KUCHING: Christians have been reminded to observe the tradition of prayer, fasting, penance and almsgiving during the season of Lent, which leads up to Easter.
Catholic Archbishop of Kuching, Datuk Dr Simon Poh, called on the faithful to generously donate their time and money, especially the amounts saved from fasting and abstinence, to help the poor and needy.
He said the more commonly known Christian celebrations are Christmas, Good Friday that commemorates the death of Jesus on the Cross, and Easter Sunday which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.
“Before these celebrations, there is always a few weeks of preparation. For Easter Sunday, the Church dedicates 40 days of preparation (Lent), starting with Ash Wednesday on March 5 this year.
“Lent is an old English word meaning ‘spring’ as this represents the beginning of new life after a long winter.
“The 40 days of Lent is as such a spiritual preparation, done with prayers, penance and good deeds as we prepare for Good Friday and Easter Sunday,” he said.
He added that during Lent, Christians are asked to repent, especially from the seven deadly sins – pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth.
“We give more time to pray, which is to deepen our relationship with God, to be reconciled with God, our family and neighbours.
“Fasting and penance are the external expression of putting our trust in God to provide.
“We are asked to live a simple lifestyle so as not to be too engrossed with world wealth and materialistic living.
“Most importantly, we give alms, and with the money saved from our fasting, we donate to charity to be used for others in need. This also includes doing work of charity and mercy to alleviate suffering, visiting the lonely, giving food to the hungry, and accompanying families in bereavement,” he added.
