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Archive for the category “LITURGY”

19 Apr 2025

HOLY SATURDAY AND EASTER SUNDAY

Having  completed our Lenten observance and after the liturgies of Holy Thursday and Good Friday we  are now getting ready to celebrate the Easter Vigil on the day of resurrection that is Easter Sunday. The Church and its people have  only one thing to do today: to pray through the emptiness of Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday is the day when we experience watching and waiting at the tomb as we await the celebration of the Resurrection which we celebrate in the Easter Vigil, easter Sunday and the season of Easter.Holy Saturday is about emptiness, the cross is empty and Jesus lies in the tomb everything around us is still.  It’s not hard for us to share Mary’s sense of emptiness and bewilderment when she arrives at the tomb.

If we were to read the next few verses from John’s Gospel, we would read a story of overwhelming joy as Mary Magdalen meets the risen Jesus. When Jesus speaks her name, Mary recognises him and sadness and emptiness give way to joyful reunion. It’s a story of transformation   how things can change when we meet the risen Jesus. The Psalm for Easter Sunday says, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Above all days, Easter Sunday   is a day of hope filled joy. At Easter and throughout the Easter season we celebrate the kind of hopeful joy each of us longs for, when every tear is wiped away, and there is no sorrow and no more suffering. When we ourselves rise to meet our risen Lord, in that bright morning we will hear him say, “Come away, beloved. The winter is past; the rain is gone, and the flowers return to the earth” (Song of Songs 2:10-12).

In the loving union of that encounter, all the  brokenness  of our lives will be redeemed. That will be the perfect  joy we hope for.  Let us take fresh hope,  with Christ our Passover everything is possible!  Jesus Christ lives! He has Risen as he said he would and his light lights up our world.  During the Easter Vigil we light the Easter fire and from that fire we have light the Paschal Candle.  Our Gospel story for the vigil tells us that we should not look for Jesus among the dead for he has risen and the light of Christ lights up the darkness of our lives and our world.  The resurrection of Jesus is a proclamation that this outcast from Galilee is the beloved Son of God who cannot be held in the darkness of death because he was raised by God his father.

All of us believe that God’s work continues not least because we believe Jesus’ words: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Our celebration of the Easter Season begins with our celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday with the Vigil on Holy Saturday evening during which we welcome and baptize Adult converts to the faith   Then  on Easter morning  we celebrate our Easter masses as we renew our baptismal promises and don’t forget that the feast of Easter continues until Pentecost.  So full of gratitude for Christ’s passion, with joy in his resurrection and, strengthened by the Spirit, we continue our Christian journey of joyful hope this Easter time.

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18 Apr 2025

GOOD FRIDAY

The origin of this day is traced back to Jerusalem and the veneration of the relic of the true cross.  This act of veneration stressed the cross as a symbol of victory.  In our good Friday Liturgy it is not the veneration of a crucifix, which would narrow it down to the historical moment of Jesus’ suffering and death.  Instead we venerate the Cross it is the sign of Jesus death on Good Friday.  On this day in the liturgy we read St. Johns account of the passion, we pray for the needs of the Church and the world, we venerate the Cross and we receive the blessed Eucharist.  When we think of the death of Jesus on the cross we realise that his death was a result of the courage of his convictions. He lived his life with a message of compassion and love, Jesus was often critical of those who lorded it over those who were less well off or who had little or even nothing at all.

The cross of Good Friday is a sign that all of us recognise, it is a sign of the completeness of the love that God has for each one of us faults and failings included.  It is not accidental that the Passion according to John is always read on this day.  This account shows that Jesus is always in charge, in total command of his situation.  John’s Passion is an extended commentary on an earlier statement of Jesus found in John 10:17-18:  “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”    The focus of the liturgy of Good Friday, is not primarily a meditation on Jesus’ pain, nor on our sinfulness, or our imitation of Jesus’ humility.  Instead  the focus on the cross as a reminder that we are beneficiaries of this event here and now in our own time. The final words of Jesus from the cross say it all for us, “It is accomplished!”  Jesus was not overcome. On the contrary!  He has overcome and the fact that we are celebrating Good Friday in 2025 bears witness to this.  When we go up to venerate the cross we should allow the cross to move us to be better people. Consoling, comforting and challenging the people we meet with the hope filled values of Jesus and the Cross.

