The Rambler

  FEAST OF THE RESURRECTION When somebody wishes you a Happy Easter, you respond by likewise wishing them a Happy Easter. Next, having reciprocated, you move on, never giving any thought to the question of whether or not your Easter really can be described as a Happy Easter. Suppose this year you pause and actually give the question some thought. Is it a Happy Easter?  Happy enough, it would seem. We have Jesus stepping forth from the tomb. That strikes you as something good. You’re thinking: It’s about time something good happened for that man. Last time I checked in, it was all about pain and sorrow. Now he’s back, better than ever. How can you not be happy? You’re naturally happy for Jesus and for his disciples. This is what it means to have a Happy Easter. Right? We’re supposed to be happy for Jesus. And we’re supposed to be happy for his disciples.  If that’s the extent of it, then maybe you’re not having the kind of Easter that you could be having. You’ve limited ...

  A HOLY WEEK REFLECTION Primarily, we tend to emphasize the second half of Holy Week. The plan of salvation reaches its climax as we observe Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. Nevertheless, we do have liturgies that mark the earlier half of Holy Week. Note especially the Gospels for both Tuesday and Wednesday. Each one centers around the person of Judas Isacariot. On Tuesday, we hear about Satan “entering into” the heart of Judas (John 13:27). Meanwhile, the Gospel for “Spy Wednesday” outlines the arrangement that Judas initiates with the chief priests (Matt. 26:14-16). It’s an arrangement that will lead to the arrest of Jesus. And we know what happens once the authorities have Jesus in custody.  To what extent should we hold Judas accountable? Perhaps he deserves a healthy measure of sympathy. After all, he’s not responsible for his actions; he’s under the influence of Satan. It brings to mind a refrain from the 1970’s: “The devil made me do it!!”  We att...

  PASSION SUNDAY Because we are in the “B” cycle, this year’s Passion reading will come from the Gospel of St. Mark. Last year, with cycle “A,” we heard St. Matthew’s account. Next year, observing cycle “C,” we will hear from St. Luke. If you are wondering about St. John, we spend time in his Gospel every year, especially during the seasons of Lent and Easter. As for Mark, his Gospel bears a resemblance to both Matthew and Luke. These are called the “Synoptic Gospels,” because they appear to be synchronized around a common body of source material. We find plenty in the way of similarities, but we also find peculiarities---elements that are unique to each of the Synoptics. For example, with regard to Mark’s version of the Passion, attention is called to a particular young man who panics as the authorities come to arrest Jesus. He, likewise, very nearly gets apprehended, but they manage only to grip the hem of his tunic. The unnamed disciple slips out of his garment and runs off into...

  FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT [B] Jeremiah announces the dawning of a new covenant (31:31-34). The original covenant revolved around the Commandments and the practice of Temple worship. This new covenant will center upon the person of Jesus Christ: he will offer THE sacrifice to end all sacrifices. This sacrifice takes place on Golgotha, with Jesus being nailed to the cross. We know that Jesus prayed, as he was about to undertake his passion. It’s a prayer that will travel the full distance, according to what’s written in Hebrews 5:7. In other words, the prayer of Jesus will receive a full hearing from the Almighty Father. And yet, Jesus goes on to die a horrible death. So you have to wonder whether that prayer really did receive a full hearing? If indeed God was listening, then you would expect Jesus to be spared, in the same way that Isaac was spared on Mt. Moriah (Gen. 22:9-14).  Then again, maybe Jesus didn’t ask to be spared. Pay close attention to this weekend’s Gospel selecti...

  FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT [B] We’re covering a significant amount of historical ground as we listen to this passage from the Second Book of Chronicles (36:15-23). It’s a brief selection, but it summarizes a stretch of roughly 400 years (900 BC to 500 BC, approximately). Initially, the Israelites are enjoying what could be described as a time of bounty: they’ve settled themselves within the Promised Land; the borders are secure; prosperity has spread across the territory. Furthermore, the meeting tent has been replaced by a magnificent temple.  A domino-effect ensues: bounty gives way to laxity; laxity gives way to infidelity; infidelity gives way to vulnerability; and vulnerability will give way to adversity. Let’s focus for a moment on the practice of infidelity. It means that you are no longer living in such a way that you can expect to be blessed. If the blessings disappear, then you are left in a state of vulnerability. Sooner or later, someone will take notice.  The As...

  THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT [B] We are responding to the First Commandment when we offer our worship to the Lord (see Exodus 20:1-6). From an Old Testament standpoint, the highest form of worship would be the worship that takes place within the Jerusalem temple. Originally erected in the year 961 BC, this temple would go on to be destroyed by the Babylonians (587 BC), and then it would later be reconstructed during the governorship of Nehemiah in the year 537 BC.  This is the temple that Jesus visits in the Gospel of John, chapter two. Along with disrupting the commercial activity, he will also deliver a multi-layered prophecy (2:13-22). This prophecy will produce, not one outcome, but actually two: Jesus will be sentenced to death by crucifixion; and the second temple will suffer the same fate as the previous temple. The Babylonians brought down the first temple, and now the Romans will be responsible for demolishing the second temple (70 AD). In addition, the Romans will also be ...