Ash Wednesday

So here we are at the start of another Lent.

This morning we celebrated Ash Wednesday in St. Columba's with a Holy Communion Service.

For those who have not been to a Church of Ireland Ash Wednesday Service it is quite a solemn act of worship. It follows a slightly different structure than our normal Holy Communion service

The Introduction to the service - describes what is happening very well

Brothers and sisters in Christ: since early days Christians have observed

with great devotion the time of our Lord's passion and resurrection. It

became the custom of the Church to prepare for this by a season of penitence and fasting.

At first this season of Lent was observed by those who were preparing

for baptism at Easter and by those who were to be restored to the

Church's fellowship from which they had been separated through sin. In

course of time the Church came to recognize that, by a careful keeping

of these days, all Christians might take to heart the call to repentance and

the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel, and so grow in

faith and in devotion to our Lord.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Lord to observe a holy Lent,

by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial;

and by reading and meditating on God's holy word.

What are you doing for Lent?