Card. Tagle’s call this Lent to feed the hungry children

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle in his Lenten message, humbly asked the faithful to once again participate in the Fast2Feed program of Hapag-Asa aimed to feed hungry and malnourished children in the country’s poor urban and rural communities.

In his Pastoral Letter  released on Ash Wednesday, Cardinal Tagle said that we are     reminded to “return to the Lord, Our God” (cf. first reading, Jl 2:13), and to “be  reconciled to God” (cf. second reading, 2 Cor 5:29).

Cardinal Tagle also said that we are called by the Lord to respond to His call to pray, fast and perform acts of charity. “When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you…When you pray, do not be    like the hypocrites…When you fast, do not look gloomy” (cf. Mt. 6, 1-6, 16-18).

According to Cardinal Tagle, “It only takes Php 1,200.00 for six months-or Php 10.00   per day to bring back a hungry and undernourished child to a healthy state.”

In his circular to his priests in the archdiocese, Cardinal Tagle said that a “Fast2Feed   2017 Fund Campaign envelopes will be distributed to parishes and schools.”  He encouraged “the faithful to offer the Fast2Feed envelope with their donation during   the mass, or to turn it over to the parish office any day after Ash Wednesday.” 

The last part of Cardinal Tagle's Pastoral Letter called on the people to imitate the generosity of the Father and  asked the faithful to continue loving and helping the   poor people especially the children.

“In this season of Lent, we are especially called to imitate the generosity of God,      particularly towards the poor and disadvantaged.  Indeed, “mercy demands that we not simply stand by and do nothing…Those who are weak and vulnerable…ought to feel the presence of brothers and sisters who can help them in their need” (Misercodia       et misera 19, 21). 

Fast2Feed campaign is the flagship program of Pondo ng Pinoy’s Hapag-Asa that    aspires to combat the growing problem of hunger and malnutrition among children in the country. The program aims to raise funds to feed at least 20,000 children for the      whole year with six months duration for Pondo ng Pinoy member dioceses. The program encourages the people to fast during the season of Lent and to donate the money they save to feed the children. (Manila Archdiocese)