After several prolonged moments of silently observing the sterile basilica, bells began to toll. It was time to begin. The organist welcomed in the masked lectors and altar servers, followed by the priest from the side of the sanctuary. She belted out approximately one verse of the opening hymn before my vision blurred with hot tears. It had been too long. … Continue readingMass, How I’ve Missed You
We are moving…again. This is my husband’s and my third cross-country move in six years as a married couple, fourth if you count me moving in once we were married, and our first with kids. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in temporary military housing … Continue readingHome Is Where the Church Is
A Small Lantern in a Storm My heart has been broken. My mother, the Church, feels as if she’s being ripped apart. Anger, shame, confusion, disgust, sadness. It’s overwhelming. And what makes it worse is we keep on being slammed in the face. Over and … Continue readingBroken Windows: A Response to the Sexual Abuse Scandal
One of my earliest childhood memories involves my grandparents taking me to a church very early in the morning. So early, I remember thinking it was still night and the world must all be sleeping. We found our way into a small chapel that … Continue readingI see Him, and He sees me.
I spent four dreamy years in college studying literature. There are a few texts that I still think about once in a while and even fewer that I reread on occasion. One example is Ernest Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.” If you have not read … Continue readingA ‘Clean, Well-Lighted Place’ for Us All