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16 Apr 2025

Mass of the Lords Supper

Lent has ended and now we begin the Holy Week Triduum for the Holy Year of Hope. There is a saying that hope springs eternal and in the Holy Week Triduum we celebrate  the hope of Holy Thursday we go to the despair of Good Friday and then on Easter Sunday we  go back to the greatest hope that all of us have that is the resurrection. The word Triduum is the Latin for the three days Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. We should not think of the liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil as three separate events, all three form part of one single extended liturgy. In fact at the end of the Mass on Holy Thursday there is no dismissal and blessing instead we accompany Jesus to the Altar of repose and then leave in silence. In the same way there is no formal beginning and end to the Good Friday liturgy we enter in silence and again we leave in silence.

This three-day liturgy concludes with the solemn blessing at the end of the Easter Vigil or at the morning Mass on Easter Sunday.  On Holy Thursday In the first reading from exodus we hear about the blood sacrifice on the door posts a sign that the people inside would be spared, freed from slavery and death. The death of Jesus becomes the Christian Passover, the sign of gods liberating love. We hear Paul’s account of the institution of the Eucharist in the second reading when he tells us this is what I have learned from the Lord and I am passing it on to you.  These readings make us aware that the institution of the Eucharist is tied to the demand of mutual love  and respect for one another.  On this day  we act out Jesus’ command by participating in the foot washing.  When supper had ended, Jesus took water in a basin and a towel and began to wash his disciples’ feet. He then commanded his disciples to follow his example by giving such loving service to others. Following the celebration of the Eucharist, we move in procession  with the Blessed Sacrament to the  chapel Of reservation there we keep watch up to midnight.  

On Holy Thursday we all bring our different stories here to the table of the Lord.  And we know there will be times when we will be sore, hurt and wounded; when there will be no one to talk away the terrors of the night; when we will occupy the garden of grief alone.  But Jesus has already travelled that road and stands with us. The liturgy on Holy Thursday evening is a meditation on the essential connection between the Eucharist and Christian love expressed in serving one another. Christ is not only present in the Eucharist but also in the deeds of loving kindness offered to others through us. We are the ones who make ‘real’ the presence of Jesus in every smile, kind word and loving action. As I said at the beginning hope springs eternal and we are called to be people of hope filled faith who look out for one another, people who follow Jesus  example by giving such loving service to others. It’s not just about “me” It’s about “us” and our hopeful journey of faith during these days of Holy Week and Easter and beyond as we go on into the future.  

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11 Apr 2025

PALM SUNDAY

This Sunday is Palm Sunday when Jesus entered Jerusalem his own city. From the ashes of Ash Wednesday we have almost gone through our annual observance of Lent with three more days to come as we head towards Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday the Easter Triduum. On Palm Sunday, we celebrate our Lord’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem where he was welcomed by crowds worshipping him and laying down palm leaves before him. In the Roman Empire people used palm branches and other greenery as a sign of welcome and respect as important people entered their towns and cities.  The Gospels record that this is what many people in Jerusalem did for Jesus as they proclaimed him as the messiah. Palm Sunday  also marks the beginning of Holy Week, with the hope of Holy Thursday the sorrow of Good Friday and then the triumph of the  resurrection  on Easter Sunday.

As we end the season of Lent it isn’t really the end as we all know that events of the first Holy Week were the beginning and here we are in 2025 remembering  the life changing events that took place during the first holy week.  So now in the context of faith we stop and ponder where our Lenten journey has taken us and what Holy Week is about.  It is simply not just about the death of Jesus on Calvary it is about a great deal more and the cross is one of the central parts of this week.  The first reading from Isaiah, speaks about prophet’s unwavering faith in God’s help and faithfulness in times of struggle, opposition and ridicule, and his determination to continue proclaiming God’s message despite the challenges he faced. “I have set my face like flint” set my face against the beatings and scourging that lie ahead, “knowing that I shall not be put to shame.”  The second reading highlights the humility and obedience of Jesus in his sacrifice for humanity, emphasizing his willingness to empty himself and become a servant, ultimately submitting to death on the cross. The passage calls for believers to follow Jesus’ example of humility and service, recognizing him as Lord and King of all. In the Gospel we hear the how the crowd goes from rejoicing and singing Hosanna to the Son of David to calling out crucify him, crucify him.

