I went for a walk the other day along a portion of the green belt near our house.
It’s a peaceful path, meandering past a football field, a children’s park, tennis courts and open …
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By Mark Saucier
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4/24/24
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I was making a pinhole projector so our granddaughter could experience her first solar eclipse like her grandparents did back when both the sun and the moon were much younger.
While racing …
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By Mark Saucier
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4/11/24
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Frank Silecchia was a New York native and an excavation laborer — a pick-and-shovel guy.
When his city begged for search-and-rescue volunteers after the 9/11 attack, he stepped up.
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By Mark Saucier
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3/28/24
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“Familiarity breeds contempt.”
That old Roman proverb, echoed in Augustine and Chaucer, stills rings true today.
One exception, though, may be Scripture.
Here, our …
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By Mark Saucier
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3/14/24
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A cake, ablaze with candles toasting the shredded coconut at their feet, was no subtle reminder that another year had passed.
In that piercing light, I could not deny that I had reached the …
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By Mark Saucier
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2/15/24
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“I gave them the Beatitudes, and all they do is quote Leviticus...”
I can see Jesus saying this, sighing and sadly shaking his head.
Leviticus, of course, is part of the Torah, …
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By Mark Saucier
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2/1/24
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Raw. Bitter. Numbing. Brutal.
Take your pick, because this cold wave requires an adjective — an added word to communicate the life-threatening effects of sub-zero temperatures and …
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By Mark Saucier
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1/18/24
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I don’t know if you noticed it, but another year has passed.
It saddens me in some ways.
I remember when it arrived, full of hope and promise. And then suddenly, it was gone, quietly …
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By Mark Saucier
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1/5/24
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No Christmas pageant would be complete without a young girl in white dress and veil playing the role of Mary.
Remember, though, that, unlike the men of the gospels, Mary was not allowed to take …
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By Mark Saucier
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12/14/23
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Advent. From the Latin adventus, meaning coming or arrival.
What is coming? Christmas. Incarnation. Emmanuel, the dwelling of God with us.
What is coming? The Parousia, the …
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By Mark Saucier
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12/7/23
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There’s a story of the Irish writer Samuel Becket on a walk with a friend in Paris on a beautiful spring morning.
“Doesn’t this just make you feel happy to be alive?” his …
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By Mark Saucier
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11/24/23
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Going through the mail the other day, I found a check for $905.45.
Apparently, some overfed algorithm inferred that a retired couple of former Church workers could use extra cash.
It was a …
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By Mark Saucier
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11/9/23
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Years ago, I was in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Walking across a plaza, I saw a small group of people staring up at a mango tree.
I looked up but saw nothing extraordinary until a man next to me …
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By Mark Saucier
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10/26/23
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It is the most unmistakable sign of autumn.
More than changing leaves, shortened days or cooler nights, it’s the falling locust pods that tell me that summer is past and winter is fast …
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By Mark Saucier
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10/11/23
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On the surface, Jesus sells pretty well. Who wouldn’t want forgiveness, grace and eternal life?
I know I do.
But once you get into the weeds, it can be a little more challenging.
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By Mark Saucier
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9/28/23
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We were on a retreat in the rugged Ozark foothills — a day aside for prayer and reflection.
In one of our silent hours, I ventured into the pathless woods.
The woods have always …
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By Mark Saucier
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9/14/23
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The other day, we were watching a couple of our granddaughters.
Out of the blue, the 4-year-old informed me, “I don’t know why Grandpa, but I love you.”
I smile …
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By Mark Saucier
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8/31/23
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The Germans have a word for it. From the people who gave us schadenfreude for that pleasure we get from another’s failure, and zeitgeist for the spirit of the times, we get …
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By Mark Saucier
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8/16/23
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Recent congressional testimony of UFOs and alleged “non-human biologics” intrigued me.
I recalled a story which now may not be apocryphal after all.
Not that long ago, our …
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By Mark Saucier
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8/3/23
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We looked like an intergenerational field trip as we gathered at the trailhead.
Twenty of us, from a backpacked toddler to a couple of older dawdlers, were intent on tackling a hike that started …
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By Mark Saucier
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7/20/23
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