On Ash Wednesday, the congregation of All Saints' gathered to take part in a Solemn Mass and to receive the Imposition of Ashes.  The day is named because of the practice of 'imposing' ashes or making the sign of the cross with them upon the forehead to remind us of our human frailty and also as a sign of our penitence.

The 'ashes' used are gathered after the Palm Crosses from the previous years' Palm Sunday ceremonies are burned and are then, in the liturgical practice at All Saints, mixed with the Oil of the Catechumens, which is one of the oils used to anoint all those who are baptised.  This paste is used by the Priest, who presides at the Mass, to make the sign of the cross, firstly upon his own forehead and then on each of those present, who kneel before him at the altar rail, as he recites the words 'Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return'.

This first day of Lent, a season of fasting and abstinence lasting forty days (excluding Sundays), marks a big change in the liturgical presentation in the church.  The six big candlesticks on the High Altar are reduced to four, all the altar frontals are removed, the amount of light is decreased, the Tabernacle is veiled in Purple, the organ is not played before or after Mass and is used only during the Services to sustain the singing.  In the Mass itself the Gloria  in Excelsis is omitted, the word Alleluia is not spoken and the whole liturgy becomes much more solemn. 

During the medieval period at All Saints', those from the community who had committed serious sins were brought to the Church on Ash Wednesday.  They would have been required to perform a public penance and then would have been sent to a local monastic house, presumably the Carmelites in our case, where they would have remained for the rest of the season. 

The dietary/fasting and abstinence restrictions were strict.  Two small meals were permitted each day, the use of flour, dairy products and eggs were forbidden, as was the consumption of meat.  In our parish archives we have a copy of a licence granted to 'a woman in child bed to eat flesh meat in Lent', dated 1633.  Little children, travellers, the aged, the poor, the sick  and those who were pregnant were given a dispensation from the fasting and abstinence rules which were introduced by the Church and upheld by Act of Parliament in 1548.  Licences giving permission to eat meat were introduced in 1564 until 1650.  In fact, in 1559 until 1561, Parliament introduced an Act forbidding butchers to sell meat in Lent.

The focus of the season is upon examining and developing our relationship with God.  This is managed through attendance at Services such as Stations of the Cross in which we make a liturgical journey through the Church reflecting upon our Lord Jesus Christ's final hours before his death, and his journey to the Cross.  In a building with reduced and specialised lighting, sometimes with music, the journey can become extremely personal and moving as the leader draws attention to the unfolding drama and the mysteries hidden deep within it.  Alternatively, the Lent Group provides an excellent opportunity to explore our faith and to share our experiences with others.

Lent is not a miserable season, as some Christians think.  It can be a deeply moving and spiritual experience to those who are prepared to engage the discipline involved.