We ordered some ice cream in Williamstown, Mass. this beautiful Spring day, right after watching a new documentary on the life of Pope Francis. We sat at an outside table, and there was a piece of discarded ice cream cone on the table, and as soon as we sat down, a sparrow hoped over the fence and landed on the table two or three feet from me and set about demolishing the cone.

He was quiet at home, even when I reached for my Iphone which was handy. He took his time, gave me the eye, didn’t mind us talking or laughing, finished his piece of cone, and then flew off imperiously.  I felt a bit like St Francis for a moment. Just a moment.