The period from Ash Wednesday to the Feast of Corpus Christi is at the very heart of the Christian understanding and interpretation of its tradition; and the focus of its reflection on the events surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. From Ashes to Fire is a series of reflections and meditations on the Gospel readings that mark each Sunday and Feast Day throughout the series of remembrance and celebration.

But at the heart of the series is a deep belief that the messages of those ancient events are not about the past but about the present; an assertion that our celebrations of Lent and Easter are not mere ritualised performances but commands for us to take seriously the convictions that they express - about a God who cares for us and our world; a passionate God who - like the sower in the parable - scatters the Word almost indifferent to the soil in which it is sown - but whose nature is to shape purpose and meaning in our lives; and above all to invite us to live the teaching and values of the gospel message in our time. Thus we are called to live from the ashes of searching to the fire of Pentecost and beyond - lives that call for taking discipleship seriously and with renewed insight and conviction - living the Jesus tradition in our own times.

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