On Wednesday, throughout the world, Christians were marked on their foreheads with ashes with a sign of the cross. These were the ashes which came from the burning of the palms used last year to celebrate Palm Sunday. With this ritual, Lent began, foreshadowing Easter and the baptism of every Christian, when they were signed with the cross with oil and water.

At the beginning of Lent, Christians are invited to take the next 40 days to think about their relationship with their God. Many religious traditions have periods of fasting, abstinence and prayer in which the emphasis is not on sacrifice, but more importantly on the need for taking some time to be more aware of life and relationships with God and others. Foregoing food or drink and praying is a very human way of being more conscious of relationships which are not normally topics of reflection.

The ceremony and ritual of Ash Wednesday is therefore only the beginning of this time.

Though the outward mark can be seen by all, the inward sign of what is happening in each person is between them and God.