s central remembrance of its saving Exodus covenant is the Passover meal.

We are so busy! Most of us have more than one job to do, and we never seem to have enough time. We are workers, volunteers, parents, friends, and most of us are more than one thing at a time. But which of these is the work of God?