Papal envoy to India celebrates Ash Wednesday Mass in Ranchi

(Feb. 13, 2013) Papal envoy to India, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, marked the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday by celebrating mass at Ranchi in Jharkhand. Pope Benedict XVI had appointed Cardinal Filoni, who is the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, as his envoy to the 50^th anniversary of the minor basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Health of Vailankanni, and the 25^th anniversary of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) of India’s Latin-rite bishops, both of which the prelate solemnized at a mass last Sunday at the Marian shrine. The cardinal’s visit that began 9 Feb. is scheduled to conclude on Saturday (16 Feb) In his homily at mass on Ash Wednesday, Cardinal Filoni told a vast gathering of faithful that the season of Lent is a time of special grace, during which we must try to bring some order in our lives, leave sin behind, grow closer to God and enjoy new life as a result. He said the distribution of ashes reminds us of our mortality and calls us to repentance, fasting and abstinence. He urged all to attend daily Mass during the 40-day period of Lent, receive the Sacrament of Penance more often and pray constantly in this Year of Faith.
Cardinal Filoni said our life must truly reflect the Gospel teaching, so that even the enemies of the Church will respect and accept us. He said a very clear example this in the Indian context is the life of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. In her Letter for Lent 1996, she wrote to her lay co-workers “We need this deep connection with God in our daily life. We can obtain it through prayer”.