Kota Kinabalu: Catholics throughout Sabah marked Ash Wednesday on March 5. At St Simon Catholic Church Likas, rector Fr Cosmas Lee said Lent is springtime for the soul.
“It involves sacrifice, self-denial, prayer, fasting and charity. But it is a spring time for our soul.
“It also means to walk and live slowly. Many of us rush through life. Lent is a time for us to walk, run slowly. So we know what we are doing. So we may know and realise the meaning of what we’re doing,” he said, adding that the faithful should realise that God is the biggest lender.
“Therefore, Lent is also a time to appreciate what we have. After all, we’re only here for a little while. The ashes we receive is a reminder for us: ‘remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return’.”
The holy day of obligation kick-starts the season of Lent which runs for 40 days. During this period, the faithful are encouraged to carry out these works of faith: pray, fast and almsgiving. Also present was seminarian Canisius Benjamin who is currently doing his pastoral immersion at St Simon Likas.
At the service, the faithful were blessed with the sign of the cross on their foreheads comprising ash from burnt palm leaves from the previous year.
