The Rambler

  SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A]  It’s very clear: John wants us to “BEHOLD” the Lamb of God (JN 1:29). Why should you pay any attention to this Jesus, who has been identified as the Lamb of God? Why is he so special? St. John explains that Jesus is the one who will establish a sacramental form of baptism. And furthermore, Jesus is the one who “takes away” the sins of the world. If your sins are incriminating you, take heart; the Lamb will make them disappear. This refers to the sins you have already committed, and it also refers to the sins you may end up committing in the future. As often as you go to Jesus, your sins will be absolved. Should we assume, then, that sin is really not “a big deal?”  If it happens, it happens? You can always start over with a clean slate simply by visiting the confessional? And yet, you’ll find that sins are a “big deal” in the Bible. You will be able to see this in passage after passage (Rom. 6:23, for example).  The expectation ...

  THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD We open the Christmas season by celebrating the arrival of Jesus. Then we follow up by exploring the theological significance of his arrival. For example, should it matter to us that he enters our world by way of the family? Do we need to revise our understanding of the Blessed Mother? And how do the Gentiles fit into the picture? On this final weekend of the Christmas season, however, the focus begins to shift. We are moving beyond the manger. Now, we are at the Jordan River, watching Jesus receive his Baptism. This marks a new phase: from this point on, it will be all about his public ministry.  In other words, he doesn’t arrive just for the sake of arriving. Rather, he arrives so that a mission can be undertaken. By way of illustration, think about that famous Dr. Seuss character: The Cat In The Hat . He arrives at a particular home. Somehow, mysteriously, he knows that his services are going to be required. The children within that home are a com...

  FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY  We’ll begin with a roll call: at this point we have the baby Jesus, along with Mary and Joseph; the shepherds have checked in; the animals are gathered within the stable; angels have manifested themselves; and now we see that the Wise Men are stepping onto the scene. But so far there’s no sign of the Little Drummer Boy.  He’s actually somebody that doesn’t get mentioned in the Bible. Rather, he is more of a legendary figure. If you do want to make room for the legend, then here is what you will discover: he stands in sharp contrast to the Three Kings. The Magi are adorned in regal splendor. They come before the manger bearing expensive gifts. As for the drummer boy,  he  belongs to the peasant class. He confesses: I have no gift to bring.  It’s not something that can be held against him. He can’t help the way that he is dressed. He can’t help being poor and destitute. He can’t do anything about his state in life. But it occurs to hi...

  SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD It’s Jesus being exalted when we arrive at the date of December 25th. Now, as we advance to the date of January 1st, it’s the Virgin Mary ’s turn to be exalted. But is it exclusive? Is it she and she alone who receives exaltation? Has she completely replaced Jesus on center-stage? It is true, we are definitely saying something about Mary when we acknowledge her as the Mother of God . However, at the same time, we are likewise saying something about her Son: we are saying that he has a divine status. We are saying that Luke 1:38 portrays Divinity itself taking up residence within the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary . Therefore, the stage is being shared. Along with saluting the Virgin Mary, we are also offering a salute to the “ fruit of her womb .”  Basically, it’s because of Jesus’ exalted status that we are allowed to extend an exalted status to Mary.  You’ve heard the expression: a high tide raises all of the boats in the harbor. I...

  HOLY FAMILY HOMILY, CYCLE A Cycle “A” brings us first of all to the Book of Sirach, chapter three. The point is that, within the family unit, each member needs to honor the other (3:1-16). By honoring those around you, you will in turn be honoring the message found in the Book of Sirach. Of course, it’s not always easy honoring the people who share your life. There’s typically friction, and sometimes even episodes of conflict. That’s why the Sirach reading is followed by a selection from St. Paul. The mandate we encounter in the Book of Sirach becomes more manageable if we incorporate Paul’s advice in Colossians chapter three. Pay special attention to verse sixteen: Let the word of Christ dwell within you, richly . With the help of the word, you’ll stay on track as a family.  The word doesn’t cancel out the difficulties. But it allows you to navigate, when the difficulties do present themselves. In terms of the difficulties to be potentially faced, they will come from withi...

SERMON FOR THE NATIVITY  Imagine being visited by somebody who comes from another world. Do we find the idea agreeable? Or disagreeable? It depends. It depends on which movie you happen to be watching. The 1951 production, “Thing From Another World,”  will leave you feeling rather apprehensive. The visitor in that film poses a serious threat to the population. We would prefer to be spared from that kind of a visit. On the other hand, we’ll be less apprehensive if it’s somebody like E.T.  He comes in peace. E.T. is more of a friend than a threat. So, because we’re familiar with the 1982 film, we will welcome a visit from E.T.  We know that it will be a happy experience for us.  However, why settle for “happy?” We’re being treated to a certifiably joyful experience as we make the transition from Advent to Christmas. Previously, we were singing “O Come O Come Emmanuel.”  Today, we’re singing “Joy To The World.”  Why should we expect the world to rejoice?...