Where have you received help—a ”cup of water”—from a surprising source? Heard prophetic words in an unexpected place? Seen the Spirit at work outside the faith community?

No one needs much prodding to come up with examples of scenes from the faith wars. Parochial-school-trained cousin Lisa just married that Methodist fellow, didn’t she? What’s Sunday morning like at her house? And what happens at the annual family reunion, when it’s not just the Protestant in-laws who show up these days, but the Jewish, Muslim, and Mormon ones, too?

My grandmother, Molly Harty McNulty, was born October 11, 1878. She married William J. McNulty in 1911 and to that union was born three children, Billy, Margaret Mary, and my mother, Joann. The McNultys and the Hartys were farmers, residing in rural central Illinois.

Getting his driver’s license was the beginning of Justin’s freedom, which he found an opportunity to exercise on Sunday mornings. His parents went to the Saturday Vigil, so he chose to go on Sunday, knowing Mom and Dad wouldn’t deny him use of the car for so noble a purpose.

With love for God’s commandments and remorse for our sins, we turn to the Lord for forgiveness.

There are those who seem outside the sheepfold yet are inside it, and others who seem inside but our actually outside.