Jesus said to his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?” Matthew 26:40. A holy hour is a time of worship where we spend one hour completely devoted to Christ in prayer. During this hour we shall start with a reflection and spend the remaining hour in silent prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. The service will then come to an end with Benediction.

Stations of the cross is an ancient devotion where we walk with Jesus through the events of Good Friday on the way to the cross. The devotional exercise of visiting and praying in front of each of the 14 stations and meditating on the Passion of Christ stems from the practice of early Christian pilgrims who visited the scenes of the events in Jerusalem and walked the traditional route from the supposed location of Pilate’s house to Calvary. Tradition holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, set up stone markers at her home outside Jerusalem to prayerfully retrace the steps of her son’s Passion, but the origin of the devotion in its present form is not clear.

Each week we will be following a different reflection giving us the perception from a range of different people.

Our Lent lunches are, open to all, there will be a time for prayer, worship, and reflection as we journey through the season of Lent. The lunches will focusing on the spiritual aspects of Lent as we prepare our hearts for Easter.

The lunch itself will consist of a simple but nourishing meal— soup and bread—served in the spirit of humility and simplicity that Lent encourages. It’s a reminder of the core values of Lent: reflection, self-denial, and community. There is something truly special about sitting down to share a simple meal together, offering us a time to pause and reflect on the Lenten season’s call to focus on the important things in life.

The act of gathering as a community, sharing food, and engaging in conversation deepens our connections with one another and with God. Lent is traditionally a time of self-examination, prayer, and renewal, and we hope that our Lenten Lunches will provide a space for you to experience these practices in a tangible way. Whether you’re giving something up for Lent or taking on something new to grow in your faith, these lunches are a perfect way to nurture both body and spirit. All we ask is for a small donation towards the work of the food bank, this can be either monitory or food.