Mark Saucier
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It’s the season of caps and gowns, big dreams and a beckoning future. Commencement speakers are advising graduates to go for the gold, dig deep and change the world. The diploma-ed … more
When we were taking care of our daughter’s kids for a few days, one of the things we had to do was to take our grandson to Taekwondo practice. I’ve been to a near-infinite number of … more
When we were taking care of our daughter’s kids for a few days, one of the things we had to do was to take our grandson to Taekwondo practice. I’ve been to a near-infinite number of … more
I had an appointment with my oncologist. I like him, but after five years, I’m ready to just run into him socially. This was supposed to be when he released me, when he took me to the door … more
A theologian I know is a bit of a provocateur — someone who will say some superficially radical things, just to get people to think more about their own experience. After one of his talks, a … more
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 … 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
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