{"id":2038,"date":"2024-02-07T01:29:21","date_gmt":"2024-02-07T01:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/?p=2038"},"modified":"2024-02-07T01:29:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T01:29:21","slug":"on-love-and-lent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/","title":{"rendered":"On Love and Lent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Gladys Serafica<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DARAGA, Albay \u2013 In case you haven\u2019t checked your February 2024 calendar yet, Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With two seemingly contrasting holidays sharing the same date\u2014as the start of the liturgical 40-day season of Lent requires fasting and abstinence while the most romantic day of the year encourages luxurious indulgences\u2014this year\u2019s February 14th is bound to test people\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The February 14 conundrum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Catholic faithful and other Christian denominations who observe Lent, this year\u2019s calendar mash-up provides a challenging conundrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because Ash Wednesday officially starts the 40-day period of prayer, fasting, and alms giving in preparation for the celebration of Christ\u2019s Paschal Mystery, which is commemorated during the Holy Week, this sacred day, along with Good Friday, requires obligatory fasting and abstinence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, Catholics over the age of 14 must abstain from consuming meat, while those aged 18 to 59 are permitted to eat only one full meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fr. Kevin James Fonacier, parochial vicar at St. Jude Thaddeus Filipino-Chinese Personal Parish in Legazpi City, however, clarified that abstinence goes far beyond meat intake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCatholics are to give up not just meat but also other indulgences to unite one\u2019s self to the sacrifice of Jesus on the desert, which is the inspiration of the celebration of the season of Lent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from prayer, fasting, and abstinence, Catholics are also encouraged to spend time helping those in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in a country known for its penchant for excessive consumerism and romantic indulgences, the ethos and ascetic practices of Ash Wednesday seemingly stand in stark contrast with the obsessive materialism of Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, renowned anthropologist Nestor Castro, who is an expert on Philippine culture, said Feb. 14 is often celebrated by couples and lovers with fancy dinners, bouquets of red roses, heart-shaped balloons, decadent chocolates, and grand displays of affection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He believes that these Valentine\u2019s Day practices will continue, even if it is Ash Wednesday, because \u201cFilipinos differentiate religiosity with sexuality.\u201d So how should Catholics observing Lent navigate the Valentine\u2019s Day fever?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fonacier said the solution lies in being \u201ccreative\u201d when it comes to showing love for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Maria Jira Apuya, a mother who has been married for 14 years, being \u201ccreative\u201d means moving the celebration to a later date, going for meatless alternatives, and refraining from sweet treats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAsh Wednesday is a holy day, so it can\u2019t be rescheduled. Valentine\u2019s Day celebrations can wait,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This coming 14th, this special education teacher said receiving the cross of ashes on her forehead will be at the top of her list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAsh Wednesday calls for self-sacrifice,\u201d she said, adding that instead of going on a family date, they intend to use the time for spiritual introspection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making the secular sacred<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2018 and 1945, Ash Wednesday also coincided with Valentine\u2019s Day. These two holidays are bound to overlap again in 2029 and 2096, just a few years before the century ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it may seem contrapuntal to start the penitential season on the most romantic day of the year, Fr. Fonacier said observing Ash Wednesday on February 14 is a \u201cvery good opportunity for Catholic Christians to really reflect on the magnanimity of love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe cross is the ultimate symbol of divine love. God, who so loved us, sent His only Son so that we might be saved. It is a love that is sacrificial as well as life-giving, a kind of love that everyone should aspire to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In navigating this calendar collision this 2024, he reminds the faithful to keep the start of the Lent season a priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an American cartoon strip cleverly puts it, \u201cValentines are red, Wednesday\u2019s ashes are gray. You can\u2019t spell Valentine without \u201clent\u201d on this day.\u201d (PNA)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Gladys Serafica DARAGA, Albay – In case you haven’t checked your February 2024 calendar yet, Ash Wednesday falls on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nOn Love and Lent - CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"On Love and Lent - CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Gladys Serafica DARAGA, Albay – In case you haven’t checked your February 2024 calendar yet, Ash Wednesday falls on\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-02-07T01:29:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/4206493956285568460788523300445709877779369n-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"415\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"260\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#\/schema\/person\/bd853cb635a9b7d9aa2333fe921239a8\"},\"headline\":\"On Love and Lent\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-07T01:29:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/\"},\"wordCount\":634,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/4206493956285568460788523300445709877779369n-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Feature News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/\",\"name\":\"On Love and Lent - CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/4206493956285568460788523300445709877779369n-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-07T01:29:21+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/4206493956285568460788523300445709877779369n-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/4206493956285568460788523300445709877779369n-1.jpg\",\"width\":415,\"height\":260},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"On Love and Lent\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/\",\"name\":\"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\",\"description\":\"PAHAYAGAN NG TUNAY NA CAVITE\u00d1O\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#organization\",\"name\":\"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/CTJ-LOGO.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/CTJ-LOGO.jpg\",\"width\":360,\"height\":100,\"caption\":\"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#\/schema\/person\/bd853cb635a9b7d9aa2333fe921239a8\",\"name\":\"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b63de9ec9d02248cd7554f8b3d2c2941?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b63de9ec9d02248cd7554f8b3d2c2941?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/author\/ctj_ronalyn\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"On Love and Lent - CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"On Love and Lent - CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL","og_description":"By Gladys Serafica DARAGA, Albay – In case you haven’t checked your February 2024 calendar yet, Ash Wednesday falls on","og_url":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/","og_site_name":"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL","article_published_time":"2024-02-07T01:29:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":415,"height":260,"url":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/4206493956285568460788523300445709877779369n-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/"},"author":{"name":"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL","@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#\/schema\/person\/bd853cb635a9b7d9aa2333fe921239a8"},"headline":"On Love and Lent","datePublished":"2024-02-07T01:29:21+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/"},"wordCount":634,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/4206493956285568460788523300445709877779369n-1.jpg","articleSection":["Feature News"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/","url":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/","name":"On Love and Lent - CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/4206493956285568460788523300445709877779369n-1.jpg","datePublished":"2024-02-07T01:29:21+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/4206493956285568460788523300445709877779369n-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/4206493956285568460788523300445709877779369n-1.jpg","width":415,"height":260},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/07\/on-love-and-lent\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"On Love and Lent"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/","name":"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL","description":"PAHAYAGAN NG TUNAY NA CAVITE\u00d1O","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#organization","name":"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL","url":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/CTJ-LOGO.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/CTJ-LOGO.jpg","width":360,"height":100,"caption":"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#\/schema\/person\/bd853cb635a9b7d9aa2333fe921239a8","name":"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b63de9ec9d02248cd7554f8b3d2c2941?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b63de9ec9d02248cd7554f8b3d2c2941?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CAVITE TIMES JOURNAL"},"url":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/author\/ctj_ronalyn\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2038"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2040,"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038\/revisions\/2040"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cavitetimesjournal.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}