As we celebrate our Catholic Faith story we at times must be wonder about where some of our traditions come from.  This week is a perfect example of opportunities of things happening that are worth learning more about.

Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday, is the day before Ash Wednesday which signals the start of the Church season of Lent.  The early believers spent Shrove Tuesday consuming food supplies as they prepared to live and eat more simply during Lent.  This year we came together as a school community to celebrate by having a shared family breakfast, while in Italian classes Signora Colaciello taught the students about Martedi Grosso (Fat Tuesday) as they cooked up biscotti which aligns with the pancake tradition.

Ash Wednesday is the day on the Christian calendar that marks the season of Lent, the 40 days before Easter Sunday ..... but grab a calendar and count that up.  What's happening there?  Another complication that creates confusion in our local context were the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires.  By coincidence this traumatic event actually took place on the Church's Ash Wednesday, therefore adopting the same name.

This Lent we will be working as a community to live the message of Lent, reflecting on how we can live a life in tune with the message of Jesus in the Gospels.  At Lumen Christi that is to be the 'Light of Christ' as we build the Kingdom right here in Churchill.

The following Youtube clip provides some further information about Lent.