Parishioners line up for the imposition of ashes at the end of the noon Ash Wednesday Mass at SHC Mar 2
By Agnes Chai
Mar 4 2022
KOTA KINABALU – Nothing, not even the most stringent SOP measures could keep God’s people away from receiving ashes to begin their journey back to God in repentance.
The Cathedral held three Ash Wednesday Masses, at 6.00 am, at noon and at 7.30 pm, all of which were filled with overwhelming crowds of lay faithful. The gates were needed to restrain the Cathedral from being overcrowded in keeping with the prevailing SOP.
Catholics all over the world celebrate the Ash Wednesday liturgy as a reminder to arm themselves with self-restraint in making the season of Lent holy, and to renew their faith in their struggle against evil, with the practice of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Parish priest Fr Paul Lo reminded that this Ash Wednesday Mar 2, Pope Francis has called for people to pray and fast for peace for those suffering from the “roar of weapons” in Ukraine.
The bishops of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei have joined the Christian churches and leaders across Asia to call all Catholics to dedicate the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, as “Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace and Justice in Ukraine.”
Once more the usual practice of marking the foreheads with ashes was replaced with sprinkling ashes on top of people’s heads to avoid touching multiple people, thus preventing the spread of COVID.
Communion minister sprinkles ashes on top of Fr Paul Lo’s head and pronounces the words “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return” at the noon Ash Wednesday Mass Mar 2 at Sacred Heart Cathedral
Fr Paul remarked that the sprinkling of ashes on the top of the head was not visible like the tracing of the cross with ashes on the forehead.
“You cannot see nor selfie the sprinkled ashes as some of you liked to do with the cross marked by ashes on your forehead,” he told the congregation, who acknowledged their self-referential acts with laughter.
He reminded the people that the imposition of ashes is a sign of our interior disposition to turn back to God, a biblical symbol of repentance, a reminder of our sinfulness before God and our mortality.
“As we approach the altar to receive ashes, we are actually publicly proclaiming ourselves as sinners,” underlined the rector.
He added, at a later date the church/parish will provide the Sacrament of Reconciliation in which the people will receive pardon from God. Lent is a time of conversion, beginning with the act of contrition.
In referring to the day’s liturgy, he reiterated the need to practise fasting “Fasting is emptying ourselves, and a reminder that we “do not live by bread alone”.
In referring to alms, he encouraged the faithful to remember the poor and needy and to pick up a “Lenten Appeal” envelope at the church’s entrance as an acknowledgement that they “believe in God rather than the devil with his empty promises of riches and wealth”.
He concluded the homily with a final reminder that “through receiving ashes we are strengthened, and with the help of the Holy Spirit we are renewed in faith to fight evil and temptations with prayer, fasting and almsgiving to journey towards Easter.
