My secret identity

Unlike this blogger, I'm maintaining a relatively secret identity. Only one person - a deacon, no less - knows me as both Gregg the Obscure and as a flesh-and-blood reality. I had two distinct unique privileges at Mass this past week: serving as a lector and hearing that selfsame deacon preach a fine homily including a point regarding the thorns that I hadn't ever encountered: namely that even causes and activities that we enter into with the best of motivations may become thorns if they distract us from relationship with Jesus.