Seasonal events
Lent
The purpose of our existence is joy - God creates us to be happy with him eternally; and Lent is about joy and happiness:
- it is about meditating on a divine love so passionately committed to our happiness that in Jesus Christ it comes to share in our suffering and even our death.
- it is about reflecting on the ways we undermine our own joy and happiness (what the church calls 'sin') and doing something about it
- it is about pausing to reflect on life's meaning and whether we are working with it or against it
Lent is often thought of as a sad time, when there are no flowers in church, no 'alleluias' sung, no colour, no weddings or baptisms - a time of austerity. Yet this austerity is not done to make us miserable but is rather the removal of distraction to help us focus on what makes for our true happiness; not only that but in toning down the normal extravagant enjoyment that characterises the Church's worship and life, it helps us appreciate all the more the ecstatic joy and happiness of Easter. Lent is about increasing our desire and stretching our longing by removing some of its normal supports, so that when alcohol and meat, flowers and alleluias return on Easter Day we will appreciate them properly and know them to be what they are: gifts from our overwhelmingly generous God.
The way of the cross, therefore, is a way to joy.
Lent Lunchtimes
This year we have organised a series of short addresses each Wednesday, at 12.15 pm.
The programme is:
17th February (Ash Wednesday) - The Bishop of Liverpool
24th February - The Chaplain to Liverpool Football Club
3rd March - The Dean of Liverpool
10th March - The Chaplain to HMP Walton
17th March - The Archbishop of Liverpool
24th March - The Chaplain to Everton Football Club