On a quiet Ash Wednesday morning, Mara steps into a chapel she hasn’t entered in years—carrying grief, doubt, and the weight of silence. What she finds is not judgment, but a gentle invitation: to be honest, to be still, and to begin again.

This original Lenten story from The Radio Reading Room explores the quiet courage of returning, the healing power of ritual, and the way Lent invites us to loosen what no longer serves us. A contemplative tale for anyone walking through the wilderness of their own heart.

Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.