Lent 2026
A weekly journey of reflection and practice from St. Mary’s Sewanee: The Ayres Center for Spiritual Development
Weekly Lent Video Reflections with Kara Lassen Oliver
A Reflection from Kara
This Lent, St. Mary’s Sewanee: The Ayres Center for Spiritual Development invites you on a pilgrimage.
Rooted in the Episcopal tradition and enriched by the wisdom of many streams of faith and contemplative practice, we open the table wide. Each year, pilgrims of all kinds, church groups, recovery communities, artists, seekers, meditators, come to St. Mary’s, releasing burdens, seeking insight, and returning home even slightly changed.
Lent is a season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, a 40-day journey that mirrors Christ’s time in the wilderness. It is a season of repentance and reflection. And yet, repentance is not only about looking back with regret. It is about looking forward with wonder.
This year, we will walk the labyrinth together over six weeks, exploring three sacred movements:
Release – Letting go of what weighs us down
Receive – Resting in the heart of God
Return – Moving forward with renewed purpose and hope
In a vulnerable and hurried world, you are invited to make space for rest, renewal, and reconnection, with yourself, with community, and with the Holy One.
Lent Overview
Beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing each Sunday through Easter, you’ll receive:
A brief written reflection on our weekly theme
A guided video practice for walking the labyrinth (physically or meditatively)
An invitation to share your journey with our community
You may walk a labyrinth near you, trace a finger labyrinth, or download and print one to use in prayer. Whether you walk with your feet or with your finger, the journey is real.
