The same is true in our faith. We are to remember that Christ should be the centre of our lives. Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin the season of Lent and with it the three disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Each one of these is there to help us to mature in our faith so that we do not behave like a sulky child at their brother's birthday party.

In prayer we place ourselves in relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We recognize that we are not the centre of our world and that if we are to grow spiritually then we must make time and space for God in our daily routine. When we do this we place Christ at the centre and put ourselves in relationship to him.

In fasting we again move ourselves out of the centre of attention and away from satisfying our own needs above the needs of everyone else. Fasting is an act of generosity in many different ways because it reminds us of all that we have and creates in us a healthy hunger for God. Fasting takes us out of the centre of our lives and instead places Christ there with us in relationship to him.

In almsgiving we think of others, we put others first and again by doing this we take ourselves out of the centre of the equation and instead place Christ there and recognize that there are other people around us who we are also in relationship with Christ and with us.

The disciplines of Lent help us heighten awareness. This year perhaps first of all we can allow that awareness to be that we are not the centre of our world but that Christ is and we are surrounded by other people created in the image and likeness of God. Then we can all celebrate together the love of God made visible through the birthday of Christ and there will be no oil paints on the living room carpet!