The Church does not rush from celebration to repentance. Instead, it gently leads us from the light of Candlemas toward the ashes of Lent, giving us time to prepare our hearts. This reflection explores the wisdom of that gradual journey, revealing how the Christian life is shaped not by sudden leaps, but by faithful steps, honest reflection, and the steady grace of God.
Tag Archives: Following Jesus
Why the Church Gives Us Time to Breathe Before Asking Us to Repent: A pastoral reflection on God’s mercy baked right into the calendar
God’s mercy is reflected not only in Scripture but also in the rhythm of the Church’s year. Before calling us into the searching work of Lent, the calendar gives us time to pause, breathe, and prepare our hearts. This reflection explores the gentle wisdom of that sacred rhythm and the reassuring truth that God’s invitation to repentance is always preceded by God’s invitation to rest in grace.
Practising Lent Before lent: Small acts of Kindness, Quiet Acts of Prayer
Lent does not begin only when the ashes are placed upon our foreheads. Its quiet invitations can be embraced long beforehand through simple prayers, small acts of kindness, and everyday habits of grace. This reflection explores how preparing our hearts in ordinary ways can help us enter the Lenten journey with greater attentiveness, compassion, and joy.
The Holiness of Routine: Why God Shows Up To Committee Meetings Too
Holiness is not reserved for mountaintop moments and Sunday worship. More often, it is discovered around ordinary tables, in parish halls, and even during committee meetings. This reflection explores the sacredness of routine, reminding us that God is present wherever faithful people gather to serve, discern, and quietly build the Kingdom together.
Before We Give Things Up: Noticing What We’re Carrying
Before Lent invites us to lay anything down, it offers us the chance to notice what we are already carrying. Some burdens nourish us, while others quietly weigh us down. This reflection explores the grace of honest self-examination and the freedom that begins when we entrust our burdens to the God who is always ready to help us travel more lightly.
Faith When the Snowbanks are higher than your Expectaions
Winter has a way of reminding us that some obstacles cannot be hurried around or wished away. When the snowbanks grow higher than expected, we learn to slow down, adapt, and keep going. This reflection explores how faith is formed in seasons of endurance, discovering that God’s grace is often most evident when the way forward requires patience, perseverance, and hope.
The Gospel According to the Midweek Eucharist
The Sunday Eucharist may gather the larger crowd, but there is a quiet grace to the smaller assembly in the middle of the week. This reflection explores the gift of the midweek Eucharist, where Christ continues to nourish, strengthen, and renew ordinary disciples for the ordinary work of faithful living.
When Jesus Stops Being a Baby but Hasn’t Started Flipping Tables Yet Life in the Gospel’s “middle chapters”—and why most of Christian living happens right there
Much of Jesus’ life unfolded far from the dramatic moments we remember most vividly. Between the manger and the cross lay years of faithful, ordinary living. This reflection explores those often-overlooked middle chapters of the Gospel and reminds us that most Christian discipleship is shaped not by extraordinary events, but by the quiet grace of everyday faithfulness.
The Church Calendar’s Awkward Pause — and Why God Loves It
Not every season of the Church’s year is marked by dramatic celebrations or profound solemnity. Some are quieter, almost awkward in their simplicity. This reflection explores the grace hidden in these in-between moments, discovering that God often does some of God’s most patient and transformative work during the pauses we are tempted to overlook.
After the Candles Are Put Away: Learning to Walk by Residual Light
Candlemas reminds us that Christ is the Light of the world. But what happens after the candles are extinguished and ordinary life resumes? This reflection explores the quiet calling to carry that light into the days that follow, discovering that God’s presence continues to guide us long after the brightest moments of worship have passed.