Rector’s Reflections

March 15, 2026

Dear People of God,

 How quickly we have marched into March! Spring is officially beginning in one week. How is my Lenten journey progressing? Remember – “The greatest success in life is NOT in never falling down. The greatest success in life is getting up every time you fall.“ (Coach Vince Lombardi, former head coach of the Green Bay Packers.)

As our Lenten journey continues, I share this marvelous story with you. Read and pass it on…

Are You a Carrot, an Egg, or a Coffee Bean?

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how hard things were. She did not know how she would make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved, another arose. 

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon, the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots. In the second, she placed eggs, and in the last, she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. About 20 minutes later, she turned off all the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them into a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them into a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee into a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me, what do you see?”

“Carrot, eggs, and coffee,” she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it all mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity—boiling water—but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting; however, after being boiled, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting in the boiling water, its inside hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they changed the water. “Which are you?” she asked her daughter.  “When adversity knocks at your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I?  Am I a carrot that seems strong, but when faced with pain and adversity, do I wilt, become soft, and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Do I have a fluid spirit, but after death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened?  Does my shell look the same, but on the inside, I become bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?  

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstances that bring the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are at their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity?

So I ask you: “Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

Through prayer, may our hearts become more like Christ.

Blessings on the Lenten journey, 

Fr. Greg 

P.S. I need your support! Every 3 years, we invite you, our Faith Community, to complete the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) Parish Survey to measure how well we support your faith journey. The survey closes on Tuesday, March 31, so the deadline is only a couple of weeks away. Your input provides important information that determine the priorities for me and the Cathedral staff. Please take the 15-20 minutes to complete the survey: go to tinyurl.com/HNCdmi or scan the QR code.