Foot-washer

4 th Sunday of Advent Cycle C Dec 18/19, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121921.cfm I have a cousin who was born one week after me.   I always think of him when I hear this story of Mary’s visitation to her relative Elizabeth when they were both pregnant.   In fact, at his wedding reception, I gave a toast saying that I liked to imagine that I leapt for joy in my mother’s womb when we first met.     Patrick is my first cousin, the son of my mom’s sister, and he is my oldest friend.   Though I am a week older, it is only because I was premature by a month.   He was expected to be born first.   My hurry to enter the world made me the first grandchild in our family—which has been a source of much gentle rivalry and teasing throughout our lives.   Having a cousin so close in age is like having another brother.   Almost a twin.   First a so-called “belly buddy,” then a “brother from a different mother.”   Every year at...

January 24, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012421.cfm   If you ever visit the city of Venice in Italy, you will see a peculiar sight.     Flying  from flag poles all over the city, is a red and yellow flag with a huge image of a winged lion holding a book in its paw.     As it turns out, this is the flag of Veneto, the province that Venice is in.       The lion represents St. Mark, the evangelist who wrote the second Gospel.  You see, twelve hundred years ago, a group of clever and crafty Venetians travelled to Alexandria in Egypt.  Once there, they stole the body of St. Mark and snuck his remains away in a barrel covered in produce and took him back to Venice.  Then the Doge of Venice built a giant, glorious basilica called, of course, “St Mark’s” with an altar over his remains, and the city has showed off their great Christian pedigree by flying their St. Mark flag everywhere.  And they t...

      3rd Sunday of Advent (Dec 13, 2020)   https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121320.cfm      There are two secret donkeys in St. Agnes Church.  Don’t worry.  I am not referring to any parishioners!  Three weeks ago, I preached about Jesus’ spirit animal and told you that there are four animals in the permanent artwork of this church: the sheep with St. Agnes and the dove, and the eagle on the standard of the Roman soldiers on the stations of the cross.  Did you find the fourth?  I would be surprised if you did, as I said they are secret donkeys.  I will show you where they are and I will ask Will to show an image of the artwork for those of you streaming at home.   These animals are in the Nativity scene behind the high altar on what’s called the “apse.”  The stable here is presented as a cave and the Christ-child is lying in his manager at its mouth.  In th...