Christendom will observe the First Sunday of the 40-day Lenten season on Feb. 26.
Considered by Roman Catholics as the holiest time of the year, the faithful are encouraged to do charity work, almsgiving, to go to confession and to offer sacrifices in observance of Lent and the coming Holy Week.
The confessional in all churches will be available for longer hours during Lent to give churchgoers more opportunity to avail of the Sacrament of Penance while still being mindful of the minimum health standards against Covid-19.
The Church encourages the faithful to engage in more charity and missionary work in their local parishes, to receive Holy Communion often, and to support the Church’s Fast2Feed program, which encourages the faithful to donate the money that was saved from fasting to their parish to help feed malnourished children.
Also known as Quadragesima Sunday, which means 40th in Latin, the first Sunday of Lent signifies that there are exactly 40 days from today until Good Friday.
On all Sundays of Lent, it has become customary to dispense from fasting and abstinence as Sundays are considered a day of rejoicing, being the day when the Lord resurrected. Sundays are also not counted among the 40 days of Lent.