So, yesterday was a difficult day for me personally. I received word that a deacon had offered an "excellent homily on racism." To provide a setting for you, I am speaking about my hometown parish where I was the only Black child and the only child of color among those making their First Holy Communion in the spring of 1966 in a racially segregated society. The only parish in town may have also been the only integrated church in the predominantly Christian town. After being away for many years, I returned home to care for my mother and, consequently, to the parish. How could I not rush to access the recording of the livestreamed liturgy to receive a balm for my weary soul in this time when we are confronting two pandemics: Covid-19, and the legacy of 400 years of white supremacy? Unfortunately, it did not take long for me to realize that my thirst was not going to be quenched nor my soul soothed by the deacon's words. Early in the homily, he stated: " I fe...