Devout Catholics at the St. Peter Parish in Commonwealth, Quezon City have their foreheads marked with the cross as a reminder of their mortality during Thursday’s observance of Ash Wednesday. (Photo by MARK BALMORES)

“Sacrifice must not only involve fasting and abstinence during the season of Lent, it must also include refraining from doing things that you normally enjoy.”

Rev. Fr. Armando C. Baraan, parish priest of St. Francis of Assisi in Mandaluyong City, said this Tuesday he urged hundreds of Catholics who attended the mass for Ash Wednesday “to learn to sacrifice one’s personal interests, to pray devoutly, and to help others without expecting anything in return. Life is short. Ash Wednesday is a reminder that our existence goes beyond the physical.”
 
He also encouraged the faithful to support the “fast-feed” program of Hapag-Asa, a Church-led feeding project aimed at helping fight hunger and malnutrition among poor children in the country.

Donation envelopes for the “fast-feed” Lenten program are available in parish offices.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales had earlier called on Catholics to “fast” this season of Lent and ‘feed’ the hungry and the malnourished.

In other churches last Tuesday, hourly masses were held to accommodate the huge number of churchgoers who had their foreheads marked with a cross from the ashes of burned palm fronds from last year’s Palm Sunday celebration.

At the St. John the Baptist Church (Quiapo Church) in Manila, hundreds of Catholics attended each of the hourly masses from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The faithful were also given more time and opportunity to go to Confession.