As the Church Year passes, we anticipate the next festival and season, in much the same way as gardeners look for the first signs of spring or the first frosts of winter, as they plan their planting activities. So, in the Church, Advent passes into Christmas and Epiphany with a speed that seems driven by activity as much as reflection; but the approach of Ash Wednesday can catch us unawares, especially in a year with an early Easter. St Brigid's Day and Candlemas, set at the beginning of February, warn us that we need to think about how to make the most of the weeks to pray our way, once more, through the days of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.

By taking the Cross, and even more specifically, the words Jesus spoke while nailed to that Cross, over the course of some weeks, rather than a few hours on Good Friday, we have time to consider more deeply the inner themes and conclusions. This meditation will help us to prepare for Holy Week, with a mind and heart familiar with the readings and ready to be filled with our own prayerful reflections. If this small book can prompt a mindset of deliberately slowing the pace of the contemplation of Christ's words, and especially those from the Cross, then it has fulfilled its purpose.