MANILA, Philippines – Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales has asked the faithful to give to charity as they begin the Catholic Lenten season today with the traditional observance of Ash Wednesday.
In his Lenten message issued Monday night, Rosales said the essence of the 40-day Lenten celebration does not solely depend on traditional practices but also involves transcending these rites into concrete actions of helping others.
“Beyond the rites and liturgies of Blessed Ashes and the disciplines of the fast and religious practices, what the Lord wishes is the discipline and prayer that reach out to the good of others,” he said.
Rosales is the architect of Pondo ng Pinoy, a charity program he put up in June 2004 to raise funds primarily to feed the poor.
Under the Pondo ng Pinoy project, the faithful are asked to set aside 25 centavos everyday in a can and offer the filled can to the parish during Sunday Mass. The parishes then gather all the cans and bring them to the Pondo ng Pinoy office at Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila.
This idea was based on the “Theology of the Crumbs” in the Gospel about a rich man named Dives who feasted daily on good food and Lazarus, a poor beggar who lay by his door waiting for crumbs to fall from the rich man’s food-laden table (Luke 16:19-31).
Lazarus died and went to heaven in Abraham’s bosom while the rich man died and went to hell because he did not allow even a small crumb to fall to the poor man.
In the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI had a similar Lenten message as he called on Catholics to “retrain ourselves spiritually through practice of almsgiving in order to grow in charity and recognize the poor Christ Himself.”
In his Lenten message posted at the Vatican website www.vatican.va, Benedict XVI said the faithful should take advantage of the Lenten season as “a providential opportunity to deepen the meaning and value of our Christian lives, and it stimulates us to rediscover the mercy of God so that we, in turn, become more merciful toward our brothers and sisters.”
The Archdiocese of Manila said the Lenten season begins today with millions of faithful expected to troop to churches nationwide to have their foreheads crossed with ash as a sign of renewal of their baptismal vows.
Fr. Genaro Diwa, minister for liturgical affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila, said the Ash Wednesday ritual serves as a reaffirmation of Catholics to follow the ways of Christ and to seek forgiveness for their sins.
After Ash Wednesday, other traditional practices like fasting, abstinence and recollection will follow in the next 40 days as part of the observance of the Lenten season, which ends on Holy Week when the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ are remembered.
“Even if we were not able to receive ashes or practice these beliefs, I think we can be forgiven and renewed as long as there is that desire to be changed and seek pardon from God,” Diwa added.