My Preaching

Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia.

I made it to Istanbul, a place I have wanted to visit for a long time. The first night I took a walk to Taksim Square, the scene of recent protests.

The Gospel today is  Luke 7:36-8:3, about a woman who washes Jesus' feet with her tears.

Two things I dearly love—hiking and theological debate—come together beautifully when I get the chance to take some time off with Peter Hunter.

I made it to Oxford, England, visiting the brothers here at Blackfriars Hall. I love this community and its great mix of study, prayer and common life. The brothers live together in a charming neogothic shoebox, and while their prayer is a bit more formal than I would care for (they are English, after all), I love the fact that they all show up for it (or mostly, I suppose) and all pitch in to put supper on the table and to do the dishes afterwards. There is something very essentially Dominican here that always challenges me to embrace our life a bit more fully.

First stop on my around the world tour is the Catholic Theology Society of America's annual meeting in Miami.

Today I set off on a trip around the world. I am excited, but not without a bit of consternation. What did I bring, what did I forget, what will I find… so many things to worry about.

June, but it is just spring in the mountains of Colorado. The new green leaves on the birch and aspen trees shine against the dark green of pines and spruce.

I am on retreat in Colorado this week.

Community is a blessing—the people you know, the people you meet each day, the ones you share your life with.

In the category of "pictures I wish I had so I could share" would be one of Deanna Wilson. Deanna lives in Jamaica at Martha's House, a home for abandoned children who are HIV positive.