Submitted by
M. Norris

Age Group
5-11

Aim
To mark the beginning of Lent
To repent for our sins and to decide to change for the better

Faith Group
Christian
Catholic

Resources
A flower made by each child, as follows:
sunflowers with a heart in the centre (new heart sunflowers)
sunflowers with a smiling face in the centre (new look sunflowers)
sunflowers with praying hands in the centre (new prayer sunflowers)
sunflowers with a question mark in the centre (new project sunflowers)
four vases
ashes

Time of Year
Ash Wednesday - the first day of Lent

Other Details
As this will happen in spring, a spring flower could be substituted for the sunflowers
Children take the flower they have made to the altar at the correct time in the service
Receiving the Ashes is not a Sacrament so all children can take part

Script
PRIEST: Wednesday marks the beginning of the forty days of Lent.
We have forty days to make our way towards the new life we celebrate at Easter. We have forty days to make the word of Jesus flower in our life.

HYMN: Be Still for the Presence of the Lord by D. Evans (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone no. 72)

PRIEST: If we are not careful the most beautiful and the most precious objects may wear out, crack and become covered with greasy dust, and then we can't see their beauty anymore.

TEACHER: The same applies to people!
The most beautiful feelings, the radiant of smiles, words, prayer, friendship, trust in God may crack and break if we are not careful.
With time, dirt covers them up, and finally, we don't recognise them anymore.
They are like ashes.

TEACHER: Then we become incapable of love, we don't see what is good, we forget to pray. We have nothing to do, and selfishness rules the earth.
We are like ashes.

TEACHER: And now it is Lent! It is like a sunrise in our lives!
It is the time when God calls upon us to be new all the time.
To be new in the way we love God and others.
To be new inside ourselves.
To build a world always new and more human.

CHILD: Lent is the time when we become new again by listening to Jesus Christ, by celebrating his death and resurrection, by receiving the signs of his love at church and in the reading of the Gospel.

CHILD: Then, when our hearts and eyes become new again, we will be able to pray in a new way and work to build a new world where the new life of Christ resurrected will glow on all of us!

CHILD: We have forty days to prepare for Easter. Forty days of Lent marked by different steps, to live differently and arrive at Easter with a new heart.

__________

CHILD: Our hearts are often hardened and closed, with no feelings for others, grey and dirty like these ashes.

HYMN: 0 Lord Hear My Prayer - Taize (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone no. 542)

Children take a "new heart" sunflower.
A child takes the candle.
They go forward to the altar and put the flowers into a vase.

__________

CHILD: We often judge others, disapprove of them, give them looks that are dirty and grey like these ashes.

HYMN: 0 Lord Hear My Prayer - Taize (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone no. 542)

Children take a "new look" sunflower.
A child takes the candle.
They go forward to the altar and put the flowers into a vase.

__________

CHILD: We often forget to say your name, with love and to think of you.

HYMN: 0 Lord Hear My Prayer - Taize (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone no. 542)

Children take a "new prayer" sunflower.
A child takes the candle.
They go forward to the altar and put the flowers into a vase.

__________

CHILD: It happens often that we don't want to go forward, that we don't want to make any efforts, and we become lazy. We are stuck as in grey and dirty ashes.

HYMN: 0 Lord Hear My Prayer - Taize (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone no. 542)

Children take a "new project" sunflower.
A child takes the candle.
They go forward to the altar and put the flowers into a vase.

__________

PRIEST: Lord, listen to us! Lord, forgive us!
May we arrive at Easter with a brand new heart, look, prayer, project to build a new world and life.

HYMN: 0 Lord Hear My Prayer - Taize (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone no. 542)

__________

CHILD: When a fire goes out completely, only grey, dirty, dusty ashes remain.

CHILD: When I distance myself from God,
when I distance myself from others,
it is as though I put on dull, grey clothes,
as though I put on clothes made of ashes.

CHILD: On Ash Wednesday, Christians have their foreheads marked with ashes.
In this way, we acknowledge that we have sinned.
We decide to turn back to God and to other people.
We say, "Yes, Lord, we are coming with you."

PRIEST:
PENITENTIAL
The ashes remind us that our lives have often been grey and colourless, especially when we have lost sight of your love, and so we say we are sorry.

DISTRIBUTION OF ASHES
HYMN: Jesus Remember Me (Tape)

PRIEST: Dear Lord, we often distance ourselves from you.
We try to find our way, as though we were walking through a fog.
Come, Lord, take away our clothes of sackcloth and ashes and lead us towards your light.

HYMN: O, Lord, you are the centre of my life by P. Inwood (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone no. 543)