
Today, on the first anniversary of my mother’s death, I post her eulogy to remind us all of some of the things she left with us:
Today is, appropriately, All Saints’ Day, when my faith celebrates all the people—saints—of God who walked the way of faith with courage, devotion and love. Now our mom would never have called herself a saint, but if we believe that saints are flawed human beings who do their best to offer God’s grace and love in the world, then our mother is a saint. First Peter 4: 8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” And by that measure, our mother is most definitely a saint. Continue reading How Do I Love Thee? →

“Go home.”
I looked up from the copy machine to see my principal standing in the doorway, briefcase in hand, tie loosened. His work day was over.
“I can’t,” I said, sighing. “I have to finish running these copies and get my room ready for tomorrow.”
I was a first-year teacher, and it was only October. The marking period was about to end, and I had a stack of essays on my desk that still needed to be graded.
“Yes, you can. You’re going to get burned out if you keep staying this late every day.”
“But how do I get everything done?” I whined. Continue reading Suffering from Vacation Deficit Disorder? →

Today was the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time—the 29th Sunday when life and faith just move along in an ordinary fashion. Easter is a distant memory, and Advent is still several weeks away.
Out of town for a quick long weekend, I spent the morning walking on the beach instead of sitting in church as I would have back home. But when I checked in on social media, I had a reminder from a childhood friend of the message many people who share my faith hear nearly every Sunday morning. Continue reading The Only Way? Really? →

I feel Barack Obama’s pain—not the pain of the man who is president but the pain of the person who receives praise for his intellect that is almost always followed by the word but.
Continue reading Know Any Intellectual Snobs? →
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