Courage in Seasons of Change

Every year around this time, I notice a familiar pattern at work. Annual review season shows up, and people start asking the same questions underneath the formal conversations. Things like: Am I doing okay? Am I growing? What's coming next?

They aren't really work questions — they're human questions. They show up whenever life shifts, whether we want it to or not.

These questions follow us everywhere. They show up in our families, our routines, and our decisions. They show up in our parish life too.

Change has a way of pressing on us. It asks something from us. Most of the time, it asks for courage — not dramatic courage like in the movies, but a steady kind of courage that helps us take the next step.

The Holy Apostles knew this feeling well. Their lives changed constantly. They left their work behind to follow Christ. They watched their expectations rise and fall. They lived through the Cross, the Resurrection, and Pentecost — all major turning points. Nothing stayed the same for long.

Nevertheless, they kept going. Their courage didn't come from confidence or certainty. It came from trusting that Christ was with them in every transition, even when they didn't understand what was happening. As Christ tells them — and us — "Take courage; it is I. Do not be afraid" (Matthew 14:27).

Our parish is in its own season of change right now. Our building is changing drastically, and we are navigating the shifts of the building together. And just like in review season, the same questions surface: Are we doing enough? Are we ready? What if we don't know exactly how everything will unfold?

These questions aren't signs of weakness. They're completely normal. They're part of being human. They are also reminders that courage isn't about having everything figured out. It's about staying faithful to the next step in front of us.

One of the strengths of parish life is that we don't go through these seasons alone. We steady each other. We remind each other that God has been faithful to this community for decades, and He will continue to be faithful in the years ahead. The human connection matters. It's what makes change something we can face together instead of something we face on our own.

As we celebrate the Synaxis of the Holy Apostles, we remember that they weren't perfect. They weren't always ready. They weren't fearless. But they were willing. They kept showing up. They kept trusting. And through their steady courage, God built the Church.

My hope is that we can do the same. In this season of transition, we can meet change with the same grounded courage the Apostles showed — not dramatic, not idealized, just real. The kind that says: Christ is with us, and we can take the next step together.

Practicing Courage in Daily Life

Please join me in trying these simple ways to practice courage in our daily lives:

• Take things step by step. You don't always need the whole plan, sometimes all it takes is just focusing on the next thing you can do.

• Name what is uncertain. Saying it out loud reduces it's power.

• Ask for support. Courage grows in community, not in isolation.

• Stay present. Anxiety comes from jumping ahead too far.

• Let Christ in, answer the door he's knocking on.

With Love in Christ,

Maria

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 Originally published in the Holy Apostles E-bulletin. Subscribe here.