How Parables Change Us At its simplest, a parable is a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life. It arrests the hearer by its strangeness and leaves us with a new understanding of our reality. Join us for a conversation about parables and how, if we really listen, we can be challenged to grow in faith as we launch into Lent 2024. Group Leader: Dr. Patrick Donovan is the director of the Institute for Catholic Formation. He is an author, theologian, teacher, and, above all, a husband and father.