The Rambler

  FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER Imagine that you are channel-surfing. You pause at the Cartoon Network, to check in on Bugs Bunny. He’s not up to his usual antics; rather, he’s sitting beneath an apple tree, reading about the Knights of the Round Table. The pace picks up, however, as he finds himself being transported back to that original period. He’s no longer reading about the world of King Arthur; now he’s actually experiencing it first hand. Through the course of this episode he will be challenged to a joust, he will have to escape from a fire-breathing dragon, and he will have to match wits against a devious court magician [an episode titled “Knight-Mare Hare”]. As the story comes to a conclusion, Bugs convinces himself that it was all just a dream. And yet, at the very last moment, we will see evidence that maybe it was more than just a dream.  Why open with this particular illustration? We’re spending time in the Acts of the Apostles. We hear about the issues that were bein...

  FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER You hear a question being transmitted from the speaker of your 1948 RCA Victor radio: “Who knows what evil lurks within the hearts of men?”  What’s being implied here is that the average person probably would not know. The average person wouldn’t know about that inner dimension. And yet, even if the average person doesn’t know, there is somebody who does know: The Shadow knows!  The Shadow knows about the subject of evil.  Of course, the Lord also knows. He knows about the human heart and its capacity for evil. It turns out that he also knows something about the subject of shepherding. According to the Gospel of John chapter ten, he knows each and every one of the sheep assigned to his flock, from the inside out. Likewise, the sheep know him (10:14). How well do we know him? Do we know him inside and out? No, we can’t make that type of claim. But we can say that the knowledge we have deepens over the course of time.  Consider the exampl...

  THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER Let’s consider whether it was really necessary for Jesus to die on the cross? We know that he did die; but was it truly necessary? According to Jesus, it was. Note his choice of words in Luke chapter 24:  These are the words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets must be fulfilled..[T]hus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all of the nations, beginning in Jerusalem [verses 44-48, emphasis added].  In other words, the divine plan necessarily includes the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary. Does this reflect an aspect of cruelty or severity? Perhaps it seems outrageous that innocent blood has to be spilled in order to satisfy God’s blazing wrath.  And yet, suppose for a moment that it’s not about pacifying a vengeful God; suppose rather th...

  SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER  You will find that some Bible passages have a way of explaining themselves. These verses come across as straight-forward. You don’t need any help forming your interpretation. But then you make your way into the First Letter of St. John. Chapter five outlines a series of witnesses; referred to as the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood (5:6-8). Jesus comes to us by way of the Spirit, by way of the Water, and by way of the Blood. Upon consulting the commentaries you discover that scholarly opinion remains divided, regarding this selection. A definitive interpretation has not yet been reached. Generally, however, speculation has leaned in the direction of the Jordan River, with Jesus stepping forward to be baptized.   If you pray the Rosary, this ranks as the first of the Luminous Mysteries. You know that this mystery centers around the symbol of water. You know also that the Holy Spirit becomes visible in the image of a dove (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:...