Today we commemorate two friends—Cornelius and Cyprian—who gave their lives struggling to unify the Church against opposing voices.

Elected pope in 251, St. Cornelius spent two years protecting the Church against Roman persecution and internal schism until he was exiled by the emperor Gallus and died. Saint Cyprian, who was born to wealthy pagans, converted at the age of 56 and became a bishop whose defense of Cornelius and theological writings made him both a martyr and a Church Father.

Long before Cornelius and Cyprian, Jesus struggled to share the Good News with people who could not—or would not—listen. In Luke’s account, Jesus is struck by the people’s lack of openness and compares them to petulant children. These “children” lack eyes to see and ears to hear what John the Baptist and Jesus are revealing about the Kingdom of God.

But, Jesus says, “wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

So, how can we be children of wisdom? Awe and gratitude are always good places to start!

—Jeremy Langford is the director of communications for the Midwest Jesuits and author of  Seeds of Faith: Practices to Grow a Healthy Spiritual Life ©2007 Paraclete Press, Brewster, MA.