The entrance into Jerusalem is one of the very few events in Jesus’ life which is mentioned in all four gospels.  It is the only time that Jesus accepts and encourages public acclaim as Messiah even at that time it wasn’t really about him it was about doing his father’s will.  He even goes as far as organising his entrance by telling the disciples to go and fetch the donkey.  The key moment in God’s great plan of salvation is about to begin and Jesus knows exactly how it will unfold and where he will end up.  As we reflect upon the story of Jesus going up to Jerusalem we recommit ourselves to Jesus and his message of salvation.  On Palm Sunday we feel a certain amount of embarrassment when we cry out “Crucify Him” with the palm branches still in our hands. It reminds us of our own fickle responses and our lack of courage in responding to Gods love for us. Yet as we know it was all our  sins that brought Jesus to Calvary. Holy Week is a time for us to realize what we are like, and to find that the only remedy for our fears is the love of God shown to us through Jesus his Son.   As we listen to the Passion story we are called to respond as God’s family, we are called to look out for one another. It’s not just about “me” It’s about “us” and our hope filled journey of faith. Our journey is one of hope and love so let us not be afraid to go into the hope and love of Holy Thursday and the sorrow of Good Friday so that we will be able to celebrate the bright light that is  Jesus resurrection at Easter.

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04 Apr 2025

5th Sunday of Lent

In the first reading God, who controls nature and armies, urges us to forget the past and see His new works: providing for His chosen people, made to praise Him. The exiled people of Israel felt that God had forgotten them, but the prophet Isiah was sent to assure them that God was still concerned for them and would rescue them. The Israelites returned to Jerusalem to make a new beginning in faithful service to God. In the second reading everything is considered a loss compared to knowing Christ. Righteousness comes from faith, not law. Striving to know Christ’s power and share His sufferings, we press on towards eternal life with Him. Paul had placed all his dependence on the Law of Moses until Christs call changed the foundations of his life. He began putting all his trust in Christ.

This Sunday in our Gospel story we hear about the woman who was caught in adultery and we hear Jesus telling us ‘If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Jesus did not deny the Scribes and Pharisees the right to carry out this prescription of the Law, but he insisted on one condition, namely, that they have no sin on their consciences. “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” So many of us today are like the Pharisees in that we are prepared to lift the stone and be the first person to throw it despite our own shortcomings. This story is about so much more than throwing the stones it is really about God’s mercy towards the woman and by association God’s mercy to us. When Jesus and the woman were left alone, he looked up and said, “Woman, where are they?” Ironically, the self-righteous observers of the Law, so eager to throw stones, could not measure up to the requirement that Jesus had laid down and all of them had left.  After they had gone, Jesus lifted up his eyes to the woman looking at her with the eyes of gentleness; he asks her, ‘Has no one condemned you?’ She replies, ‘No one, Lord.’ And he says, ‘Neither do I condemn you.

What does this say to you and me today as so many of us are prepared to throw stones of condemnation at so many people and of course there are also people who would throw stones at us as well.  This gospel teaches us that we should consider what we say and do and their effect on other people. Sometimes the things that we say can be more hurtful than any stones we might throw especially in today’s world of Facebook, Twitter and instant communication. If we remember what Jesus tells us when he says let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw the stone then we won’t go far wrong. The simple truth whether we like it or not is all of us are sinners and none of us are in a position to throw the stone even though we might think we are! The woman caught in adultery expected to die as the Law of Moses prescribed. Through the mercy of Jesus she was able to make a new beginning, her sins forgiven. By the mercy of Jesus  we are also called to our own new beginning. Then, like Paul, we have to forget the past and put our trust in Jesus, crucified and risen again. This new beginning is often difficult, but our strength is in Christ in the eucharist the bread of life. The Gospels of the last two Sundays were parables about God’s forgiveness and tender care in nurturing us back to life. We are called, not to be judges, but people who show God’s compassion and mercy to others.  As we continue our Journey  of hope let us ask the Lord to show us his merciful hopeful way as we head towards the life giving events of Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

