The Rambler

  17TH SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME A supreme effort is made so that an exquisite pearl can be obtained (Matt. 13:45-46). It’s unlikely the merchant would extend himself if it was for the sake of an imitation pearl. No, it has to be worth it. Otherwise, why put yourself out? Think for example about a bear, gorging itself on honey. The bear understands up front that it’s going to be a painful experience. The bees will swarm, in defense of their hive. But as far as the bear is concerned, it’s worth the trouble.  You see Winnie the Pooh, falling out of a very tall tree. He’s colliding with branches on the way down, suffering numerous bee stings, and he ultimately finds himself sprawled facedown in a mud puddle. He adopts a rather philosophical tone: It all comes from liking honey so much . The calamity can be attributed to the fact that he is in pursuit of honey. He has spotted an opening near the top of that particular tree. Bees are circling around the opening, and this would indicate...

  SIXTEENTH SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME You have to appreciate the patience of the property owner. He’s committed to allowing the weeds and the wheat to grow side by side (Matt. 13:30). They’ll remain side by side, at least until the time comes for gathering up the harvest. All things being equal, he would prefer to see the emergence of wheat, rather than weeds. Generally speaking, weeds are never a welcome sight. We understand that weeds are part of the equation. But we take measures to limit the outbreak of weeds, and their subsequent spread. For example, we might make use of a product like Round-Up. By adopting the appropriate measure, we’ll be able to bring in a more satisfying yield.  Meanwhile, we hear something about the subject of prayer in this passage from Romans. Paul describes a process through which the Holy Spirit provides a form of enhancement to our practice of prayer (8:26). This would seem to represent good news. After all, if we’re being honest, we’ll have to admi...

  15TH SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME  Ask yourself: Why would creation have to groan? According to Paul, creation has been groaning all through the course of salvation history (Rom. 8:22). Perhaps it has to do with the fact that creation comes about through the initiative of a Creat or . Creation owes something to its Creator; we can say that creation owes its very existence to its Creator. A communion is initially established between creation and the Author of creation. Unfortunately, that initial communion will become a fractured communion. This represents a disadvantage for the world of creation. Previously, everything was as it should be. Now, something is wrong.  It’s clear to Paul that something is wrong. And it’s clear to us as well. We detect this as we study the wider panorama of creation. We also detect a lack of harmony when we look within ourselves. There’s something wrong OUT THERE. Likewise, there is something wrong IN HERE, at the level of your heart and your soul...

  OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL July 16th represents a Feast-Day on our Church calendar: the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Because this stands as the Patronal Feast of the Gaylord Diocese, Bishop Walsh has decreed that it takes precedence over the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time. Therefore, within this diocese, you will hear homilies based on the Feast Day rather than the Sunday of Ordinary Time. Outside this diocese, the homilies will refer to the regular Sunday readings.  Who is the Lady of Mt. Carmel? This can be understood as another title for the Blessed Virgin Mary. When Marian apparitions take place, this typically leads to the establishment of a new Feast-Day. Think of Lourdes (Feb. 11th), Fatima (May 13th), and Guadalupe (Dec. 12th). The apparition recorded at Mt. Carmel dates back to the year 1251. St. Simon Stock, the Prior-General of the monastic community at Mt. Carmel, experienced a vision through which the Blessed Virgin revealed the blessings attached to the wearing o...

  FOURTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME When the subject of the Lord’s dominion is mentioned, we hear that it will extend from sea to sea (Zech. 9:10). But what about that interior dimension? You will notice that Paul has placed his focus upon the interior life (see Rom. 8:9). The dominion featured in Zechariah needs to find its way within, penetrating into the recesses of your heart. Only then will the picture become a complete picture.  Still, you hesitate. What will it mean for you, if you comply with Paul’s instruction? Do you really want to give a green light to the Lord? What kind of an entry will he make? How will he go about it? Will he enter as the Kool-Aid Man enters? Perhaps you will recall those commercials. The Kool-Aid Man overhears some comment about thirst. Suddenly there he is , crashing through the doorway. Or he’s barreling through a wall. The problem of thirst is being dealt with. But you are left wondering what’s going to be done about that doorway? Or that w...

  THIRTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME  If you watch the 1975 production, Monty Python and the Holy Grail , you’ll hear certain characters speaking up in protest. They find themselves being written off as dead. But in each case they cry out, insisting: “I’m not dead yet!”  This goes on all through the film as a running gag. The supposition is that they are in fact dead. But it seems that they are not dead, at least not yet.  When we listen in on Paul’s correspondence with the church in Rome, it sounds as if a supposition is being made. If you’re a reader of the New Testament, then it means that you’re supposed to be dead—dead to the influence of sin (Rom. 6:11). But it occurs to you that maybe you are not dead yet. You’re not completely dead to the power of sin. Dead, in this case, means unresponsive. You are no longer responsive to the attraction of sin.  But you can see clearly that there’s still some responsiveness lurking deep down within your heart and your s...