“Charity, Prayer & Fasting Shouldn’t Happen To Show Off In Front Of People,” Says MGR Charles Scicluna

On Ash Wednesday, Charles Scicluna celebrated Mass marking the beginning of Lent at St Paul's Cathedral, where the traditional blessing and imposition of ashes took place.

In his homily, Archbishop Scicluna highlighted three essential Lenten attitudes proposed by Jesus: charity, prayer and fasting.

He stressed that these should not be practiced “to be seen by others” but as an expression of fidelity to a loving God and as a means to renew within us the spirit of Christ.

Charity, he said, calls for concrete acts of love; prayer reminds believers that they live in God’s merciful presence; and fasting is a discipline that goes beyond abstaining from food, inviting reflection on the consequences of one’s thoughts, words and actions.

Although penitential, the ritual of ashes also carries a message of hope, the good news that God loves us.

Meanwhile, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi celebrated Mass at the Chapel of Our Lady of Manresa in Floriana.

He warned against turning good deeds into a spectacle on social media and described Lent as a hopeful journey of inner renewal, where hearts can change, relationships heal and faith grow.

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