The First Thursday of Lent: Noticing the Shape

The First Thursday of Lent: Noticing the Shape

Part I: The Invitation   Some truths are not announced. They are noticed. On the first Thursday of Lent, she begins to see what has always been there. The curve of light across the floor. The arc of branches. The quiet looping pattern beneath her feet. The labyrinth does not offer straight lines or measurable progress. It offers shape. Rhythm. Return. In noticing the shape of the path, she begins to notice the shape of her own heart.

Ash Wednesday: The Threshold

Part I: The Invitation Ash marks the beginning. On this Ash Wednesday, she stands at the edge of the labyrinth with cool gray dust still resting on her skin. The words "remember that you are dust" settle not as an accusation, but as an invitation. Dust as origin. Dust as honesty. Dust as grace. The path does not demand spectacle. It waits. In this opening chapter of Via Cordis, the first step is taken. Nothing dramatic happens. And yet everything begins. New chapters release daily throughout Lent.

Prologue: A Word for the Way

Before the path begins, there is a word. In this opening chapter of Via Cordis: The Way of the Heart, Julia Morris offers a quiet invitation into the season of Lent. This prologue holds the dedication and sets the tone for the journey ahead. Via Cordis is a story about walking slowly. About intention. About prayer that does not rush toward answers. About love that remains. In A Word for the Way, listeners are invited to lay down hurry and step gently into the rhythm of the heart. The road will unfold in time. For now, we begin with stillness. New chapters release daily through Easter.

Introduction: Before the Path

She had passed the labyrinth many times before. In this introduction to Via Cordis: The Way of the Heart, the journey begins not with movement, but with attention. Before Ash Wednesday. Before the first step. Before the turning inward. This chapter opens the space where Lent begins quietly. Not with crisis. Not with urgency. But with a gentle awareness that something is being asked. Not sacrifice alone. Not discipline for its own sake. But intention. In Before the Path, the decision to walk becomes the first act of faith. New chapters of Via Cordis release daily through Easter.

Welcome to Via Cordis: The Way of the Heart.

Welcome to Via Cordis: The Way of the Heart. In this opening episode, Julia Morris introduces the heart behind this Lenten novella and the rhythm of the season ahead. Via Cordis is a daily devotional story released from Ash Wednesday through Easter. Each episode follows one chapter of the journey, inviting listeners to walk slowly through Lent with intention, prayer, and presence. In this episode, Julia shares why she wrote Via Cordis, how the labyrinth became a quiet companion in the story, and how listeners can enter the season gently. She also introduces the companion Via Cordis Collection, with one color released each week from Ash Wednesday through Easter. This is a story rooted in prayer, fasting, surrender, and love that remains faithful through silence. Whether you are walking Lent closely or simply longing for a slower pace, you are welcome here. New episodes release daily beginning February 18th. Listen wherever you podcast.