Students reminded of mandatory fasting for Lent

Fr Rodney Eugena told the children that those two days are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and that on those days they should not eat any meat.

Prompted by the priest, many of the boys said they were also giving up video games for Lent.

Eugena was delivering the homily at the school’s Ash Wednesday mass held at the Sacred Heart Church, next to the school.

He told the students that during the Lenten period they have to fast and pray, share and give alms. He said the Lenten season is an invitation to stop what they liked to do and buy fewer of the things they liked so they would have money to give alms. “For instance if we love ice cream, for the Lenten season we have to eat it less. If we love KFC, for the Lenten season we have to eat it less and buy it less also so that we will have money for alms giving.” He reminded the students that Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and is a preparation for Easter, adding that this period takes the penitent through the passion, suffering and resurrection of Christ.

Eugena said that the ashes reminds the faithful that they are dust and to dust they shall return and is a reminder that they should live a good Christian life and everything that they do should be Christ-like.

The first reading of the mass, which was taken from the Biblical book of Joel, called on the people to repent and return to God.

There was also a reading from Matthew, done by a student, in which Jesus warned his disciples and followers not to parade their good deeds in public as the hypocrites did and that when they prayed, they should do so in private, not making a public spectacle of themselves.

The reading also included a passage about fasting, reminding the congregation that when they fast they should not put on a gloomy look to announce their fast to the world but that they should put oil on their heads and conduct themselves in a way that only God would know that they are fasting.