LETTER FROM KATIE • May 13, 2026

Sofia Novelli (b. April 25, 1991). Pane di Vita, Private Collection

Dear Holy Comforter,

Thank you so much for such a beautiful Rogation Sunday, when we prayed for God’s blessing on the earth and our work. I so enjoyed blessing all the signs of our common work under our altar, which reminded me of this collect which we pray in our Compline service:

O God, your unfailing providence sustains the world we live in and the life we live. Watch over those, both night and day, who work while others sleep, and grant we may never forget that our common life depends on each other’s toil; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rogation Day reminds us that we are not self-made. We live by what is given: soil and seed, rain and sunlight, and God’s Spirit enlivening us. 

On Monday, I attended a day of prayer focused on the Virgin Mary as mother and disciple. The first half of the day we meditated on how the Creator was entrusted to the care of his creation–to his mother Mary. And we imagined how she cared for him daily through his infancy, their family’s escape to Egypt, and then their resettlement in Nazareth. 

And then we meditated on Mary as a disciple, prompting the miracle at the wedding in Cana, present as his crucifixion, and gathered with the disciples for prayer after the Ascension. And we observed that while Mary knew that Jesus was the Son of God, she had to live by faith just like every other disciple. She doesn’t get to control how Jesus’ ministry will unfold. She pondered, questioned, waited, suffered misunderstanding, and endured a long wait between promise and fulfillment. And so the “yes” of the Annunciation is not just a one time event, but an invitation to a lifelong pattern of humble submission for Mary and all of us. 

The path to holiness is daily faithfulness to the work that sustains our common life. And Mary models that for all of us who work in obscurity; whose hard work will never be known or acknowledged. Imagine all the hours Mary spent cooking meals, cleaning her home, and making clothing—and the restless nights she spent worrying and praying for Jesus. Her work might have been unseen, but it sustained the earthly life of the Son of God and helped carry forward God’s plan to redeem and restore all creation

And so I pray that today you would feel a renewed sense of purpose in the work you’ve been given, a deeper commitment to using your work for the common good, and the assurance of God’s favor as you offer your gifts for his glory.

I am so grateful for your work.

With much love,
Katie