Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Season
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the liturgical Church season known as Lent and this year falls on 2 March.
On Ash Wednesday, we come together to focus our heart on repentance and prayer - both personal and communal.
Like the people of the Old Testament, we need to remind ourselves that we do not always follow God’s ways and that we need to ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness.
We wear ashes to remind ourselves that our life on this earth is finite (You are dust, and to dust you shall return - Genesis 3:19) and as an outward sign of our willingness to turn away from whatever keeps us from God; to have a change of heart, so that we can live in peace and in joy with God and with each other.
As described in the Gospels, following his baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert, where he fasted for forty days and was subject to temptation by Satan.
To honour this sacrifice and conquest over the devil, Catholics and other Christians elect to set aside the season of Lent to refocus on Jesus.
During the next 40 days of Lent (not including Sundays) we journey together as a Catholic community to prepare our hearts and lives for the new hope that we are promised at Easter.
Lent is a time for examining our hearts and being willing to make changes by being better people. We can do this by: Praying, Fasting and Almsgiving.
Praying, Fasting and Almsgiving are the cornerstones of Lent, and Jesus tells us within today’s Gospel reading that they should not be done merely for personal gain or status. Rather, when we take the time to pray, fast and give to others, it should be done in consideration of the good of others and in honouring God.
When we go to pray, find a quiet place where you can be one with God. Explore things like Eucharistic Adoration which can be so useful for your prayer life.
Fasting gives us the opportunity to sacrifice something that will help us to cleanse ourselves of clutter.
Giving alms challenges us to give without counting the cost, especially to those who are most vulnerable without acknowledgment.
Project Compassion
As part of our wider Catholic community our College also supports Caritas Australia to challenge ourselves to aspire to be more, to be a voice for the voiceless, and support the needs of those locally and within a global family.
Each Homeroom has a Project Compassion box and all staff and students are encouraged to be generous in their giving to support the projects and communities that Caritas Australia works with. This work enables communities to live sustainably.
When we as a College partake in Project Compassion, we are bringing to life the College values of ‘Promoting justice and service to others’ and ‘Respecting the dignity of each person.’
May we the Corpus Christi College community make Jesus real by putting our faith into action during this Lenten season as we give generously.