On March 6, 2019, Most. Rev. Broderick Pabillo, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Manila, celebrated the Ash Wednesday Mass at the Plaza Mayor.
In his homily, Pabillo encouraged the Thomasian Community to enter the life of discipline and heed to the call of fasting, alms giving, and penance during the Lenten season. According to him, Catholics must prepare for a greater participation in the work of salvation: the Paschal mystery of Jesus.
“We do penance because we heed again [to what] the Lord said, ‘if you want to follow me, take up your cross deny with yourselves, and follow me,’” Pabillo said.
“Our fasting is a denial of ourselves that we can gain self-control, that we are able to come to the Lord with freedom because we can say no to ourselves,” he added.
Moreover, he underscored that prayers of penance and graceful acts of charity to the poor were the “weapons” of every Christian struggling with their faith in God.
