MANILA, Philippines — Former Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle urged the Catholic faithful to devote their time during the Lenten season to praying, fasting and alms giving amid these trying times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a video message on Facebook, Tagle said that the 40-day observance of Lent for the Catholic Church officially started yesterday, Ash Wednesday, which reminds the faithful of their mortality and the time for repentance.
“The season of Lent is ushered in by Ash Wednesday. During this season, we hope that every Christian would devote time to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is hoped that through faith, self-denial and charity, we could be led to a renewed relationship with God and neighbor,” Tagle said.
Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome, said that Ash Wednesday brings an important message to the faithful, which is to live simply with contrite heart and believe the teachings of Jesus Christ.
He said he hopes that the faithful will be moved to seek reconciliation with Jesus Christ.
“Friends, on Ash Wednesday, when we attend the service, we hope we will remember the essence of this observance. We do not attend the service to simply fulfill the tradition, but to declare our conviction that from dust we were made and to it shall we return,” he said.
Former Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said Catholics aged 18 to 59 years old are obliged to fast while those 14 years old and above have the duty to do abstinence during these 40 days.
In his Ash Wednesday homily, Villegas reminded the Catholic faithful of the true essence of the Lenten season, which is not just about something that will be given up but also about expressing gratitude to Jesus Christ.
Villegas said that the people can still observe Lent in the traditional way, which includes giving up some creature comforts, but they should be grateful in doing so.
“We do not become holy by giving up. We do not become holy by giving something to the Lord. We do not become holy by doing these things. What makes us holy? Gratitude… gratitude is what makes people saints and ingratitude is what makes people devils,” he said.
“The season of Lent, give up something, OK! But don’t forget to say thank you for everything that makes us holy. It is not what we do for God. Let it be clear, God does not need what we want to do for him because Christianity is not about telling people what to do for God,” he added.
“Christianity is about telling people what God has done for humanity. And if we know what God has done for humanity, what can we say but ‘thank you, Lord,’” he continued.
Despite the pandemic, thousands of Catholic faithful went out of their houses and physically attended the Ash Wednesday service in most parts of the country, even in areas under general community quarantine where only 50 percent of church capacity is allowed.
Quiapo Church parochial vicar Fr. Douglas Badong said that Ash Wednesday at Quiapo Church went smoothly as he emphasized that strict health protocols such as mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields and social distancing rules were observed.