The title comes from Cardinal Hume's homily for Ash Wednesday 1977 and is a theme that reappears frequently in his writing and preaching, particularly in his Lenten addresses.

This selection of previously unpublished material by Basil Hume takes the reader through Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, with a reading for each day, a reading from the Lectionary and a prayer based on the liturgical texts.