Halfway through Lent. Walking and pondering this week.
I've been noticing a thread running through these past few Sundays - in the readings and in my own life.
A Thread Through Lent
Three weeks. Three encounters.
Week 2 - The Transfiguration. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain. They see His glory. Peter wants to stay. But the mountaintop wasn't the destination - it was fuel for the valley.
Week 3 - The Woman at the Well. She was avoiding everyone, coming to draw water at noon. And Jesus was already there. Waiting. He knew her history. He waited anyway. She left her water jar and ran back to the village: "Come see a man who told me everything I have done."
Week 4 - The Man Born Blind. "One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see." The Pharisees tried to trap him. His parents played it safe. He didn't. It cost him his place in the synagogue. But his faith deepened through the cost.
Encounter. Healing. And then the question: Once you see, how far do you let it take you?
That's the question I've been sitting with - in what I wrote last week, in what I preached this past Sunday, in what I'm pondering now.
This Week's 2 Minute Homily
Fourth Sunday of Lent — USCCB Readings
The Man Born Blind. His testimony was simple: "I was blind and now I see."
His parents played it safe. He didn't. It cost him everything. But here's the thing - his faith didn't deepen at the healing. It deepened after the cost.
Once you see, how far do you let it take you?
What I'm Reading
Pope Leo XIV's Lenten Message: "Listening and Fasting" — "Every path towards conversion begins by allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and welcoming it with a docile spirit. There is a relationship between the word, our acceptance of it and the transformation it brings about." This is what the Lenten Sundays have been showing us. Read the full message →
"More Than 40 Days: Lent, Conversion, and Life in a Divided Nation" — A reflection from the Diocese of Owensboro on how Lent invites lasting transformation, not just temporary sacrifice. "Lent challenges the faithful to resist this impulse by cultivating habits of listening, empathy, and charity." Read it →
The Theology of Kneeling — Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) on why kneeling matters. I shared this last week but it keeps resonating: "The man who learns to believe learns also to kneel." Read it →
This Week's Catholic Cartoon
A Final Word
"Every path towards conversion begins by allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and welcoming it with a docile spirit. There is a relationship between the word, our acceptance of it and the transformation it brings about."
— Pope Leo XIV, Message for Lent 2026
Until next Wednesday,
Saint Joseph, pray for us. Saint Michael, defend us in battle.
What's on your mind? Just hit reply - I read every response.
If this email was forwarded to you and you'd like your own, subscribe here.
Know someone who might appreciate Wednesday @ Lunch? Share it with them.
Comments
Sign in to leave a comment.