Our Little Roses Presents Ash Wednesday Reflections With Rev. Lizzie Robbins
Welcome to Our Little Roses, where we celebrate women of faith and their inspiring messages. Today, we are delighted to introduce Reverend Lizzie Robbins and her Ash Wednesday reflections.
As we prepare to enter the Christian season of Lent, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this solemn period of reflection and repentance. Rev. Lizzie Robbins reminds us that the ashes that are placed on our foreheads symbolize our mortality and our need for forgiveness.
In her Ash Wednesday reflections, Rev. Robbins encourages us to use this time to examine our hearts and our lives. We can ask ourselves what habits or behaviors we need to change in order to grow closer to God and to become the people He created us to be.
Rev. Robbins also reminds us that Lent is not just about giving things up but about making space for God in our lives. By taking time for prayer and reflection, we can deepen our relationship with Him and gain a greater sense of peace and purpose.
As we begin this Lenten journey, let us be inspired by Rev. Lizzie Robbins’ Ash Wednesday reflections and commit ourselves to growing closer to God and to one another. May this season of penance and repentance be a time of fasting, spiritual renewal, and transformation for all of us.
What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day that marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and repentance in preparation for Easter. Many Christian denominations, including Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists observe it.
The significance of Ash Wednesday lies in its reminder of our mortality and the need for repentance. During Ash Wednesday services, ashes are placed on the forehead of the faithful in the shape of a cross, with the words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This reminder of our mortality calls us to repentance and to turn away from sin and towards God.
Ash Wednesday is also a day of fasting and abstinence for many Christians. The fast traditionally involves abstaining from meat and eating only one full meal, with two smaller meals that together do not equal the full meal. The purpose of the fast is to focus on spiritual renewal and to identify with the sufferings of Christ.
The day is typically marked by attending a church service where ashes are distributed, and many people choose to wear the ashes on their forehead for the rest of the day as a public display of their faith. Many churches also offer additional worship services during the Lenten season, such as daily Mass, stations of the cross, and opportunities for confession.
In addition to fasting and attending services, many Christian communities also choose to observe Lent by giving up something or taking on a new spiritual practice, such as daily prayer or acts of service. These practices aim to deepen one’s relationship with God and prepare for the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.
About Rev. Lizzie Robbins
Rev. Lizzie Robbins is currently serving as a volunteer at Our Little Roses, teaching English classes, supporting Rev. Gustavo in Holy Family Chapel and spending time with the girls while she improves her Spanish and learns about ministry in a Central American context.
Lizzie grew up in Northern Virginia and was raised in the Episcopal Church. As a child, Lizzie frequently found herself in the role of counselor and comforter to her friends and peers–a first glimpse into the pastoral role she would later hold. She followed in her paternal grandfather’s footsteps when she decided to attend the University of Alabama, where she found her love for the Crimson Tide and education. After graduating with a BA in English, she joined Teach for America and was sent to a small town in rural Alabama, where she taught junior high English language arts. Lizzie continued her work in this region by joining a community based non-profit and developing youth programs, and building partnerships with organizations and donors around the state.
After finding her way to Houston, Texas, Lizzie began a formal discernment process in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas while attending St. Stephen’s in the vibrant Montrose neighborhood. Meanwhile, she worked at IGNITE National, a nonpartisan organization that trains young women to run for political office.
While attending Berkeley at Yale Divinity School for seminary, Lizzie became increasingly interested in how Christian churches care for their land and the people in their community. Partnering with others, Lizzie started a pollinator pathway garden at St. John’s of North Guilford, started an initiative to encourage students to decrease their fossil fuel usage for lent, taught compost training and was involved in building and maintaining community green spaces throughout the city. She also served on Berkeley Divinity School’s board as an elected student representative.
In her last year of seminary, Lizzie interned at St. Mark’s / San Marcos Episcopal Church in Queens, New York, where she had the honor of working with and learning from Father Spencer Reece, who previously spent a year at Our Little Roses, and now serves on the board. There, Lizzie’s desire to come to work in Spanish language ministry strengthened, as did her desire to go to Our Little Roses.
On February 2, 2023, Lizzie was ordained a priest in Christ’s church by Bishop Leo Frade at Our Little Roses’ Holy Family Chapel. Every day, she sees Christ in the smiles, hugs and kindness of the girls. She loves yoga, culinary adventures and spending time outdoors.
Lizzie will return to Texas in summer 2023 to serve as a curate. She appreciates your prayers during this transformative time in her life!
What Does Ash Wednesday Mean To Our Little Roses
To Our Little Roses, Ash Wednesday reminds us of our mortality and our need for repentance and calls us to turn towards God in prayer, fasting, and acts of service. The ashes that are placed on our foreheads serve as an outward sign of our commitment to spiritual renewal and transformation, as well as a display of public penance as well as our faith.
As we journey through the Lenten season, let us be inspired by the teachings of Christ and the example of the saints who have gone before us. May we use this time to grow in our relationship with God and to deepen our commitment to serving others. And may we emerge from this season of reflection and repentance with renewed faith, hope, and love for all of God’s people.
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