In Lent we begin our journey to the great feast of Easter. That journey begins in ashes today and ends in light at the East Vigil. Fire is a profound part of our national experience. We know its power to destroy, blacken and reduce to ash. We know that evil can do the same - destroy our wholeness of spirit, blacken our lives and reduce the beauty of human life to so much dust.

We begin Lent in the ash of acknowledging our own part in harbouring, creating and doing evil - those places in our hearts where the fire of anger, bitterness, selfishness or narrowness of mind and heart has left nothing but cold ash.

The ash is also a reminder that our true life is not found in mortal things which eventually turn to dust, but in eternal things. We also know that out of ash new life can bud, grow strong, bloom into fullness - that’s the Easter miracle.

In Lent we allow ourselves to be tempted out of the ash of selfishness and narrowness of heart and into a life of open hearted goodness. We celebrate God’s graciousness to us by sharing what we have with those in need whether it be food, wealth, time, love, friendship or compassion. That’s what it means to ‘repent and believe the Good News’.
So our penance is not a self-imposed punishment for sinfulness. It is a sign of our gratitude to God for the forgiveness and healing we receive in Christ.

Whatever form our penance takes it should always result in a benefit for others. For example, our self- examination might lead us to know what we need to fast from in order to live better. Perhaps we need to fast from being so critical of each other so that others are spared our negativity; perhaps from too much work in order to be with those we love more; perhaps from our ceaseless activity so that we can put a little breath back into our lives, to spend a little more time becoming aware of God’s presence, making us easier people to live with.

You can download and print our prayers and reflections for Ash Wednesday:

default Celebrating At Home Ash Wednesday [PDF]                   
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