Lent is, for me, a time of anticipation - of looking forward whilst holding on to the present.

Before Lent I wonder if I should forgo some ‘luxuries’ but wouldn’t it be better to be positive rather than negative?

A conversation in the Cathedral recently made me determined to donate more to the food parcels for the needy who visit daily - what must drive someone to opt out on the streets and who is anyone to judge them?

In a purely practical manner Lent is a time for making sure the choristers are robed in ‘penitential’ purple cassocks - and for extra services and duties, to looking forward to the choristers being robed in the splendid red cassocks on Easter Sunday - but not for a few weeks yet. Yes, lent is for me a time of prayer (inward thoughts), fasting (forgoing the luxuries) and almsgiving (food parcels).

Rachel Fielding, Cathedral congregation, Choir mum and wife.