The Rambler

  19TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [C] You’re asking yourself: Why do I have to hear about these people who lived during the Old Testament period? Consider this possibility: it’s the Lord’s way of placing you before a mirror. You’re seeing your own reflection when you visualize the Patriarch known to us as Abraham (referenced in Hebrews chapter eleven). He’s a man who receives a number of blessings. And, in addition, he’s a man on the move. He’s a sojourner, or rather, a pilgrim.  Guess what? So are you. It’s all right there in Hebrews chapter eleven. Pay close attention to verses thirteen through sixteen. It turns out that we are likewise on a pilgrimage. We’re advancing step-by-step, drawing ever closer to our final destination, our ultimate home. That explains the appearance of Abraham. His pilgrimage calls to mind the reality of our own ongoing pilgrimage. Meanwhile, what about the Israelites (featured in Wisdom chapter eighteen)? What do they represent?  Similar to Abra...

  18TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [C] It’s all about letting the story unfold. Take that Harper Lee story, for example: To Kill A Mockingbird . It was originally released as a novel (1960), and then two years later it was adapted for the silver screen. Imagine yourself buying a ticket, sitting down to watch this highly anticipated film. What do you see as the opening credits begin to roll? You see a variety of objects, being kept within a box. What kind of objects? They list as follows: two Indian Head pennies; two carved figurines; a broken pocket-watch; a ball of string; a medal earned from a spelling bee; a jack-knife; and two sticks of Double-mint chewing gum.  Forget about trying to make any sense out of these objects. It’s too early. You have to let the story unfold. Likewise, forget about trying to make any sense out of the title. It’s too early. You have to let the story unfold. Eventually it will all fall into place. Eventually you will come to appreciate the significan...

17TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [C] Can anybody name the topic for this weekend? If you answer with “prayer,” then you’re at least partially correct. More specifically, we are dealing with the subject of PERSISTENT prayer. Note the example of Abraham in our first reading. He learns that a severe judgment is being handed down, concerning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He responds with one petition after another, begging for the cities to be spared. As a result, we are now detecting flexibility, where previously there was no flexibility (see Gen. 18:16-33).  Jesus reaffirms the Abraham approach in this Gospel selection (Luke 11:1-13). When you pray, be sure to pray with persistence. What will that gain for you? Potentially, you will be blessed with the gift of mercy. That’s the point of focus for Abraham. And Paul likewise seems to be preoccupied with the gift of mercy as he writes to the community at Colossae. He proclaims that the bond being held against us has been nailed to the c...

  16TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [C] Sometimes you end up with what’s called a “package deal.”  You might get a laundry detergent and fabric softener, all in one. You might get a shampoo and a conditioner, all in one. Or you might buy a flashlight that comes with a set of batteries. We call that a “package deal.”  You come across various package deals when you are shopping. And it also happens within the context of the church. Upon stepping into a church, it’s customary to reach into the finger font so that you can cross yourself with holy water. In this way, your baptismal identity can be renewed.  Remember this about the sacrament of baptism: it needs to be understood as a “package deal.”  You are baptized, not just into the person of Christ, but also into his path . It’s a path that includes the reality of suffering. It’s not limited to the reality of suffering; but it includes the reality of suffering. This explains the language found in Colossians chapter on...

  15TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [C] Once the Christian movement gets underway, the next step is to look back so that we can sort out not only WHO Jesus was, but also WHAT he was? Some theologians will argue that Jesus was basically a human being—a human being commissioned by God to deliver a new body of teaching. Along with this point of view, we also have St.Paul and his point of view. Note how he opens his Letter to the Colossians: he opens by stressing the fact that Jesus possesses an actual divine nature (see Col. 1:15-20). In other words, Christ’s status can be described as an “exalted” status.  What about our own status? Maybe we are not at the same level as Jesus. Nevertheless, we do enjoy a privileged status. After all, it’s recorded in the Book of Genesis that we have been created in the image and likeness of our God (1:26). This is true for every member of the human race, regardless of their nationality or their culture. Therefore, we owe something to one another. We...

  FOURTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [C] You’re in the mood for a western, so you settle on a movie called The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). The title itself provides you with a kind of  “heads-up.”  They are revealing to you that Liberty Valance is going to be gunned down, at some point. Call it a “spoiler-alert.”  Even as the character is being introduced, you already understand that his days are numbered. And it doesn’t bother you that his days are numbered. Almost immediately you’re developing a dislike for this Liberty Valance fellow. When he appears in a scene, you find yourself hoping that it’s going to be his last scene.  Finally, ninety four minutes into the story, it happens. He’s gunned down. By whom? Well, that’s not an easy question to answer. There’s the official version and the unofficial version. Official credit is given to the character played by Jimmy Stewart. He accepts the credit, at least initially. The problem, however, is that new...