Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the liturgical Church season known as Lent and this year falls on 22 February. On Ash Wednesday, we come together to focus our hearts 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 AvÐÔ°® Christi College community make Jesus real by putting our faith into action during this Lenten season as we give generously.

For students, the period of Lent is a time for reflection, prayer, and sacrifice. It begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls on March 2 this year. On this day, we wear ashes to remind ourselves of our mortality and to symbolize our commitment to turning away from things that keep us from God.

During the 40 days of Lent (excluding Sundays), we are encouraged to examine our hearts and make changes to become better people. This can be done through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Prayer is a time to connect with God and reflect on our relationship with Him. We can find a quiet place to pray, like during Eucharistic Adoration, and seek to deepen our spiritual connection.

Fasting provides an opportunity to sacrifice something in order to cleanse ourselves of distractions or unnecessary attachments.

Almsgiving challenges us to give without counting the cost, particularly to those who are most vulnerable in our community and beyond. As part of our Catholic community, our College supports Project Compassion, which helps communities to live sustainably.

By participating in Project Compassion, we are putting our faith into action and living out the values of promoting justice and service to others, and respecting the dignity of each person.

During this Lenten season, let us as the AvÐÔ°® Christi College community strive to make Jesus real in our lives by being generous, reflective, and compassionate towards others.