The Catholic Church observes today the Third Sunday of Lent marking the faithful’s continuous journey towards repentance in preparation for the approach of the glorious Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday, which will be celebrated on April 4.

“The observance of the Third Sunday of Lent is a call to holiness. It is for every Christian a time for authentic conversion and intense knowledge of the mystery of Christ. Convert to Christ and believe in the Gospel,” Church officials said.

In masses this Sunday, priests in purple vestments will focus their reflections on the Gospel of Luke 13:1-9, which narrates the Parable of the Fig Tree. In the narrative, Jesus explained that sin is offensive to God and that victory over temptations is possible through our living faith in Christ.

Churchgoers are encouraged to go to confession and to “sincerely repent for sins” before receiving the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The faithful are also encouraged to visit the Adoration Chapel and do charity work and acts of sacrifices.

Meanwhile, the “Oratio Imperata” will be recited after the mass in several Catholic churches to pray for rain. The recitation of the prayer seeking divine intervention for a special intervention started last Sunday during the observance of the Second Sunday of Lent. (Christina I. Hermoso)

RP, Seychelles accord signed
The Philippines has forged a partnership agreement with the Republic of Seychelles in Africa that will boost cooperation and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

The economic and technical cooperation agreement was signed by Seychelles Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Barry Faure and Philippine non-Resident Ambassador to Seychelles Domingo Lucenario Jr., former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assistant secretary for Consular Affairs.

“It is a milestone as it is the first agreement we will sign,” Lucenario said.

According to DFA, the partnership agreement is a “first” after 22 years of diplomatic ties.

“The agreement is also a concrete and efficient mechanism to assess economic and technical cooperation that will boost the growth of the two countries. These are in the fields of fisheries, trade and investment, tourism, information technology, education, sports and culture,” the DFA said.

The agreement provides for a new joint commission made up of representatives whose responsibility will be to keep cooperation alive, according to the DFA, adding that the first meeting of the joint commission is mulled in Manila later in the year. (Madel R. Sabater)

New SOG Unit Head named
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) appointed Saturday an expert diver as the new head of their Special Operations Group (SOG) unit.

PCG Spokesman Lt. Cdr. Armand Balilo said that Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo appointed long time SOG Deputy Commander Lt. Cdr. Marco Antonio Gines as acting head of the unit SOG. Commander Capt. Alfredo Santos recently retired after 30 years of service.

Lt. Cdr. Gines was a member of the PMA Class ‘96 and has been involved in many risky rescue operations.

Being an expert diver for more than a decade, Gines was part of those teams that recently retrieved the trapped bodies inside the ill-fated M/V Catalyn-B which sunk 221-feet along the vicinity of Limbones Island in Cavite last Christmas Eve.

As the former head of the SOG divers, he also participated in most of the delicate rescue operations in the past, including during the hype of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, the M/V Princess of the Stars tragedy in 2008 and the Super Ferry 14 Bombing incident way back in 2004.

Gines said that he hopes for better modernization program in the PCG, especially the Coast Guard Law which was already signed by President Arroyo. (John Carlo Cahinhinan)