Can you please introduce yourself?
I am Martin Lewis, Diocesan Director for Brisbane and Toowoomba; husband, father, grandfather, ordained permanent deacon for the Brisbane Archdiocese, cricket tragic and loyal supporter of the Brisbane Broncos!
As we enter the season of Lent and mark Ash Wednesday, can you share why this season is important and what it means for our sisters and brothers around the world?
As we receive the ashes, we remember that Lent is a season of return, returning to God, to one another, and to the heart of the Gospel. It invites our whole human family into prayer, fasting and almsgiving, so that the life of Christ may grow in us and flow through us to our sisters and brothers around the world, especially those carrying heavy burdens of poverty, displacement or loneliness. Lent reminds us that conversion is never private; it always ripples outward in love.
What does this season mean to you personally, both in your ministry as a deacon and in your family life?
As a deacon, I experience Lent through the prism of service, listening more deeply to God’s Word and to the needs of our communities and letting that listening shape practical care. In our family life, Lent is quieter and simpler: fewer screens, more shared meals, and small acts of kindness we choose together. We keep Fridays for simple meals and prayer for those who go without; we set a visible jar for alms, adding not only coins but notes naming people and places we’re holding in prayer.
How does the season of Lent invite us to deepen our sense of mission, and what teachings or simple actions can help families live this out in their daily lives?
Lent deepens mission by aligning our daily habits with Jesus’ self-giving love. Simple actions help: a daily Gospel reading, one intentional act of mercy, a phone call to someone forgotten, and a weekly review, “Where did we notice Christ today?”
Drawing on your own journey, what encouragement would you offer to families who may feel stretched or uncertain as they begin their Lenten journey this year?
If you feel stretched or uncertain, start small and start together. God honours desire, not perfection. Choose one practice, keep it gently, and trust that grace does the heavy lifting. Christ walks this path with us, step by step, heart to heart.
