By Rev. Giles Haché
EACH YEAR, Lent offers us a path back to God—a time to slow down, to listen, and to enter more deeply into prayer.
Yet prayer is not always easy. At times, it can feel like a desert, a night, a thirst, a blindness, or even an inner tomb. But at the heart of these experiences, the Lenten Gospels reveal a profound truth: Jesus walks with us. He goes before us and guides our steps.
Through the narratives of Matthew and John, we encounter a Christ who enters our human realities in order to lead us into life. Prayer becomes less a duty and more a meeting—an encounter, a breath, a surrender of trust into his hands.
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The Desert – Jesus enters the desert before us, facing hunger, solitude, and temptation (Mt 4:1–11). Our own deserts become places where he precedes us and remains at our side. The desert becomes a school of prayer, and we are never alone: Jesus knows this terrain and walks it with us.
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Nicodemus’ Night – Jesus welcomes the hesitant searching of Nicodemus (Jn 3:1–17). Like him, our prayer often begins in the night, where Jesus gently illuminates our path.
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The Samaritan Woman’s Thirst – At the well, Jesus meets the Samaritan woman in the depth of her thirst (Jn 4:5–42). Prayer becomes the place where he encounters us and lifts us up.
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The Man Born Blind – Jesus opens the eyes of the man born blind (Jn 9:1–41). In prayer, he enlightens our vision—our view of God, of ourselves, and of others.
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Lazarus – Before the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus calls forth life (Jn 11:1–45). Prayer becomes a cry of trust that draws us out of our places of confinement.
During this Lenten season, one certainty remains: Jesus walks with us.
Prayer teaches us to trust him, to listen to his voice, and to let ourselves be guided toward life.
Because this journey is one we walk together, AFP Executive warmly invites you to a catechesis on prayer, in the presence of our bishop, Rt. Rev. Todd Townshend.
The Spring Conference will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at St. Jude’s Church, London, under the theme: Finding the Face of God in Prayer. This will be a precious opportunity to deepen our relationship with God, contemplate the beauty of prayer through sacred art, and allow Jesus to continue guiding our steps.
Rev. Gilles Haché is AFP Executive Member.