The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: Thinking about the Annunciation!

This week: We enter the Holy Triduum, the ‘worse before better’ anticipation before Easter. This time next week our Easter celebration will be in full swing. Someone once told me Holy Week is like Lent within Lent; that is, Holy Week is to Lent as Lent is to the rest of the year. It’s the last chance to do a bit of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. In that spirit, we’re sitting now on the edge of the end of Lent—looking back on it now, how has it been? Praying you’re coming out of it a little stronger for the experience!

As always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns from this past week? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

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God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We celebrated St. Joseph!

This week: Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Annunciation. I’ll keep it simple this week—the Annunciation was Mary accepting and surrendering to God’s will. The Annunciation is a feast of appreciation for her joyous Fiat, and one of reflection on our own lives. Where is God asking us to offer the same Fiat? Where are we resisting? What questions are we asking before we say yes? It need not be as earth shattering as that of Our Lady, but I always find it fruitfully confronting to reflect on where I might be resisting God’s work in my life.

As always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns from this past week? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

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God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We talked about how our Lent is going!

This week: Today is the feast of St. Joseph. It is apropos that this months post was about Humility, as St. Joseph seems to me to be the model of humility. He’s like the glass case that protects the precious gem—it’s job is accomplished in not being seen, but in being present. St. Joseph also has some incredible titles, like St. Joseph, Terror of Demons; St. Joseph, Light of the Patriarchs; St. Joseph, Head of the Holy Family. Today is a good day to give a spiritual nod to St. Joseph. Do you have a devotion to him? Do you have any thoughts about humility?

As always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns from this past week? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We talked about how we handle The Big News

This week: I don’t know about you but Lent has hit extra hard this week. Daylight Savings Time hit me like a truck—and I know some of our friends across the various ponds also have some manner of daylight savings but it’s not lined up with America so if you haven’t been clobbered yet I imagine you will soon. But more than that—I’ve been reflecting on my spiritual life and whether it’s all that good. A priest in the confessional will ask “Do you pray every day?” and I certainly do—but, this morning especially, as I struggled with my daily Rosary1, I wondered if I talk to God as much as I ought? How is your prayer life—do you pray every day? Do you talk to God every day?

Shout Out: did a more thorough writeup on the Church I use as the image for these Churchyard posts, which you can find at this link. The post is behind a paywall, but there may be an option for a free trial. Even if there isn’t, her newsletter is worth the money—she posts translations of rare books, Church History, Church crawling and architectural notes, and other interesting things you can’t find anywhere else. Give her newsletter, , a subscription!

As always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns from this past week? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We took our first progress report in the season of penance.

This week: We’ll check back in on everyone’s lent before March is out. Today I think it bears checking in on everyone and acknowledging that Big Things are moving in the world. For a newsletter aimed at reducing anxiety, I don’t talk about the news very much and with good reason: there’s not a lot about it we can control. Yet, it can’t be wholly ignored as it does create real anxiety and uncertainty and as this is an internationally read newsletter some of you may be more substantially affected than others. When the giants of the world step—how do you handle it? What keeps you sane? And importantly: How does it affect your prayer life? Do you take recourse deeper to prayer, or does prayer fall by the wayside? How would you like the PTD community to pray for you now?

And as always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns from this past week? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: Ash Wednesday! We have entered the desert.

This week: A blessed Lent to you all. How is lent going for you? Mine has already gone somewhat off the rails—I am reading the the Divine Comedy and getting a lot out of it. When I finish I will share some essays I’ve written which reflect on it, but anyway it has been brought home to me that I have some work to do which wasn’t on my Lenten List on Fat Tuesday. Is your lent going according to ‘plan’? Need any spiritual reinforcement? Let us know how we can pray for you through this desert!

And as always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: Our final chance to prepare for the season in which we now find ourselves!

This week: Lent has begun, with Ash Wednesday yesterday. We’re in it, we’re here. How’s everyone doing? One day in—deep breaths, folks, we’re in this. Today in my Missal I read from Isaias 38:1-6, where the King Ezechias weeps on his (seeming) deathbed, and God hears his prayer and grants him fifteen years of extended life. This is immediately followed by some Christological discourse, like the ‘voice crying out in the desert’ and the promise of a future shepherd to come in strength, or something to that effect (I am not referencing my source material here, to your detriment). Not really a point to that, just what I read this morning and it struck me some kinda way. How are you all doing? What have you read—scripturally or otherwise—that struck you?

PS: This has been a busy week at the Times-Dispatch. Catch up on Season Four with this month’s essay about Patience; or read my Ash Wednesday Letter from the Editor.

And as always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We talked about the onrushing season of Lent!

This week: Yesterday was the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and this week we were also treated to the feast of St. Scholastica. This is a rich season of the Liturgical Year, and our last weekend before Lent. How will you prepare? Anyone given any thought to their lenten practices yet? Let’s compare notes!

And as always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We talked about new beginnings which are out of season!

This week: This week was Candlemas and the feast of St Blaise, and in my Missal I was treated to a neat little lesson on the beginning of Septuagesima and how we begin (even before Ash Wednesday!) the long slide into Lent. I don’t feel ready to look at Lent yet, I’m still clinging to the newness of the year, but it will come eventually. Are you looking forward to Lent or are you like me and trying to pretend we have more time?

And as always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We talked about the weather! Thank you for the prayers—I survived snowmageddon, more or less in one piece. If you were affected by the weather, I hope you fared well!

