After the celebrations of Shrove Tuesday, enjoyed as Mardi Gras in some parts of the world, we come to the reflective time of Lent. At his time we think of the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness, preparing his ministry. Here he faced the greatest hardships of hunger and thirst, such as most of us have ever known. Here too he was presented with temptations to find an easy way to bring attention to himself and his mission., These he resisted.

For many years, it has been the custom for people to mark Jesus's suffering by giving up something for Lent; it might be alcohol or chocolate or some other form of self-indulgence. Perhaps a more positive approach would be to try to do something positive each day; speak to a lonely person, visit someone who is unwell, or find out about local schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch or a Food-bank. This promises to be fulfilling as well as helping others. It's worth a try at any rate.