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29 Mar 2025

4th Sunday of Lent

This weekend we celebrate the fourth Sunday of Lent In the First Reading  Israel enters the promised land they celebrate the Passover in their new home which gives them food from its soil and rest from their wandering. The Israelites celebrated Passover at Gilgal and ate the produce of Canaan. The manna ceased, and they no longer had manna as they ate the land’s produce. In the Second Reading Paul tells the Corinthian church that anyone who lives in Christ is a new creation. They are ambassadors for Christ whom God uses to call others to reconciliation. God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the message of reconciliation.

We are called to be  reconciled to God through Christ. In the Gospel we hear the story of the Prodigal Son, the contrast between the two brothers is quite sharp. After wasting his share of his father’s fortune the younger brother recognizes the mistakes he has made and returns home looking for the mercy of his father when he says: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son” (Lk 15: 18-19, 21).  The older brother takes a different sort of attitude one of arrogance not only towards his brother but also towards his father! His scolding is in great contrast with the tenderness of the father who comes out of the house and goes to meet him to ask him to go into the house (Lk 15: 20, 28) The big question that we should ask ourselves when we hear this story is what does God do when we turn away from him like the younger son in the Gospel?  He does exactly the same as the Father in the gospel story did he waits and when we return he goes out to meet the returning Son or Daughter with endless love as the psalms put it  great is his love, love without end.

The gospel story of the Prodigal Son is an image of God the Father who invites us to experience his love and return when we go far away from him as he gives us a second chance, Of course being given a second chance is not always fair or just and we see this from the reaction of the older son who complains in a big way about his Father not giving him something to celebrate with his friends. When we look at ourselves we can probably see parts of each of the three characters in us. There is the part of the father who has a keen eye for those who are lost and a good nose for when a party is needed. There is the part of the younger son who which wants to grab everything we can and try everything we shouldn’t. And there is the part of the elder brother which makes other people pay for our loveless fidelity. All three characters are within us, competing to shape the lives we lead when it should be our father in heaven shaping our lives.  This gospel Is all about second chances we remember that second chances are invitations to move forward with hope In our hearts as we leave our old selves behind.

May we not be afraid as pilgrims of hope to come back for we will be received like the Prodigal Son with open arms. like the Father in the Gospel story god will come out to meet us for his compassion and love is without measure.

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22 Mar 2025

3rd Sunday of Lent

We  are at the third Sunday of Lent and I really cannot believe that we are at this point in our journey.  During this time there are  many recurring themes but the one we hear most about is repentance change and coming back. In our first reading from Exodus Moses encounters God in a burning bush at Horeb. Instructed to remove his sandals on holy ground, he is tasked to rescue Israelites from Egypt, armed with God’s name, “I AM.” In the responsorial psalm  we  praise the Lord for His kindness: forgiving sins, healing diseases, rescuing lives, and crowning us with love. He is righteous, merciful, and gracious, with boundless mercy.

In the second reading from 1 Corinthians Our forefathers, guided by a cloud and sea, were baptized into Moses, shared spiritual sustenance, and drank from Christ, the spiritual rock. Their failures in the wilderness warn us against evil and complacency especially today with all we see going on around us and in the world. In our Gospel reading for this Sunday Jesus urges those who are listening to him to use the time that is available for repentance. In the parable of the fig-tree it is stressed that the time will come for a last chance  for us to bear fruit.  This parable is a wakeup call and it tells us that this is a favourable time to make the changes we have been putting off and know we must do in order to bear spiritual fruit. The gardener asked the owner of the vineyard to give the barren fig tree another chance to produce fruit. He promised to dig around it and manure it, to give it one last chance to prove itself. So it is with us God gives us this annual time of Lent to prove ourselves as there are many things in our lives that we need to change.  It is a time for us to consider our way of living our lives and what it means to be a Christian. It is a time when the word of the Lord will lift us up and encourage us to blossom and bear spiritual fruit.

