At the beginning of this month, the United Nations invites us to consider its World Environment Day theme of biodiversity. With drought, fire, storms and now a viral pandemic variously touching our lives in recent months, it seems the theme is more than apt.

Long before psychologists and mindfulness gurus were preaching the benefits of acknowledging and giving thanks for what life offers, the great faith traditions of the world strongly encouraged the practice as well. In our Catholic tradition, one of the prayer forms that is recommended is one where we give thanks to God for all that God provides.

I have procrastinated for the last two weeks about how to start this article. I wondered if I should write about COVID-19. Things seem to be changing so quickly, that today’s news is stale tomorrow.  And hasn’t enough been written already? Aren’t we all getting a bit tired of the “C” word? But I figured that many of you subscribe to Faith Journey because you are trying to make sense of the Catholic faith, and how it might have a role in everyday life.

This issue of Faith Journey will arrive in your email inbox during the season of Lent. For those of you not familiar with the traditions of the Catholic faith, Lent is a period of six weeks. It falls between two important events in the Catholic calendar: Ash Wednesday and Holy Thursday (which is three days before Easter Sunday).

I am writing this article in mid-January. The beautiful blue sky and gentle breeze I can see from my window belies what most of us have experienced over the past month or more. Parched earth, landscapes, homes and businesses ravaged by fire, choking smoke haze and most recently thunder and hail storms. And lives lost as a consequence.