Published : Wednesday, February 22, 2012 00:00
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Written by : Rommel C. Lontayao, Reporter
Millions of Filipino Catholics will observe today Ash Wednesday as Church officials urge the faithful to welcome Lent by helping the poor.“Ash Wednesday ushers in the Season of Lent. As we welcome this season of renewal, let us be united with all of God’s people… We are called upon to support each other in solidarity by praying, fasting and giving alms to the poor as we undertake our conversion journey in preparation for Easter,” Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle said on Tuesday.
The archbishop added that the season offers Catholics once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life—charity.
He said that Pope Benedict 16th considers it a part of the mission of the church to “contribute to improving the living conditions of people most affected by problems of poverty, malnutrition especially among the children, disease and lack of health care and education services.”
The “de facto Primate of the Philippines” encouraged all dioceses in the country to heed the call for charity by the Pope.
Tagle said that the Archdiocese of Manila is actively supporting the Pondo ng Pinoy’s HAPAG-ASA, a feeding program for hungry and malnourished children.
“Nationwide, HAPAG-ASA was able to feed more than 200,000 hungry and malnourished children last year. In our diocese, we were able to feed a total number of 2,910 malnourished children. This year we are targeting to feed 2,000,” he reported.
He appealed to the faithful to donate to HAPAG-ASA’s FAST2FEED 40K program and help raise P40 million to feed 40,000 hungry and malnourished children.
“Looking the hungry child in the eye, we see God calling out to us to feed that child. We are called to love by sharing our food to the hungry,” Tagle said.
“Whatever little act of kindness we do for the least of His brethren, we do it for Him. Anumang magaling, kahit maliit, basta’t malimit ay patungong langit [Whatever is good, even if tiny, but if it is given frequently, finds its way to heaven],” he added.
Ash Wednesday, in the Church’s liturgical calendar, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter.
It derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of mourning and repentance.