People and societies that live without ever questioning themselves have ruin as their only destination. Conversion, on the other hand, while not preserving us from problems and misfortunes, allows us to face the problems that arise  in a different “way”. When we die to sin we identify ourselves in a real and concrete way with the redemptive power of Christ who died on the cross and rose again at Easter.  Our calling, is to be strong, giving witness to our faith as we go forward to Holy Week and Easter  so that others will see and know what we believe and as a result of our example they might even have the courage to take up the challenge that Jesus gives to all of us to follow him as pilgrims of hope during this year.

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15 Mar 2025

2nd Sunday of Lent

This weekend on the 2nd Sunday of Lent we think about how God is working in our lives and how we can let ourselves be transformed by the presence of . In the First Reading God promised Abram countless descendants and the land from Egypt to the Euphrates. Abram believed, and God made a covenant with him, marked by a ritual with animal sacrifices. The responsorial Psalm tells us that The Lord is our  light and salvation. We seek His presence and help, trusting we will see His goodness in the land of the living. In the second reading: we are told to Imitate those who follow Christ. Many focus on earthly things and face destruction. Our citizenship is in heaven, and Jesus will transform us.   Those who Stand firm in the Lord will not be shamed.

In the Gospel reading we hear about Jesus going up the mountain taking Peter James and John, with him and there they hear the voice of the Father identifying  Jesus as “my beloved Son.”  During Lent Jesus invites us to make a journey in  fact our lives if lived in faith should be an exciting journey from the moment we arrive in the world until we get to the pearly gates when we die. During Lent we explore the great depths of God’s love for us as we try to move and live in God’s Spirit as we climb the mountain of the Lord.  Every Lent our prayer and hope is to rise again from the ashes of our sins. Every year we take a journey through penance, self-discipline, prayer, and  good works that lead all of us to the refreshing baptismal waters of Easter. For many members of the RCIA their journey began last Sunday in the cathedral churches and they continue the journey to their Baptism at Easter as Catechumens over the next few weeks. The  Catechumens are led to the sacraments of initiation by means of the rite of election and enrolment  that took place on the first Sunday of Lent then the scrutinies and catechesis follow on the Sundays of lent.

The faithful, listening more intently to the word of God and devoting themselves to prayer accompany them on their journey. Then all of us the baptised who are continuing our own faith journeys renew our baptismal promises at the Easter Masses and bless ourselves with the Easter holy water.This Sunday’s Gospel completes the ‘little parable’ formed by the Gospels of the first two Sundays of Lent. These Gospel readings tell us what Lent and the Christian life is about: that is a journey from temptation and doubt to transfiguration and faith. This is a journey that takes us away from being tempted to allowing ourselves to do good by the action of God’s Holy Spirit within us.  The god who spoke to the disciples on the mountain also speaks to us and directs all of us to Jesus. The voice of the Father also  instructs us  to “listen to him” may we listen and take note of what he is saying and not be afraid to do what he asks of us especially during this Holy Year when we journey together as pilgrims of hope.

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08 Mar 2025

1St Sunday of Lent

On the First Sunday of Lent having placed the ashes on our heads on Ash Wednesday we have embarked on our annual time of renewal. In every area of our lives there is an ongoing need for mending, renewing and refocusing. Lent is the annual spring clean of our spiritual lives renewing our faith as a preparation for celebrating the faith giving events of Holy Week and Easter. In the first reading  Moses instructs the people to offer their first  fruits to God, remembering their ancestors’ journey, oppression in Egypt, and God’s deliverance and gift of the promised land. The Responsorial Psalm  tells us to Trust in God, Our refuge, our stronghold who protects and rescues those who call on Him. He commands His angels to guard us and promises to be with us in trouble. In the second  reading  we are told to  Confess that Jesus is Lord and believe God raised him, and we will be saved. There is no distinction; all who call on the Lord will be saved.  

