Wenzhou – Fasting and other forms of penance that Catholics practice during Lent are not self-imposed deprivations for the sake of self-satisfaction, but arise from gratitude for the gift of true peace and authentic happiness. With this spirit, the parish of Lucheng, in the Diocese of Wenzhou , continues its Lenten journey, which began with the celebrations of Ash Wednesday on February 18.
Prayer, fasting, abstaining from meat, penitential prayers and vows, and above all, works of charity characterize the six weeks of Lent, during which the faithful follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who endured suffering and death to reach Resurrection. The focus of this time is St. Paul’s Cathedral and other churches, chapels, and prayer rooms. The parish has developed a program to support all the faithful in observing the Lenten practices—both individually and communally—and to use them as opportunities for inner transformation through charity. By following the “Program for the Practice of Charity,” which was distributed to parishioners in advance on the previous Sunday, each member of the Catholic community can be gradually guided on a path of charity and sharing through acts of kindness and acts of charity, leading up to Easter Eve.
The theme of the first week is “Awakening Love for God”; the second week focuses on “Practicing Self-Love”; the third week invites us to “Live Love for Our Families”; the fourth week broadens our horizons and encourages us to “Practice Love for others”; the fifth week is dedicated to “Renewal”; and the sixth and final week invites us, in the spirit of Jesus, to “Walk with Him” toward the mystery of the Resurrection.
The “Program for the Practice of Charity” aims to offer believers concrete and practical spiritual guidance, helping them to live and bear witness to their faith in everyday life during Lent, which prepares them for the coming of the risen Christ. During the solemn celebration of Ash Wednesday, participants received the ashes – a sign reminding each individual that they are a creature accepted, desired, and embraced by the love of God the Father, and called to move toward the peace and joy that Christ brings at Easter.
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