Faith and Forgiveness
- Amanda Purcell Lauer
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
My short story "Lent Royal & Ancient" in the Catholic Teen Books Lent-themed anthology is a companion story to my novel Royal & Ancient. I wrote it to expand on the relationship between our female protagonist, Bronwyn, our male protagonist, Iain, and his sister, Morag. The story depicts the observation of Lent in the Highlands of Scotland in 1692.
Lent in the 17th century was observed more strictly than it is today. Learning about these ancient practices and how Catholics lived out their faith, despite living under the threat of persecution for being “papists,” inspires modern readers to appreciate the faith we share and the sacrifices made over the centuries to hand the faith down to us from our ancestors.
Another aspect of this short story is the depiction of mental health issues and how little was understood about these issues at that time. In her attempt to help Morag deal with what appears to be depression, Bronwyn has a revelation about her own mother and her struggles with that. This discovery leads her to Confession, which, in turn, leads to forgiveness.
Reflection questions: Have you ever found yourself judging someone based on your own conclusions about them, even if your conclusions are unfounded? How would the world change if every person were given a little grace, and we let the judging be up to God?
Join us on March 12 th as author Ellen Gable reflects on her story, No Greater Love.
About the author: An avid reader and history buff since childhood, Amanda Lauer is the author of the award-winning YA Heaven Intended Civil War series, and the time-travel novels, Anything But Groovy and Royal & Ancient. Amanda and her husband John have been married more than 40 years, have four married adult children, and eight precious grandchildren.
Comments