THE Christian community has started to observe the Holy Week by undergoing the imposition of the ash in all Catholic Churches and chapels in Bacolod City and Province of Negros Occidental.
The Diocese of Bacolod led by Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon and the Catholic clergy officiated a mass in relation to the start of the Holy Week where the imposition of ash in the forehead of the Catholic faithful was done.
The mass started from 6 a.m. down to nighttime at the San Sebastian Cathedral including other Catholic churches and chapels in the city.
Reverend Fr. Norman Egay also officiated a mass at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central Chapel.
He encouraged the Catholics to pray, fast, repent, and believe in the Gospel of God.
“We fast because that is the way where we can experience how the poor missed some of their meals because of poverty. In this way, we become more sensitive and generous to the poor. Fasting is not only abstaining from food but also abstaining from sinful activities. You have to reduce the number of hours that you spent gossiping. You can also reduce the number of cigarette sticks that you puffed in a day. It is also about reducing our use of gadgets. Let us abstain from harmful vices. God said to Isaiah the Prophet that fasting is helping the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and granting liberty to those who lack it.”
He also urged the Catholics not just to give alms, but also to extend a helping hand to the poor. It is where genuine generosity and charity begin.
He also reminded the Catholics that the imposition of ash is not for a show. Fasting is also done twice a year -- during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. It will also remind us that “we are dust and to dust, we shall return.”
The ashes on our foreheads invite us to express our sincere sorrow for our sins and our desire to follow Jesus closely and faithfully. Turn away from sins. These ashes will proclaim our holiness that we acknowledge our sins and are able to repent. Ashes symbolize the humanity that the Cross shows to us and symbolize salvation through God’s son -- Jesus Christ, Fr. Egay said.
Moreover, at the Triumph of the Holy Cross Parish in Barangay Estefania, Bacolod City, the mass and imposition of the ash started at 6 a.m. Reverend Fr. Francisco Perez officiated the mass and led the imposition of ash to the Catholics. Ash Wednesday is a time when repentance of sins is encouraged.