DMLA Circular No. 003: Celebration of Ash Wednesday

Pastoral Office Letter No. 011
DMLA-Circular No. 003
Series of 2023
18 February 2023

TO: ALL PARISH PRIESTS, PAROCHIAL VICARS, RECTORS OF SHRINES, PARISH WORSHIP COORDINATORS, PARISH COORDINATORS OF LITURGICAL MUSIC
RE: Celebration of Ash Wednesday

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Your reverences, brothers and sisters:

Peace of the Lord Jesus!

In line with the celebration of Ash Wednesday, the Diocesan Ministry for Liturgical Affairs instructs all parishes and communities to observe the following:

1. Parishes and communities may revert to the imposition of ashes on the forehead of the faithful.
2. Parishes may also provide a line for people who would prefer the manner of Sprinkling of Ashes on the crown of the head.
3. The formula for the imposition of ashes “Repent and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” or in Tagalog, “Magbagong-buhay ka at sa Mabuting Balita sumampalataya” or “Alalahanin mong abo ang iyong pinanggalingan at abo rin sa wakas ang iyong babalikan” will be used.
4. The imposition of ashes is always done in the context of a liturgical celebration. It derives its meaning from the proclamation of the Word and prayers.
5. Priests and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion may visit the sick and the elderly for the imposition of ashes.
6. Let us discourage self-imposition of ashes. We receive the ashes because the call to repentance is addressed to us by Christ through the Church and it is also through the ministry of the Church that we are reconciled with God and each other.
7. The fruit of our Lenten penance can be offered during the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper as our “gifts for the poor.” This is an explanatory rite of the Mass that expresses our responsibility towards the poor of the community. We can also contribute to Alay Kapwa that funds our social services for the poor or to FAST2FEED or Hapag-Asa to feed the hungry and malnourished children.
8. The Rites of Burning of Palms to Ashes and the Mass of Ash Wednesday may be downloaded from the DMLA FB page.

Please be guided accordingly. May you have a meaningful Lenten season. Thank you.

In Christ,

 

(SGD)Rev. Fr. Ron Mariano Roberto
Priest Minister
Diocesan Ministry for Liturgical Affairs

Noted by:
(SGD)Diocesan Pastoral Secretariat