The Rambler

  TRINITY SUNDAY  Let’s begin by pretending that we are in Rome. We’re stepping into the Sistine Chapel so that we can reflect upon a display known as The Last Judgment . We will need a period of time because this panoramic fresco takes up an entire wall. The great Renaissance artist Michelangelo initiated this project in the year 1536 and finally was able to finish it in the year 1541. Our guide calls attention to the fact that the artist himself appears twice within this masterpiece. He’s depicted in connection with St. Bartholomew in one panel, and then he appears again, looking on as the dead are being called forth to experience the resurrection. So as an artist he’s placing himself within his work of creation. For all practical purposes, this is Michelangelo entering into what it is that he has created.  The purpose behind this illustration is that the Trinity can be understood along similar lines. In the Book of Genesis we read about God’s great act of creation. The...

  FEAST OF PENTECOST  Imagine for a moment that you are Commissioner Gordon. You head up the police force in Gotham City. When you learn about criminal activity, you typically turn to the uniformed officers who serve under your command. They represent what could be called the conventional option. And yet, sometimes you have to deal with exceptional situations. When the conventional option is no longer sufficient, you pursue the unconventional option: namely, Batman .  You make use of either the Bat-Signal or the Bat-Phone. That’s what you do if you happen to be Commissioner Gordon of Gotham City. You’re the kind of police commissioner who is more than willing to admit that he might need some extra help. And that’s good news for the people of Gotham. It’s a better place to live, because the commissioner chooses to take this humble and honest approach.  The point of this illustration is to consider whether the Commissioner Gordon approach can bring some benefit to you...

  FEAST OF THE ASCENSION  I recall attending the annual Old Engine Show in Buckley. I had just been installed as the new pastor at St. Patrick’s, located roughly nine miles north of Buckley, on the outskirts of Traverse City. Having arrived at the Old Engine Show, I walked up and down the lanes, reviewed the displays, and then I stopped for something to eat. Volunteers from St. Patrick’s were staffing a food booth, so I dropped in on them, did some visiting, and had a light lunch. Then it was time to head home, back to St. Patrick’s.  Stepping into the rectory, I dug out a pair of scissors so that I could cut off the synthetic bracelet that had been placed upon my wrist. That bracelet had served as verification that I was a paying customer. When you pay the price of admission, they fasten the band around your wrist. This same practice is carried out at the annual Northwest Michigan Fair. You wear the wristband through the course of your stay—and then you remove it soon af...

  SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER We would rank the Greek philosopher Socrates (470–399, BC) as one of the greatest thinkers of all time. He was a profound thinker, and he encouraged others to engage in their own practice of deep thinking. What does he want you to think about? For the most part, he wants you to think about life. You’re being called to think about life, but not simply in general terms; the recommendation is that you think about your particular life—the life that you are in the process of living. According to Socrates, the unexamined life is not a life worth living. Therefore, if your life is ticking away, without the benefit of being examined, then it could be said that you are essentially depriving yourself. At least that’s what a man like Socrates would say.  Now let’s consider John the Evangelist: what would he have to say? John would probably take it a step further. He would find fault with the unexamined life—and he would be even more critical of a life that never...