Raising grapes is hard work. The vines are demanding – sensitive to soil and climate. They’re having to move the burgundy vines in France further north; the region of Burgundy is too hot. You have to prune each vine in…
I was at a nonviolent training in preparation for trespassing and staying limp during arrest at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. Attendees didn’t want to be silent. I wanted to tell them the program teaches how…
Sometimes you see a collection of funny church signs. Here’s one that always makes me laugh: Sunday’s text for the sermon will be “Jesus Walks on Water.” Wednesday’s Bible study is titled “Searching for Jesus.” Yes, today we read that…
Today’s readings offer comfort, even joy. 0ur savior, our teacher, has come to us, not just riding on a donkey but riding on the foal of a donkey. He is not what we expect, but he has come for us,…
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.” When I said I would write this homily for the Feast of the…
When I was younger, I was envious of the apostle Thomas’s access to evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. Wouldn’t it be great to be sure – even if forever after I were called Doubting Mary Ann. But now – I’ve paid…
Last Wednesday marked the first year anniversary of the Wednesday Witness in Lebanon, Ky. Sisters, Co-members and Marion County residents gather on a Lebanon street corner holding signs every Wednesday rain or shine in order to invite passersby to open…
We live in a dangerous moment. Several states have declared it illegal to boycott items made in Israel. Trespass penalties are higher. It used to be that you got “one bite of the apple,” that is, you’d be released with…
Today’s first reading and the Gospel are about temptation. They speak for themselves. But Psalm 30, stuck in between, is a prayer of forgiveness. Here’s the third stanza: “ Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my…
Perhaps you heard a racist joke and you didn’t laugh. Or you went further and said, “That’s not funny.” You engaged in nonviolent direct action. Does this surprise you? You didn’t think you were an activist. But yes, standing up…
Isaiah describes one sent by God who doesn’t cause an uproar in the streets, doesn’t even break a bruised reed along the river. This one speaks quietly but clearly and his voice is heard. He doesn’t carry a big stick.…
Sometimes, when I stand in Lebanon, Ky., holding a sign on Wednesday mornings, I have said the rosary. One day recently, I said, I believe in – long pause. What do I believe in, I said to myself. I believe…