In our Gospel the reading from Luke details the temptation of Jesus in the dessert.  Before Jesus set out to do his Fathers work he went out into the dessert for forty days of fasting and prayer and during this time he was tempted by the devil. The devil tempted him to use his power to take care of himself, prove his identity by performing astounding signs and make alliances with political and military powers to get himself and his message across. It is immediately after His time in the desert that Christ began His work, of proclaiming the kingdom of God. In proclaiming the message of the Kingdom Jesus gives all of us the good news of truth, hope, peace, and salvation and this enables us to live life to the full and conquer sin. As well as this there is great encouragement for all of us to know that Jesus not only shared our human nature but, like us, he was subject to temptation. In the course of our daily lives we too face temptations to put comfort and material possessions over the sacrifices involved in being a disciple.  As we begin Lent we ask ourselves how do we face the temptations of life? When times get rough and we feel alone, do we still trust in God? When our life just seems empty, do we still believe in the Father who loves us? Are we willing to risk everything for the sake of the Gospel, or do we settle for guarding our own security? These are questions that all of us need to ask ourselves and Lent gives us the opportunity to do this.

God’s desire for us on this first Sunday of Lent in the Holy Year of hope is that we Come back to him with all our heart. God does not want empty words but full hearts. Hearts full of remorse for things that we shouldn’t have done; hearts full of trust as we face the realities about ourselves and our world; hearts full of love as we realize how much we are loved by those around  us our families and friends, and especially loved by God; hearts full of joyful hope as we journey towards Easter. Over the next few weeks may we make good use of our Lenten journey so at the end of Lent we will be able to hear and understand the messages that Holy Week and Easter  have for us renewed in heart mind and spirit and then put them into action in our own lives in the times ahead.

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04 Mar 2025

ASH WEDNESDAY

We start our annual  journey of repentance and conversion for 2025 with the Ashes of Ash Wednesday. The readings and the ashes call on us to change our lives in the spirit of conversion and renewal. There is a big question for all of us as we begin lent will the ashes of today help us to realise that we should have a change of heart and mind as we seek spiritual renewal in Lent, each individual will have the answer to that question for themselves. All of us will have many opportunities to strengthen our spiritual lives during  the 6 weeks of lent as we ponder what our faith really means to us as individuals and as a community.  Ashes hold deep symbolism in the Church, representing both our mortality and the need for repentance. This powerful symbol finds its roots in the Scriptures, where ashes were used as a sign of mourning and repentance. In the Old Testament, ashes were often associated with expressions of grief and sorrow. Job, for example, sat in ashes as a sign of his deep mourning and repentance before God.

The prophet Daniel also fasted and covered himself in ashes as a way of seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness for the sins of his people. These practices served as a visible reminder of our need to turn away from sin and return to God. On Ash Wednesday, we receive ashes on our foreheads as a sign of our own personal need of conversion and renewal of heart  and spirit. As the priest or minister applies the ashes, they say the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This solemn reminder prompts us to reflect on the brevity of life and the importance of living in accordance with God’s will. The ashes are a call to return to god and let go of the things that hinder our relationship with God and embrace a life of holiness.

In the First Reading –Joel 2:12-18: The Lord urges a heartfelt return to him with fasting and repentance, highlighting His gracious and compassionate nature, Slow to anger abounding in love. A communal fast is called, involving everyone, with priests pleading for mercy, leading to God’s compassionate response as he had mercy on the people. In The Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 51  we hear that each person in acknowledging their own sinfulness, implores God’s mercy. As all of us seek a renewed heart and spirit, with God’s presence in our lives and the restoration of the joy found in salvation. The Second Reading  tells us that we are called to be reconciled with God. Christ bore our sins to make us righteous as we  Embrace God’s grace, for now is the time of salvation. As ambassadors of Christ we are called to be reconciled to him and through this reconciliation we are called to be reconciled to one another.

In the Gospel reading from  Matthew  Jesus emphasizes the importance of sincerity in the practice of faith. He advised against performing acts of charity, prayer, and fasting for public admiration, as such actions lack true spiritual value.  Instead, he encouraged discreet and private expressions of faith, assuring that God, who sees everything that is done  in a quiet prayerful way, will duly reward genuine devotion. Lent is all about moving forward in a spirit of conversion and prayerful return to god that is the spirit of metanoia. So the Church asks us at the beginning of Lent to renew our own lives through the great spiritual works of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and to listen to Jesus’ advice in today’s Gospel. On ash Wednesday the ashes are a call for us to change our lives and how we live them. We begin our journey for lent 2025 and we receive the ashes as a sign that we are willing to return to god who says return to me with all your heart and we do that in a special way during this holy  year of hope.

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