This week: We recently wrapped up the accounting year for 2025 so now accounting-wise it’s 2026. I’m also kicking off my new season of writing at Gibberish, so it’s the new year a month late. New beginnings abound, it feels good even if it is unseasonable. What does February bring for you? Do you have a time of year that feels like a ‘new beginning’ even though it’s not really the beginning or even that new?

And as always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We talked about virtues, and the monthly post dropped announcing Season Four!

This week: Much of the USA is bracing to get clobbered by a massive snowstorm this weekend. Normally a routine disrupting event but nothing to write home about. I happen to be traveling this weekend, and it is not hard to anticipate that I will be stranded for a time as my usual accommodations are delayed or cancelled due to the unusual snowfall. This is a good opportunity to practice the things I’ve been talking about so often—surrender to God’s providence. I can’t control the weather, so I can’t worry about something I can’t control. But I can plan for the foreseeable. I’ll be ready whatever happens and try to be glad of God’s will for the weather and for me. Even so: I’d appreciate your prayers for me and for all stranded travelers who happen to get disrupted by the snow this weekend!

And as always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We talked about Epiphany, and didn’t talk about -gestures vaguely- any of that other stuff.

This week: Well today is the 15th so that means a new edition of the PTD will drop. Normally the Churchyard sends at 11am, but since it’s a double-day this post is earlier. Todays post is introducing a new series about the virtues. How do you think about the Virtues in terms of personal growth? Do you target one and spend a lot of time focusing on it, or do you more generally try to grow in virtue, broadly understood? What has worked for you? What has not?

And as always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention?

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We got back into the swing of things for the new year with the feast of Mary, the Mother of God!

This week: The octave of Epiphany stretches out before us. There’s a LOT happening in the news these days, it can’t have escaped your notice, but the Epiphany reminds us that Christ revealed himself to all nations, that His mission from the very beginning was to bring Himself to all nations and offer Himself as their spiritual food and drink. So—the news do be newsing, but we peasants gathered in the Churchyard, we can remember that Christ has come to give us strength, knowing that these exact days would be ours. Bearing all this in mind: How is everyone doing? What’s on your mind? How can we pray for you?

And as always—what are your 🌹 Roses and/or 🐝 Thorns? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead? Which Saints have caught your attention?

Leave a comment

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: …was Christmas, so didn’t do a thread. The week before, we did 🌹 Roses and 🐝 Thorns as usual, plus we talked about Christmas traditions!

This week: We celebrate the feast of Mary, the mother of God and the first day of a bright and shining new year. What are your hopes for the new year? Where do you want this day next year to find you in your faith life? When you reflect on the year just ended, where do you see God at work in your life? In the year to come—how can you try to be aware of this work in the moment? These are just questions to jog your thoughts, you don’t have to answer all or really any of them. These are things I think about, maybe it’s something you’ll find helpful to think about too.

Absent that, as always—what are you roses and thorns? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead?

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Happy new year my friends, may this day be a fresh start and this year one of growth for all of you!

God bless you!

AJPM

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We shared 🌹 Roses and 🐝 Thorns as usual, plus we talked about the end of the Jubilee!

This week: We’re getting closer and closer to Christmas, and I always like to take some time to ask about your Christmas Traditions! I’ve been Catholic for 7 Christmases and still don’t feel like I know what I’m doing, so I want to know what you do for Advent and Christmas to mark the season? How do you celebrate, what is a tradition you love to keep?

Absent that, as always—what are you roses and thorns? How can we pray for each other? What are your intentions for the week ahead?

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Next Thursday is Christmas, so there won’t be a thread—I’ll be praying for you all at my Christmas observances and I wish every blessing on you and yours!

God bless you!

AJPM

If you are primarily an email subscriber, you may or may not be aware that, until last week, every Thursday I posted an Office Hours thread in the Subscriber chat on the Substack App.

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

Last Week: We shared some roses and thorns!

This week: The upcoming edition of the Peasant Times-Dispatch is a retrospective on the Jubilee Year and (mostly) reflections on forgiveness. I nearly forgot this was a Jubilee year—looking back on this year, how has the Jubilee affected your faith life? What’s something you can do in these waning days of the next year to start the year with a clean slate?

That aside, if you have roses and thorns let’s hear those too—how can we pray for you?

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Thanks for your prayers from last week, I’m looking forward to chatting with you all in the comments below!

God bless you!

AJPM

If you are primarily an email subscriber, you may or may not be aware that every Thursday I post an Office Hours thread in the Subscriber chat on the Substack App.

A subscriber brought to my attention the fact that the UK recently passed a law, a side effect of which is requiring age verification of Substack users in order to access the subscriber chat. I don’t want to leave anyone out, and frankly I’ve been pondering if there’s a good way to make the Office Hours a little more visible, so we’re bringing it out of the chat and into a regular, weekly post. This is that post: The Churchyard.

The Churchyard is for you—or rather, it’s for us. This is the place where we peasants gather, coming and going as convenient for us, sharing the news of the day, asking for prayers and offering to pray. Want to talk about theology? Read some noteworthy headline? Have a life event you’d like to share? The community here are proven prayer warriors so we’d love to talk to you about it.

The Times-Dispatch is all about trying to reduce anxiety about the world leveraging the peasantly lens, so if you are feeling troubled, we are here to pray for you and try to share some real world wisdom for the real world life of being Catholic layfolk.

This week: Let’s share some roses and thorns! Roses: good news, wins, celebrations you’d like to share. Thorns: Bad news, prayer requests, troubles and anxieties for which you’d like us to pray.

Thanks for your prayers from the last Office Hours chat thread, I’m looking forward to chatting with you all in the comments below!

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God bless you!

AJPM