Dear Friends,

The liturgical year, like the calendar year, has seasons. They tend to mirror the seasons of the Northern Hemisphere because (with all due respect to our brothers and sisters in the Southern Hemisphere) early Christianity spread north and east faster than it spread south or west. We have just entered the season of Lent.

The word "Lent" comes from the Old English word lencten, which means spring and is related to the lengthening of daylight during this season. This directly connects Lent to the idea of renewal, transformation, and the transition from winter into new life—both in nature and in the soul. It has been a cold winter, so this is such welcome news! In addition, this aligns with the deeper spiritual themes of Lent: reflection, repentance, and preparation for resurrection and renewal at Easter.

So where does that leave us? Is it an alarm clock for our soul? A spiritual reset? A retreat? A reorientation? A chance to run away from it all? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes.
Lent calls us to a different way of being in the world. We acknowledge that we are finite and mortal—yes, we are dust. But we are beloved dust, destined not for destruction but for resurrection. The work of Lent is not a traditional self-improvement project or a turn towards toxic positivity. It is a deep surrender to the transforming Grace of God.

So come with us as we journey into the wilderness with Jesus and explore the wilderness of our own lives. It is here that the mercy and Grace of God can enter us and shape our souls. It is my prayer that our inner pilgrimage will help us greet the arrival of Easter on April 20 ready to be transformed into new life with Jesus and feel all the joy that Easter brings.

Love,
Cheryl