This Lent, something beautiful is happening in Portland, Maine.

HopeGateWay has created a full Lenten guide built around walking Holy Week through the Gospel of John — with Mary Magdalene close at hand. They’ve gathered reflections, prayers, and teaching into a printable companion for their congregation, and they are using it throughout the season.

Rev Sara Ewing-Merrill reached out to let me know that much of the interpretive thread woven through their guide draws from the Magdalene lens many of you have been exploring here. That kind of ripple is humbling. These reflections were never meant to stay online. They were meant to be prayed, wrestled with, and embodied in real communities.

HopeGateWay has done the hard and faithful work of shaping this into something usable in parish life. They deserve the credit.

If you’re looking for a thoughtful way to move through Lent grounded in John’s Gospel and attentive to Mary’s witness, I encourage you to take a look at what they’ve created. It’s generous, pastoral, and quietly courageous — especially in a secular context.

Thank you to HopeGateWay for carrying the Magdalene way forward in such a grounded and communal way.

Peace in the storm.