As the world died around me, I went for a drive. It was the brightest, cleanest, sunniest of early spring days. Not a cloud in the sky overhead. Not a breath of wind. The crocuses were nearly spent and some neighbors’ daffodils were beginning to bud. Robins hopped on the lawns. I felt that I was in Heaven. I drove out to the grocery store and picked up a box of oatmeal cookies. On the way to the checkout,... Read more
Over the weekend, I got sick. It began with a scratchy throat that quickly turned into laryngitis. I spent most of the day speaking in a rasp that made Adrienne laugh. Then I got exhausted, too exhausted to drive us to Sunday Mass. I declared “I’m going to Saint Mattress” and went to lie down while Michael walked uphill to church by himself. By nightfall, I had a low grade fever. My body temperature tends to be low, so when... Read more
Spring came, and nobody could stop it. The winter seemed as if it would go on for all eternity, and then it died suddenly. Spring popped up just as quickly. The forever snow went away. Just days ago I saw crocuses and knew the winter was gone. Today, it was so warm that we had to turn on the window air conditioner to keep the downstairs from stifling. That air conditioner was so loud that I almost didn’t hear the... Read more
When you think of a good man, what do you think of? I don’t really care whether someone is conventionally masculine or feminine. But plenty of people do. I get told again and again that there’s a masculinity crisis and we need to think about men even if we’ve got much better things to do. All right then, let’s think of what makes a good man. When I think of a good man, I don’t think of masculinity influencers.... Read more
I just want to remind everyone that there is no “rich person” exception to the Ten Commandments or the Golden Rule. That doesn’t exist. If something would be wrong, underhanded, and immoral for a poor or middle-class person to do, it doesn’t suddenly become okay if you’re rich. That’s never been how our Faith works. Pride is a sin in any income bracket. Pride is the root of ALL sin. Narcissism and arrogance don’t suddenly become funny and masculine... Read more
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark: People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced... Read more
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke: Jesus told his disciples a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove... Read more
Again and again, I try to write the way Northern Appalachia feels, here and now. I’ve got to find a way to crystalize the here and now. I am obsessed with making a memorial to the here and now. I want to be a primary source for future historians: not for battles or bombings or the doings of important men, but of traumatized people in a traumatized neighborhood at the junction where the Rust Belt collides with Northern Appalachia.... Read more
I’ve had to take a hiatus from reporting on the pro-life movement. My veteran readers know I ended up big-fish-in-a-small-pond famous in 2016 when I wrote an article condemning Frank Pavone for his abuse of a corpse as part of a political stunt to campaign for Donald Trump. Many of my fellow Patheos bloggers wrote about Pavone’s stunt at the same time, but my post is the one that went viral somehow. People started messaging me with all kinds of... Read more
Jesus and I went for a hike, to see the last of the ice. This is my prayer life, lately: asking Jesus to come with me on a hike, or a drive, or out to the backyard to turn over the compost heap. Sometimes I talk to him and sometimes he just stands there while I think about something else. It’s the only prayer I have, besides “Don’t hurt me,” and “I hope you can hear me.” I don’t... Read more
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