Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence: no meat, and only one full meal for a day. It is the start of the season of Lent.
Since today is a special day, there are two masses scheduled for the day. One at 6AM and another at 4,30PM, after the Mother of Perpetual Help novena. There were unusually large number of parishioners who attended both masses. They received the ashes on their foreheads while the prayer was said: "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel".
I only took one glass of water this morning before going to the barangay for the scheduled confessions and mass of elementary pupils in Brgy. Lipit-Tomeeng Elementary School. I was with the parish catechists. The school prepared some merienda. But the catechists did not touch the pansit but partook a little of the puto.
At 1,30PM, we went to Brgy. Tokok Elementary School. Still, the merienda was partially partaken. The catechists were really fasting!
By evening, supper time, I felt so light. But very suprisingly, food was far from my mind! I celebrated masses for the children in the schools and for the people in the parish. The "food" that I had partaken was enough for me. It was the Body and the Blood of Jesus, my Lord and my God.
Somehow, I realised that in fasting, the self is emptied physically so that I may hunger for the Holy Bread and Wine partaken in the Eucharist.
