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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In King Lear , it’s the fool Edgar who has the last word:
“The weight of this sad time we must obey,
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.”
Behind the …
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By Mark Saucier
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7/6/23
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The disciples, desperate for something more tangible than homespun allegories, asked Jesus to teach them to pray.
I wonder what their reaction was when he gave them the “Our Father.”
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By Mark Saucier
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6/21/23
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The Hebrew Scriptures have many takes on aging and death.
There is the story of Enoch, the great grandfather of Noah, who “walked with God, and he was no longer here, for God took …
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By Mark Saucier
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6/7/23
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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 …
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By Mark Saucier
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5/25/23
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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 …
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By Mark Saucier
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5/10/23
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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
By Mark Saucier
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5/10/23
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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 …
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By Mark Saucier
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4/27/23
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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 …
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By Mark Saucier
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4/12/23
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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 …
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By Mark Saucier
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3/29/23
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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 …
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By Mark Saucier
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3/16/23
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