All through Lent, we follow Jesus into the emptiness of the desert. Our Lenten disciplines are not meant to be punishment; they are meant to make room for God. One of the best habits we can take up in these weeks is also one of the simplest: spending real, unhurried time with Scripture.

I’d like to use the weeks of Lent to introduce the ancient Christian practice of Lectio Divina. Meaning "divine reading," it is way of scriptural reading, meditation, and prayer aimed at fostering a deeper communion with God and understanding of His Word.

“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) These words of Jesus have echoed through the centuries as a call to trust, to mission, and to renewal. As we continue to consider what it might look for us as St. Michael Parish to put out into “deep water,” this week we begin Lent. Lent is a time of renewal. Perhaps these 40 days can help us to renew our trust in God and to reinvigorate our sense of mission.

“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) Last week we reflected on the original setting of this verse in Luke’s Gospel and its significance for Pope John Paul II’s call to a new evangelization. This week, we turn to the wisdom of the Church Fathers and how the early Christian community understood and lived this call to put out into the deep water.