WORD OF THE WEEK
I HAVE just got home from another fun day helping to prepare the meals for Ossie’s Kitchen. We have found that as Ossie’s Kitchen has grown and changed, we have managed to adapt and keep our sense of humour. I look forward to these days, because although they are quite tiring, they are fun and it means that all our helpers have a chance to see real people and to have a safe chat in person. I am sure that the next time I can see and hold my grandchildren I will have to have a frame around my head so that they recognise me! Things are different, no longer can Ossie’s do a sit-down meal for 40, we are now doing a takeaway for 100. Today is different – Ash Wednesday. Under normal circumstances we would be looking forward to the second day of play with one side looking for revenge for yesterday’s defeat and the other looking to consolidate their lead, but we can’t. So let’s look at the other meaning of Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday was traditionally the time when the “luxury” items in the house were used up before the time of “fasting and penitence” during Lent, hence the pancakes and frivolity. Lent is the 40 days before Easter and I am sure that if any of you do the sums you will realise that there are more than 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Sundays were still feast days so weren’t counted. It seems like our Church Fathers still like a bit of relaxation of the rules. In our church today we are not into the “sackcloth and ashes” so much but we do try and recognise this time as preparation for the great Easter feast. But before that feast we recognise how much Jesus loves us all by his sacrifice on the cross and so we can also see how much God loves us by the resurrection at Easter and by the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. At Easter we can focus on God’s love for all of us and it is a good theme to take through Lent. Love is something we can see all around us during these strange times in the many acts of kindness and consideration, in the way our health workers are going beyond their normal workload, in the way we try and look after others. So, if you want to see God in action, look at those many acts of love – for our scriptures tell us GOD IS LOVE.