A Word from the Staff

by Meredith Augustin

Vice President of Pastoral Services

Returning to Joy — Together

March carries us deeper into Lent. And Lent can easily become very personal: my prayer, my fasting, my sacrifice.

But the Gospel does not invite us into private holiness. It calls us into shared conversion.

This year, as many communities journey through RENEW’s Lenten resource Return to Joy, I have been reminded of something essential: joy is not the absence of struggle. It grows each time we turn back, to God and to one another.

Lent is not a self-improvement season. It is a season of return. A return to what is true. A return to trust. A return to the people God has placed in our lives.

In small Christian communities, grace becomes tangible. Isolation loosens its grip. What weighs on us can be spoken aloud. And slowly, joy begins to surface again, not as a fleeting feeling, but as belonging.

At RENEW, we have always believed that transformation happens in relationship. Around tables. In honest conversation. In spaces where faith is lived.

If this Lent has felt heavy, take heart. Joy is not gone. It may simply be waiting beneath what binds you.

And we return — together.

Holding everyone in prayer,

Meredith

Explore our NEW Newsletter Archive!

Saint of the Month

Saint Joseph

Why St. Joseph in March?

Because quiet faithfulness builds strong communities.

On March 19 the Church observes the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary — one of the highest feasts in the liturgical calendar. And in 2021, Pope Francis declared a Year of St. Joseph, reminding the whole Church that Joseph’s witness is not a quiet footnote. It is a model of discipleship urgently needed in our time.

A Man of Few Words — and Total Faithfulness

Joseph never preaches a sermon in Scripture. He never performs a miracle. He never seeks recognition. Not one word is attributed to him in the Gospels.

What does he do? He listens. He protects. He shows up.

When an angel speaks to Joseph in a dream, not once but four times in Matthew’s Gospel, Joseph rises and acts. Immediately. There is no bargaining, no delay, no demand for further explanation. Just trust and movement. He takes Mary into his home. He flees to Egypt in the night to protect the child. He returns when the danger has passed. He brings the Holy Family to Nazareth, where Jesus will grow in wisdom and in grace.

Joseph is a carpenter — a craftsman who works with his hands, building things meant to last. Everything he does is for others. Everything he builds, he builds for love.

The Joseph We Need in Every Parish

In small Christian communities, we need Josephs. We need those who create safe spaces, who steady anxious hearts, who protect unity without needing attention. We need the ones who arrive early to set up the chairs and stay late to make sure everyone got home safely.

Joseph reminds us that not every ministry is visible. Not every gift announces itself. Some of the most essential work of the Church is done quietly, faithfully, and without applause — in the ordinary rhythms of showing up, of caring without condition, of holding space for others to grow.

In his apostolic letter Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis described Joseph as a man who “does not make himself the center” — someone who steps aside so that others can flourish. That is the spirit at the heart of every thriving small Christian community.

Reflection Prompts:

For personal prayer: Where is God inviting you to be a quiet builder in your parish — not for recognition but for love?

For group sharing: Who in your community quietly holds things together? How might you acknowledge and support them this month?

For action: This week, do one act of service in your community that no one else will know about. Let it be your gift to God, offered in the spirit of Joseph.

Many groups stall because they stay in commentary mode.

This Lent, try this simple shift:

After your final reflection question, always ask,

“What is one concrete step you will take this week?”

Then, and this is key, begin the next meeting by asking,

“How did it go?”

Accountability builds discipleship and gentle follow-up builds transformation.

Small Christian Communities are not book clubs.

They are laboratories of lived faith.

Follow us on social media for more advice from our Tuesday Tips posts!

Host a “Listening Evening" in which there is no agenda, no teaching, no solving.

Just structured small-group sharing around one question:

“Where do you feel disconnected? From Church, from community, from hope?”

Train facilitators to

• Listen without correcting
• Affirm without fixing
• Thank people for their courage

When people are heard, they return. This is synodality in action. This is how trust is rebuilt. This is how the Church grows—by relationship, not strategy.

Resource Highlights

Views from the Pews

"I was very happy to participate in RENEW International's Women in Conversation - Goodbye Fear, Hello Connection webinar series.  It was really fantastic to hear from the presenter, Loretta, and share with other women of faith, their journeys following Jesus, and striving to be strong, kind, and courageous so that we can make change and support other women along the way as we strive to be disciples of Jesus Christ."

- Colette Liddy

Support RENEW

Your support is the driving force behind our mission. Your contribution enables us to create lasting transformation in our parish communities. Help RENEW help the Church thrive!

If RENEW has made a difference in your community, take a moment and leave us a review HERE.

Stay connected and updated with RENEW by following us on social media!