LENTEN MESSAGE – Palma: Sacrifice for the poor

REPENTANCE. Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma smears ashes on a churchgoer’s forehead after the Mass in the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

As the Christian world  observed yesterday the start  of the Lenten Season, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma urged the Catholic faithful to give up something for the good of others.

In his homily during a pontifical mass in celebration of Ash Wednesday, Palma said one should imitate Jesus who “though he was rich, became poor for our sake.”

Palma said he’s hoping that Cebuanos, will work hard, to proclaim God’s love to neighboring countries in Asia.

“If we are the cradle of Christianity in the Far East, we should not keep the good news in our hearts. We should share it to others. We are on a mission. We have to reach out to the poor, including those in the stage of moral poverty; those enslaved to vice and sin,” he said.

“As Jesus confronted poverty, let us also confront the different faces of poverty in our midst. If we follow Jesus, we should learn to deny ourselves so others may become rich,” the 63-year-old prelate told the congregation at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

“When we speak of self-denial, try to think, ‘What can I give up because I love other people?’ It could be material possessions, time, pride. Love entails some form of sacrifice. It involves self-denial,” he added.

Christians all over the world yesterday observed Ash Wednesday by going to church and having ashes smeared on their foreheads to begin the 40-day season of Lent. The placing of the ash symbolizes inner repentance.

Palma said Lent is a season to prepare for the solemn celebration of the central mystery of our faith — the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus which Catholics will commemorate during the Holy Week.

“The Church exhorts us to pray, fast and give alms. The season of Lent is aimed at preparing each of us so we will appreciate the great mysteries of our faith,” he said.
The archbishop said Lent also reminds the faithful to reconcile oneself with God.

Palma echoed the message of Pope Francis to rekindle one’s faith in Jesus Christ who out of love chose to live with his people.

“God becoming man is a mystery. He left the glory of heaven and lived in our midst. But we know that the reason why he came in our midst was love. Jesus became poor, not for his own sake, but for our sake,” he said.

After his homily, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Antonio Rañola smeared ashes on Palma’s forehead. In turn, the archbishop also daubed ashes on Rañola’s forehead.

Ashes were also placed on the foreheads of the faithful to remind human beings of their origin and destiny and renew the call for repentance.

The ashes used yesterday were made from burnt palm fronds that were blessed during last year’s Palm Sunday.

Catholics aged 18 to 60 are obliged to fast or to eat less on Ash Wednesday and  Good Friday which falls on April 18 this year.