Today is not only the Feast of the Confession of Saint Peter, but also the first day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This week falls each January between two holy days: The Confession of Saint Peter and the Conversion of Saint Paul.
The Brilliant Theology of the Desert Mothers
In terms of my life circumstances, I couldn’t possibly have less in common with the ammas who fled to the desert for spiritual growth and exploration. I have a marriage, a parish, and two kids. And a dog. And chickens (maybe they had chickens in the desert?).
Amelia Bloomer: Patron Saint of the Yoga Pant and possibly the Messy Bun
I didn’t realize I knew Amelia Bloomer even before I read about her for this post. Growing up in a cluster of all-girls, uniform-enforcing schools, I was introduced to one of her lasting gifts to the world first hand: the bloomer.
The Feast of Saint John: God is Light
“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at […]
Dear Thomas, Thank You
Dear Thomas, As we celebrate your feast day today I can’t help but cringe when I think about the number of times I’ve heard people chide the use of your modern-day nickname “Doubting Thomas.” As much as I’d rather not admit it, I, too, have declared from the pulpit that it’s demeaning and unfair to emphasize your apparent skepticism surrounding Jesus’ resurrection.
Re-Imagining Mary
Mary was a distant figure for me before having children. As a child she was the part in the nativity I never got to play (my short brown hair meant that I always lost out to my long blond-haired friends). As an adult, to me she was the venerated saint of Catholics, whose hailing brought a comfort I did not understand. I knew she was important, but I could not relate to her.
Celebrating Saint Lucy of Syracuse
The name Lucy means light. She is a light, but more importantly she points us to the light of Christ. In the literal darkness we face every year at this time and in the greater darkness we face in our lives and in the world, Lucy reminds us that the light of Christ shines in the midst of it all, and the darkness does not overcome it.
Celebrating the Feast of Saint Nicholas
I once knew an Episcopal priest who was also a dad of young children. One of his daughters disliked their diocesan bishop greatly, and the […]
Offering God Our Gifts and Our Doubts with Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew shows us we do have gifts to offer within ourselves and others, however big or small, and we can bring them forward to help feed, heal and bless those around us. And like Andrew, we can hold tight to our faith that no matter what we offer, our offerings are enough for God to work with and make miracles happen in this broken world.
No One Wants a Fairytale: Remembering the Rebel Martyrs with Teenagers
If you want a teenager to run away from church go ahead and teach them about the virgin saints. If you want teenagers to see the power they hold and the faith they can embody tell them about the the fearless arguers, the brave truth tellers, the rebel saints.