Lent is a time set aside in the church year for intense reflection in our lives and on the way we live our faith. It is a time of preparation for Easter.

Lenten Symbols:

Palms - Branches of the palm tree, were waved triumphantly as Jesus entered Jerusalem.

40 - Forty days of lent, symbolic of Jesus' forty days of temptation after his baptism and before the beginning of his ministry. Forty is a number used repeatly in the Bible to signify "period of transformation".

Color used during is Purple --- indicating a penitential period.

Bag of Coin -- is a reminder that Jesus was betrayed by Judas.

Ashes - A symbol of our mortality and an ancient sign of sorrow and repentance. On Ash Wednesday, ashes are placed on the forehead in the sign of the cross. Tradionally, these are the ashes from the burning of the previous year's Palm Sundays palm.

Ash Wednesday -

• Marks the beginning of Lent ·
• Ashes are symbolic or repentance for sin and grief and mourning.
• Ashes are used to make the sign of the cross on the forehead of believers.
• Ashes call us to "repent and believe the good news".