Mark Saucier
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Holy Week begins with an ironic scene. An itinerant preacher from the countryside is placed on a donkey, lauded with palm branches and hosana-ed by the crowd as their conquering king. The … more
Once a month, I meet a friend for breakfast. We’ve only known each other a few years, but there was an immediate bond that has deepened with time. We talk about news, sports, families, but … more
When I was a kid, Lent was the time for talk about sin. Perhaps it was in their teaching contract, but the good nuns invariably told us, in their own veiled words, about the seven … more
I caught the news before bed — a 7.8 earthquake rocked parts of Tukey and Syria. Headlines are filled with once-frightening words of epic storms, tornadoes, hurricanes and tsunamis. What was … more
It was another silly question popping up in a wandering conversation. “What superpower would you like to have?” Avoiding the selfish fun things like invisibility or telepathy, it … more
It was a greedy, aggressive cancer. Not content to feast on his lungs, it metastasized, seeking total conquest of his body.  It seemed to win. We had his funeral yesterday: a royal … more
As many as 45% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. As few as 8% keep them. (Most of these are skinny, self-driven perfectionists.) The past two years, the most popular (and … more
On Dec. 24, 1914, small Christmas trees and lanterns appeared on the parapets of the muddy Ger-man trenches of the western front. In the darkness, voices of scared and homesick young men joined in … more
It is an Advent story, though I didn’t realize it at the time. At first, I thought it was just about a man who had every reason to wonder what God was thinking. He was a Black man, born … more
Thanksgiving is a busy day. Hours in the kitchen preparing those favorite foods. Travel to make it home for that big meal, or multiple meals for many. There’s setting tables, doing … more
The day began with heavy clouds lingering after the night’s rain. I had a text from a friend whose husband has just begun hospice. She would let us know when they completed their visit, and … more
“What is the purpose of belief if even God can’t put the world back the way you worshipped it?” This is the question a character in Shubangi Swarup’s novel Latitudes of … more
It was early when I came downstairs. Just before I reached for the switch, something across the room caught my eye. There was a single patch of light. At first, I thought it was a message alert on … more
Years ago, a friend gave me a copy of a lithograph of St. Lazarus — the one held in the bosom of Abraham, not the Lazarus awakened by Jesus from a four-day death nap. There’s a church … more
If you find yourself in a group of inmates and the conversation starts to lag, ask them about their grandmothers. I’ve seen hardened men come to tears talking about their grandmas, many of … more
There is an old story in the Jewish Hasidic tradition of the Rabbi Eizik, son of Yekel. He was a poor rabbi who lived in Cracow. One night, Rabbi Eizik had a dream. In this dream, he was led to … more
I have a friend who could have been a great pastor, but he spent his professional life as a machinist instead. He never went to seminary, barely made it through high school. The Navy was going … more
“Can the sister get an Amen?” She’d get it, too, from little Black kids to aging white bishops. A Franciscan whose death at 52 cheated the Church, Sister Thea Bowman spoke in a … more
“Can the sister get an Amen?” She’d get it, too, from little Black kids to aging white bishops. A Franciscan whose death at 52 cheated the Church, Sister Thea Bowman spoke in a … more
An old Roman philosopher said, “There is no easy way from earth to the stars.” Nearly 2,000 years after Seneca’s death, we still haven’t made it, but we are getting … more
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