Lent Begins: Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The children noticed a big difference in our classroom when they arrived this morning. The cloth on our prayer table had changed from green to purple. Purple is the colour of Lent. 

Notice the bare wreath and orange egg carton?
As we journey through Lent, we will be using these items
to deepen our understanding of Lent and the Easter Story. 

We attended a very special Ash Wednesday mass at OLPH Church. We each received  ashes on our foreheads in the shape of a cross. The ashes are made from the blessed palms from Palm Sunday last year. The ashes are a sign to others that we are not perfect and that we make mistakes. Today we told God that we are sorry for our sins and that we will try to be better. 

Lent lasts 40 days. We use this time to remind ourselves of the promise we made to God at our baptism. While some people like to give things up for Lent, we are trying to make ourselves better by being kind, patient, and prayerful. 

As a school, our daily prayer is now the Jellybean Prayer. The colours help us focus on the meaning of Lent. 

We use the big plastic jelly beans to remind us
which colour comes next in the prayer.

On our prayer table is a Random Act of Kindness jar. Each day, as a class, one act of kindness will be drawn. Children are encouraged to carry out this act of kindness quietly, without looking for praise or recognition. 

Lent is a time of change; a change of mind and heart. May the 40 days of Lent help us prepare for the joy of Easter.