
Although the realities of a harsh Canadian winter are still very much in evidence, our hearts are lightened by nascent signs of Spring…longer days, birds in mating finery, sweet maple treats and, soon, the wild call of Canadian geese returning to our northern climes. The season of Lent, traditionally the most penitential stretch in the church year, originated as a period during which catchumens were prepared for baptism at Easter. So the invitation “to observe a holy Lent by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God” can be approached as a call to grow, intellectually and spiritually, and to embrace the time to make some needed changes in our lives.
Beginning on Ash Wednesday, and through the 40 Days (plus the five Sundays), we, with Christians worldwide, will walk with our Lord. We will travel along a well trodden path that winds through the desert, meanders by the seaside, cuts through the marketplace, enters the Garden and stops at the foot of the Cross. The rosy hues of Resurrection dawn will reveal an empty tomb and the Way, the Truth and the Life, ahead.
This daily devotional, “Seeds of Grace”, is designed to encourage daily prayer and theological reflection as we journey as a parish through the season. It will, God being our helper, challenge us to ‘open the eyes of our hearts’ to experience God’s Presence and Grace, in new and perhaps surprising ways.
Each week will have a theme, providing, I hope, some food for thought and spiritual nourishment and the incentive to explore the given topic more fully. Given my avocation as a home chef, some days will also offer a recipe, or just a hint, with a focus on ‘making something out of nothing’.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to Ian Kelly for administering the web site component and to Peter+ and Emma Lackey for their support and assistance. Blessings, Susan+