Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. We will be writing Lenten promises that will be used to create ashes on Shrove Tuesday. Students and staff will be attending an Ash Wednesday liturgy on Wednesday afternoon. Foundation students will be conducting their own simple distribution of Ashes on Thursday morning.

The following reflection is by Michael McGirr from the Caritas website caritas.org.au/project-compassion:

It is curious that this year Ash Wednesday happens to fall on the same day as St Valentine’s Day. This doesn’t happen very often.

We all know that real love is about more than the good times. It is a commitment to grow together and encounter each other more and more deeply, even when the going is tough.

There are legends about St Valentine but it’s not clear who he may have been. The chances are, however, that he was a martyr in the early period of the Christian story. He knew that love meant sacrifice. Love lays down its own life to give life to others.

Ash Wednesday is the perfect day to think about love. We don’t see flowers in church and we are asked to eat modestly. On Ash Wednesday, we begin our journey towards our observance and celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. The cross of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of how profoundly God loves the world. Lent is a time when we are also asked to consider how authentically we make God’s love visible to others.

Each year, through Project Compassion, Caritas Australia offers us a significant opportunity to become ambassadors for Christ. The prophet Joel says, ‘Why should it be said among nations, “Where is their God?”’ In other words, we must try to live the message of Jesus, which is one of justice, compassion, inclusion and extravagant love.

Ash Wednesday's Psalm is a reminder that God speaks through us:

Give me again the joy of your help,

With a spirit of fervour sustain me,

O Lord, open my lips,

And my mouth shall declare your praise.

PRAYER

We pray for all who are trying to rise from the ashes in their lives.

May our support for Project Compassion remind us that now is the time to turn to the Lord with all our hearts and embrace the needs of God’s whole family.

Amen

Jess Wilson and Ally Brennan

Religious Education Leaders

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