Kuwaresma 2015 Began - STP News - Santa Teresita Parish

Lenten season this year had started on February 18, 2015.  The first day of lent is called Ash Wednesday. It is also called "Day of Ashes" because ashes are imposed on one's forehead in the form of a cross.  The faithful of our parish flocked to the church again to observe this significant ritual of the Church.  There were two masses celebrated at the main church and two masses at San Nicolas Chapel, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Our priests, Fr. Richard Magararu, SMM and Fr. Angelo Pusikit, SMM were assisted by the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion in imposing ashes to the faithful.  

While foreheads are marked these words were being said by the ministers "You are dust, and to dust you shall return" or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”  This is a reminder for us to be humble because we are mortals and that we are not permanent in this world.   Anytime and anywhere our lives can be take away from us.  The second formula is a call to conversion.  Hence, we must repent from all our sinful habits and turn to Jesus.  This season of penance requires time to examine one’s life and make it worth living.

Lent is a forty-day journey towards celebration of the paschal mystery, the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. As a preparation for this commemoration everybody has to practice the disciplines of lent which are: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  The Gospel proclaimed that day was important lesson in practicing this piety.  Fasting is skipping a full meal every Friday while abstinence iss refraining from eating any kind of meat.  However, it is not only all about food. It could be fasting from  doing anything that gives us comfort and pleasure like watching favorite TV programs  and spending too much time with the internet.  Prayer and fasting should move us to reach out to our less privileged brothers and sisters.  May our observance of lent prepare us well for a meaningful celebration of Easter.

-Lloren Erwin

  


>>>read more reflections