From the Chaplain 

Ash Wednesday | Week Five, 2 March

The shops are already well prepared for Easter, with Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, hot cross buns and other bits of what I call ‘tat’.  This Wednesday, 2 March is Ash Wednesday.  This day marks the beginning of the Lenten period, which is 46 days before Easter Sunday.  These 46 days are meant to replicate the time that Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days (weekends are not included).  

The season of Lent is for Christians to remember Jesus’ death by giving something up in order to focus more on God.  For some people this might mean fasting from food, for either the whole time, for weekends only or for the day only.  Others may choose to fast from a certain food such as coffee, alcohol or sugar, where some people will choose to fast from things such as Netflix, TV or going out.  

This Wednesday we would normally have a visiting Minister or Priest from the community who would come and speak to some of the students about what Ash Wednesday means. We would then give any students or staff who wanted one, a sign of the cross on their forehead with the ashes. Unfortunately this cannot be done this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

Traditionally the Priest would specially prepare the ashes by burning the previous year’s Palm Sunday leaves.  The ashes would be blessed and then used to mark a cross on the foreheads of the people. The Priest would say, ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’ 

Adam was made from the dust of the earth and then God breathed the ‘breath of life’ into him. The Priest’s sentence reminds us that we would not be here if it was not for God.  He breathed life into all of us and one day the believers will return to him. We are to take this Lenten time to repent, think about God and spend more time with him. 

At the end of the 46 days of fasting, there is a joyous event of celebrating on Easter Sunday.  The day that Jesus rose from the dead.  Is there anything you feel you should give up before the Easter celebrations? 

Mrs Naomi Cooper | Chaplain