Ash Wednesday
This year Easter is earlier than ever in our calendars and we began the season of Lent with Liturgies on Ash Wednesday. All staff and students were given an opportunity to receive ashes. Our ashes were blessed by Fr Casey from Kingsgrove parish and are made from the burnt palm leaves from Palm Sunday last year.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of the Christian season of Lent. Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, where we pray, act kindly and with mercy towards other people, give up things we enjoy and give to others, as we prepare to celebrate the great feast of Easter.
For 40 days, we accompany Jesus on his passionate journey to Calvary and we see the mercy he shows, despite his suffering. Like Jesus, we try to show mercy to others, just as God shows us mercy. During these 40 days, let us take time to reflect on our lives and say sorry for any wrongdoing. This repentance and reflection helps to lead us towards a meaningful Easter. In this very nature then, Lent is a time of hope as we renew our relationship with God.
These blessed ashes remind us that we belong to God and are preparing for Jesus’ death and resurrection. The ashes symbolise our need for repentance and renewal. The cross that is made on our forehead is a sign to remind us that just as Jesus gave of himself for others, we need to do the same. We need to live “Serviam” and be people of service for others in the world.
This Lent, we are also making our journey with families around the world living in poverty, especially those who are unable to earn enough money to have the basic things they need like an education, medicine, food or clothing. This year, over the next 40 days as we prepare for his death and resurrection, let us be motivated to give all of ourselves to Lent. Let us really give and be present “for all future generations” as Caritas urges us to do with Project Compassion.
This Lent, may we be blessed with a spirit of giving and sacrifice. May we be inspired not just to give something up, but to take something up in the service of others and in doing so live out our school motto of “Serviam”.
