Lenten Reflections on Change and Renewal
Six short reflections to accompany prayer, repentance and renewal throughout the season of Lent.
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Six short reflections to accompany prayer, repentance and renewal throughout the season of Lent.
1. The Wilderness Within
Lent invites us into the wilderness — not to punish us, but to purify our hearts. In the quiet, distractions fall away and we begin to notice what truly shapes us.
The wilderness reveals both our hunger and God’s faithfulness. It shows us where we rely on comfort instead of trust, noise instead of prayer.
Perhaps this season of discomfort is not emptiness, but invitation — a space where God is gently reshaping your heart.
Reflection Questions:
• What distractions is Lent asking me to lay down?
• Where do I rely on comfort more than on God?
• What might God be teaching me in this wilderness season?
2. The Grace of Honest Repentance
Lent is not about shame. It is about truth told in the presence of mercy.
To repent means to turn — to acknowledge where we have drifted and to choose a different direction. God does not reveal our weaknesses to condemn us, but to restore us.
The courage to name our sin is the beginning of freedom.
Reflection Questions:
• Where have I drifted from God’s desire for my life?
• What habits or attitudes need to be surrendered?
• What would it mean to truly turn and trust God’s mercy?
3. Fasting and True Hunger
When we fast, we make space. We feel hunger. We notice longing.
But beneath physical hunger lies a deeper desire — the longing for God. Lent reminds us that not all appetites lead to life. Some consume without satisfying.
In choosing restraint, we remember that God alone sustains us.
Reflection Questions:
• What appetites or attachments are shaping my life?
• What deeper hunger might lie beneath them?
• How can I allow this season of fasting to draw me closer to God?
4. Seeds of Conversion
Conversion is rarely dramatic. Often it is quiet and hidden, like seeds beneath the soil.
Prayer, repentance, generosity, forgiveness — these are small seeds planted in faith. Lent calls us to trust that what is planted in humility will bear fruit in time.
God works patiently in hearts that are willing.
Reflection Questions:
• What small act of faith is God inviting me to plant this Lent?
• Where do I need patience in my spiritual growth?
• What fruit do I hope to see by Easter?
5. Taking Up the Cross
Jesus walks toward the cross with love and surrender. Lent invites us to follow — not in despair, but in trust.
To take up the cross is to release control, to forgive when it costs, to love when it is inconvenient, to choose obedience over pride.
In dying to self, we make room for resurrection.
Reflection Questions:
• What cross am I being asked to carry right now?
• Where is God inviting me to surrender control?
• How might sacrifice lead to deeper freedom?
6. The Promise of Renewal
Lent does not end in darkness. It moves steadily toward resurrection.
Every act of repentance, every quiet prayer, every hidden sacrifice prepares the heart for new life. God does not waste our efforts to return to Him.
Hope grows in hearts that are willing to change.
Reflection Questions:
• What new life do I long for this Easter?
• How has God already been at work in me this season?
• What must I release in order to receive renewal?
Towards Lent at St Andrew’s
Quiet days and a retreat in daily life, offering space for reflection, creativity and prayer in preparation for Lent.
The Sisters of St Andrew are offering a series of reflective quiet days in preparation for Lent, drawing on Ignatian spirituality, creativity, poetry and prayerful reflection. These gatherings invite participants to pause, reflect, and engage deeply with themes of Sabbath, seasonality, and sacred landscape. Alongside the quiet days, there is also an opportunity to take part in a Lent retreat in daily life, with weekly personal accompaniment offered either in person or online. Advance booking is essential, and further details are available on the Sisters of St Andrew website.
Upcoming Retreats and Day Conferences at the Dupuis Retreat and Conference Centre
The Dupuis Retreat and Conference Centre is offering a rich programme of retreats and quiet days through 2025–26, with opportunities for reflection, prayer and spiritual renewal.
St Paul’s Convent, 94 Selly Park Road, Birmingham, B29 7LL
The Dupuis Retreat and Conference Centre in Selly Park is delighted to share details of its upcoming programme of retreats and day events, offering opportunities for prayer, reflection and spiritual renewal in a peaceful setting.
Quiet Day with the Retreat Association Icon
Reflecting on the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well
Led by Alison MacTier, Director of the Retreat Association
Saturday 18 October 2025
10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: £35 (please bring your own lunch; tea and coffee provided)
This Quiet Day will explore the creation of the Retreat Association Icon, looking at the tradition of iconography and how the image can be interpreted today. Participants will spend time reflecting in detail on the Gospel story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman and consider what this meeting might mean for us in our own lives.
