A Handmaid’s Homily- First Sunday of Advent

A Handmaid’s Homily- First Sunday of Advent

Being pregnant during Advent (which is this particular church lady’s dream), I was ready on Sunday to dive into the Theotokos narrative, to journey with Mary, the God Bearer, as she, too, neared the end of her pregnancy. And yet, we did not encounter Mary 

A Handmaid’s Homily- 31st Sunday OT

A Handmaid’s Homily- 31st Sunday OT

We are often taught to think of love as being sentimental. It is something existing in the emotional realm that can be recognized but not defined—a swelling feeling in the chest when a friend shares a kind deed or a grin that slides across the 

A Handmaid’s Homily- 29th Sunday OT

A Handmaid’s Homily- 29th Sunday OT

In one of the classes I have co-taught, I came across a student who was highly grades-motivated. This is not unusual, of course, as many students are driven by this measure of success. This student, however, stood out in his drive to achieve a 4.0. 

A Handmaid’s Homily- 25th Sunday of OT

A Handmaid’s Homily- 25th Sunday of OT

Whose bodies have worth? Whose do not? Whose bodies have worth, and whose do not? This question may seem alarming, perhaps even like a trick or a trap. The correct answer is, obviously, that every person’s body matters. Everyone is deserving of dignity. However, a 

A Handmaid’s Homily- 24th Sunday OT

A Handmaid’s Homily- 24th Sunday OT

When I was a child, I was enamored by Joan of Arc. I had a little green book of female saints on my bedside table that I would read before I turned off the light to go to bed, and the pages fell open to 

A Handmaid’s Homily- 23rd Sunday OT

A Handmaid’s Homily- 23rd Sunday OT

At the beginning of Lent, my husband and I lost a pregnancy. It was the deepest, most rattling grief I have ever felt. I wanted nothing more than to be angry at God, to slam a hymn book against the back of the pew or 

Kyrie

Kyrie

Love, have mercy For the times we have bestowed upon you false names and motives Love, have mercy For the comfort that keeps our hearts sedated with complacency, our hands shackled in inaction Love, have mercy For soft hands that will never feel the chapped, 

Elijah

Elijah

For Elijah witnessed the storm and the fire and the wind and the rain. He saw destruction and knew it was not God. So do I see your hate, bigotry, anger. I reject your false idol and wait for the still, small whisper. Photo Taken 

We Are Here

We Are Here

The prayer service below was shared at a DePaul University staff meeting on April 7th in response to the U.S. airstrike in Syria. Many thanks are due to Chris Matthias, who graciously shared his time, heart, and editorial gifts. This morning, we take time to pause and