Et verbum caro factum est, y’all. 🕯️

I suppose it’s about time to write the Christmas Eve homily, eh? 🕯️

That chord is the sound of the Incarnation. #9lc 🕯️

“WORD” CHORD INBOUND #9LC

"When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled..." Tyrants are always afraid of love, terrified of grace and mercy because it undermines their coercive grip on power. By God's grace, the Herods of this world don't have the last word. #9lc 🕯️

Sue me - I love me some Rutter at Christmastime. Just a warm cozy mug of hot cocoa and a soft blanket. #9LC

love it when they make the congregation sing in middle english #9lc

"King of quires supernal" is an amazing attribution! #9LC

Am I the only one who can feel the weight of the world falling away from my shoulders the moment that boy soprano starts singing? #9lc

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Eric Milner-White, the originator of Nine Lessons and Carols #9LC, was also a founder of the Oratory of the Good Shepherd. He wrote the famous Bidding Prayer just five years after founding the Oratory together with John How and Edward Wynn at Cambridge. 🕯️

The best part of Christmas Eve morning is the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College, Cambridge. It's really moving thinking about people throughout the world—separated by language and politics and culture and creed—all sitting down to listen to something together. #9LC

Merry Christmas from perhaps the cutest lil church in the world! 🕯️ Join us in person in idyllic Northfield or online at www.allsaintsnorthfield.org Christmas Eve mass is at 8:00pm Christmas Day mass is at 10:30am (with @paulwj.bsky.social preaching)

I’d vote for that platform.

me to the stack of books on my bedside table:

I'm perpetually fed up with health insurance in this country, which continues to be astronomically expensive and mind-numbingly stupid. They recently denied coverage on a prescription and denied two subsequent appeals. Good RX—a free thing from the internet—made it so the prescription was $9!

If I were Pope, I'd ask Tracy Chapman to do a concert for me. Nothing against Michael Buble, obv. 🕯

Beat them into plowshares.

The West Wing is back on Netflix! 🙌🏻

“Wow you believe in a god?? Do you also believe in fairies???” Yes I do, next question

The children have unanimously elected to do a gender bent Christmas pageant this year. They’re alright, these kids. 🕯️

There is a very sleepy dog on my lap right now. Looks like I have to work from home today.

As I have said before: Mary is the patron saint of men being optional

I stayed up until midnight yapping with one of the nuns at the retreat center where I’m staying for a conference. Very classical Cody behavior.

Reposting for the late afternoon/early evening crew. 🕯️

I'm giving a talk later in the week to an ecumenical group of clergy. What do you think your pastors, priests, and preachers need to hear this Advent season? What would you like to say to them? 🕯️

“So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” Some say it’s bad to be “woke”. But the Bible tells us to keep awake. I listen to love over tyrants, every time. ⚓️

Straight outta Lake Woebegon. 🕯️

Whenever I tell him to have a nice day, he says “Only if you have a better one!”

There’s a guy in my neighborhood who, whenever I ask how he’s doing in passing, responds “Oh, well, better’n I deserve!” That’s such an old Midwestern man thing to say!

My parish is seeking its next rector. Clergy can find the OTM parish profile under Minnesota -> Ascension Stillwater 📕🕯️⚓️

This also included @karanslade.bsky.social and I getting a spontaneous pedicure and the most amazing massage by this fierce little grandma named Mai. Check out Bloomie Nails and Spa on Madison Avenue near 95th St E if you’re ever on the Upper East Side. Tell them Kara and I sent you!

I’ve had a long and surprisingly difficult couple of months and am spending the week on a little retreat in New York City with most of the North American Oratory brothers: Mass, the Daily Office, theological discussions, cafe reading, wandering through Central Park, and a night at Carnegie Hall! 🕯️

Rosalía’s ‘LUX’ (released last week) is SO good! Each track on the album is inspired a female saint or mystic (Christian, Buddhist, and Islamic.) It’s not really an album of sacred music, but it’s not fair to call it secular either. Really and truly gorgeous! (Two explicit tracks, fwiw.)

yes; this: borders to tell you where you are, not where you can be

Have finally reached the venerable age where a hot water bottle and the crossword puzzle first thing in the morning is absolutely necessary.

Happy St Martin's Day! May we follow his example in renouncing violence, giving to Christ in the poor, and defending the orthodox truth of the Incarnation against Arian heresy. 🕯️

no one: absolutely no one: Anglo-Catholics:

The campus rabbi and I decided to meet for a weekly text study during the term and had our first session today. We’re reading through one or two verses of Song of Songs each week and using both midrash and patristic/medieval allegorical commentaries. It’s so fun! 🕯️

Over one hundred thousand dead Iraqi civilians. Hundreds of detained persons without a trial, innocent torture victims who will receive no justice. A trail of death and destruction. No obituary will be written about any of them.

Come after a brother priest and I take it very personally. religionnews.com/2025/11/02/e...

I’m listening to Florence + The Machine’s new album and am absolutely OBSESSED with the image of Florence downloading Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love on her phone.

FYI—government accounts worthy of blocking.

Artist: @kibbyer.bsky.social (www.libbykercher.com/) #sacredart #protestart #immigrationjustice #nokings #hailmary #virginmary #abolishice #defundice

Some might say it is too early, but I bought my first carton of Christmas milk (which those of you who did not grow up in my family might otherwise call 'eggnog') and am so happy right now.

Lina is an autistic trans woman on the verge of homelessness. One of the priests at our cathedral has helped her secure housing but we need to raise the funds for the deposit and a couple months rent & for food. She has always adovated for trans people, especially in the church. Please help her! 🕯

I am “I would like wool socks for Christmas” years old

Okay, just to brag a little bit here, I had two major thrift store finds today, both unused and with their original tags: a Cutter & Buck jacket ($205, I paid $17!) and a CalPak backpack ($138, I paid $6!) (The backpack might be more or less bc the color (a matte red) seems to be discontinued.)

Damn. The Right Reverend Whipple went hard.

The Rt Rev’d Craig Loya, 10th Bishop of Minnesota, speaking outside the federal building—named for his first predecessor—where the Secretary for Homeland Security was making an announcement about increased immigration enforcement in Minnesota. This is what moral clarity looks like!

I’m glad we’ve entered an era of pop that’s about excellent vocal skill and musicianship. Chappell, Raye, even Sabrina at times. Just so much love and homage to the classics before them, and no fear to flex what the human voice can do