Retreats at the Dupuis Centre – 2025
Individually Guided Retreat (IGR)
Led by Sr Pauline Myers SP and Sr Una Coogan IBVM
Saturday 18 – Saturday 25 October 2025
Cost: £650
(Shorter retreat available on request)
Midweek Preached Retreat
Led by Fr Eamon Mulcahy CSSp
Monday 10 – Friday 14 November 2025
Cost: £400
Preached Retreat – “Freedom to live as the children of God”
Led by Fr Chris Thomas, The Irenaeus Project, Archdiocese of Liverpool
Monday 17 – Saturday 22 November 2025
Cost: £500
(Postponed from March)
Looking Ahead – 2026
Weekend Lenten Preached Retreat
Led by Fr Chris Thomas, The Irenaeus Project, Archdiocese of Liverpool
Friday 27 February – Sunday 1 March 2026
Cost: £225
Weekend Lenten Preached Retreat – “From desert to daybreak”
Led by Alison MacTier, Director of the Retreat Association
Friday 20 – Sunday 22 March 2026
Cost: £225
Individually Guided Retreat (IGR)
Led by Sr Pauline Myers SP and Sr Una Coogan IBVM
Monday 11 – Monday 18 May 2026
Cost: £655
(Shorter retreat available on request)
Preached Retreat
Led by Fr Chris Thomas, The Irenaeus Project, Archdiocese of Liverpool
Monday 21 – Saturday 26 September 2026
Cost: £505
For bookings and further details, please contact:
Sr Margaret Mattison
📞 0121 415 6100
📧 margaret.mattison@sellypark.org
🌐 www.dupuiscentre.co.uk
Residential Events at Boarbank Hall
The Sisters at Boarbank Hall in Cumbria are pleased to announce a new programme of residential events at their Guest House. Some of these may be of special interest to Religious Sisters and Brothers, including Care for Creation, Our Lady in Latin and Hope in Health.
The Sisters at Boarbank Hall in Cumbria are pleased to announce a new programme of residential events at their Guest House. Some of these may be of special interest to Religious Sisters and Brothers, including Care for Creation (a mix of talks, reflection and activities: 5th-12th October), Our Lady in Latin (learning about the language and the music: 25th-27th October) and Hope in Health (for anyone involved in care or healthcare, to recharge the batteries: 8th-10th October).
For the full programme and more details, see: https://boarbankhall.org.uk/whats-on/.
For more information, please contact Sr Margaret on margaret@boarbankhall.org.uk.
You might also enjoy finding out more about Boarbank from this podcast:
Weekend Retreat at Brownshill Monastery
To Hope and Act with Creation
To hope & act with Creation – learning from the animals
Fri, Sep 27, 20244:00 PM Sun, Sep 29, 202412:00 PM
Monastery of Our Lady and St. Bernard (map)
This year’s ecumenical Season of Creation takes the theme: To Hope and Act with Creation. How can we do this?
This weekend celebrating Creation, will reflect on the words of Job who invited us to “ask the animals” what they can teach us about our faith (Job 12:7-10). In His teaching, Jesus frequently drew on nature to illustrate the Christian way of life (e.g. Matthew 6: 26-30). Pope Francis too, reminds us that “each of the various creatures….. reflects in its own way a ray of God’s infinite wisdom” (Laudato si’ para.69] and urges us to remember that “the universe as a whole, in all its manifold relationships, shows forth the inexhaustible richness of God” [Laudato Deum: 63].
You are invited to join in contemplating the lessons we can learn from animals and to find hope and opportunities for action from the examples of small creatures (e.g. ants) that render significant change.
Click here for the weekend’s programme!
Suggested offering is £ 140 for the full residential weekend, which includes all meals from Friday supper to Sunday lunch. Non-residential options are also available. Please use the form to book your place or to request further information.
The Gathering 3
An opportunity to reflect on women, their calling and vocation, their gifts and ministries, and their voice in the synod.
The Northampton Diocese Women in Ministry Group invites you to The Gathering 3.
This event is an opportunity to reflect on women—their calling and vocation, their gifts and ministries, and their voice in the synod.
It’s a chance to listen, pray, share, and reflect together.
8th June 2024, from 10 AM to 4 PM.
St. Mary’s, Woburn Sands, Bucks, MK17 8NN.
Please click here for the flyer and additional registration details.