Thousands in Oro observe Ash Wednesday

Thursday, February 23, 2012

THOUSANDS of Catholics flocked to different churches in Cagayan de Oro and observed the start of the Lenten Season through a commemoration of the Ash Wednesday.

Earlier, the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro is urging the public to link up a period of prayer and penance for all abuses in the environment, citing the great devastation brought by Tropical Storm Sendong in December.

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Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma SJ, DD, said the people have to be more ecologically conscious for the common good of the communities.

He said the people should also undergo fasting and be ready to sacrifice for the good of other people.

Every Ash Wednesday, though it is not a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics, the faithfuls are encouraged to attend mass to prepare for the Lenten season with “proper attitude and reflection.”

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is calling on the faithful to observe Lent “meaningfully,” describing it is an opportunity for “spiritual renewal.”

CBCP president Archbishop Jose Palma said Christians are asked to focus on changing their lives through prayer, penance and love.

He said Lent is designed to help the people achieve the “freedom of heart” to help them make “the renewal in the best way they can.”

“The most important thing for us to do during the Lenten Season is to reflect on God's love,” said Palma, the archbishop of Cebu. “I can only hope we will all be renewed especially when we get to appreciate our dignity as children of God.”

The CBCP head made the statement on Tuesday as Christendom is set to enter the penitential season of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22, and runs until Holy Week in April.

The ashes are the dust of burned palms used in the last Palm Sunday.

This period is traditionally viewed as a time of personal spiritual reflection for Christians marked by an effort to repent for sins.

Meanwhile, the CBCP Media Office is now offering an online Lenten retreat as additional feature of the Visita Iglesia.

CBCP Media Office chief Monsignor Pepe Quitorio said the item is especially focus to Filipinos who are abroad, particularly seafarers, since there are no churches while they are at sea, and those who are bedridden, who cannot go to church because they are sick.

"We hope that this online catechesis will be to help not only to satisfy our need to worship but especially to manifest its fruit in being concerned for one another in love and good works," he said during the launch of the website Wednesday afternoon.

The online Lenten retreat will be made available by the First Week of Lent wherein packets of video reflections that will serve as alternative catechesis to those who will have no chance of attending Lenten retreats; Lenten podcast - audio Lenten reflections that may be handy for Filipinos who are bedridden; Lenten blogs - discussions taken from the blogs of bishops, priests and religious and lay faithful would be available.

Bishops and priests will be the retreat masters. The retreat has four topics, which is all about Lent. Each episode is seven to 10 minutes long.

Established in 2010, the Visita Iglesia online is now on its 3rd year.
Quitorio reported that last year’s Holy Week, they garnered 150,000 unique visitors and over 1.5 million page loads.

The website also features old Churches, including heritage churches viewed from the historical, architectural and pastoral perspectives; liturgical celebrations that will cover all rituals from Palm Sunday to Easter Vigil; pasyon, which is the traditional passion narrative rendered in chants; the Seven Last Words that will be video streamed live on Good Friday; and stations of the Cross and other Lenten prayers.

This year's theme is derived from the Message for Lent 2012 of the Holy Father: "Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works." (Michael Andrew W. Yu/Sunnex)