We are God’s children

(Excerpt of Archbishop Valles’ homily during Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at the San Pedro Cathedral Parish, Davao City)

Brothers and sisters I’d like to thank you for coming.

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and we begin the Season of Lent or Kwaresma. I’d like to invite you to notice that beginning today up to Holy Thursday day time, ang Misa sa Huwebes Santo is not Lent.

Lent begins today up to the hours before the Mass in the washing of the feet.

Lent would pass through six Sundays. But the sixth Sunday is not counted as the sixth Sunday of Lent. As you can guess, the sixth Sunday is Palm Sunday, then begin another set of time—the Easter triduum the celebration of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.

More or less 40 days, kwaresma. Asa ni naggikan na tradition? Kining beautiful tradition of the Church many, many years ago to prepare into the annual celebration of the passion, death and resurrection. Asa ni nagsugod? Ahh, 40 years in the desert. Gahi sila og ulo, bagulbol sila, hapit sila ma-split. But some remained faithful and they reached the Promised Land.

In the Gospel, we have 40 days in the wilderness with the Lord. Nahimong batasan, 40 days to prepare ourselves, the great mystery of the love of God.

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday with the imposition of ashes.

In the opening prayer, grant O Lord that we may begin with fasting, this campaign of Christian service, so that we may take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed by weapons of self-restraint. Short prayer but very, very wise.

In this season of lent, gi-renew once again. We understand that this journey like the 40 years in the desert is a spiritual battle. The only way to win this spiritual battle is restraint so we can serve others and forget ourselves.

How do we forget ourselves? Remember that you are abog, wala kang kwenta if you are self-centered. Remember you will return to dust. In the old days during the time of Jesus naa sila practice, externals—almsgiving, fasting (self-restraint), and prayer, to remember somebody is greater than you.

We are creation. We pray to our creator. That can become external. That’s the problem of Jesus. Nahimo na ang externals maski wala na ang internals. Do not even allow your left hand to know what your right hand is doing, do it interiorly, pray, go to your room. Make your prayer really, really interior. Bring your heart to your creator. Fasting, self-restraint.

Best point of discipline is to forget ourselves and be able to think of others.

40 years in the desert, 40 years in the wilderness. In the wilderness, with the difficulty of fasting, we come to know ourselves. We have become sons and daughters of God through baptism.

Lent is a time that we review our identity. Return to your real identity, to be God-like, to be able to be for others.

We are marked to be God’s children. Because we are supposed to behave that way. On our own, lisod.

The season of Lent is a time that would revive us, review our ways of doing things so that we can become really Christ-like and we become true to the dignity of our being baptized as God’s children.