There’s a strange yet compelling paradox in this quote from Lewis. In it, he introduces the tension between pain and presence. We spend so much time trying to avoid discomfort, yet time and again it becomes the place where our illusions fall away and something more honest, more human, more real begins to emerge. Not despite our wounds, but through them.

Hope isn’t meant to be carried alone. In the face of suffering, like the L.A. fires, the work of recovery demands more than practical aid—it calls for compassion, attentiveness, and companionship. Despair thrives in isolation, but hope is nurtured in relationship. Whether offering or receiving support, these moments of connection reveal God’s presence, transforming pain into possibility. How have you experienced or shared companionship this week?

Every new year begins with a sunrise—a quiet, ordinary moment brimming with light and hope. Thomas Merton reminds us that ‘we are all walking around shining like the sun,’ yet the sacredness of these everyday moments often goes unnoticed. What would change if we paused to recognize the divine in the ordinary? This year, may we open our hearts to the Preaching Moments that surround us, letting our light shine and transforming our daily encounters into sacred connections.