Ash Wednesday Mass
The PNP Chaplain Service Director, PBGEN JASON D ORTIZO presided over the celebration of the Ash Wednesday Mass at the St Joseph Chapel, Camp Crame, Quezon City, marking the beginning of the Solemn Lenten Season this February 17, 2021 at 12:15 NN.
Lent is a season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It is period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scriptures, we serve by giving alms and we practice self control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent but to a true inner conversion of the heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.
Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Contemplate the meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God's gifts - not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St John Chrysostom reminds us "Not to enable the poor to share in our good is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not our, but theirs." - USCCB
National Synchronized Interfaith Prayer
On February 4, 2021, the Chaplain Service under the leadership of PBGEN JASON D ORTIZO, Director, together with PCOL ARNULFO A CASTILLO, Deputy Director, PCOL EBRA M MOXSIR, Chief of Staff and other personnel who joined via Zoom and Facebook live, took part in the recital of National Synchronized Interfaith Prayer for Peace in the Philippines and the whole World (2021 version).
For the past two years, the entire PNP had joined religiously in the National Synchronized Interfaith Prayer as initiated by the PasaLord Prayer Movement. This time, the PNP volted-in with the devotees in a MOMENT OF PRAYER at 12:00 NN today - this is the third year that the PNP participated in this noble endeavor. This activity expressed the sense of the Senate (P.S. Res. No. 1002 dated January 28, 2018) in declaring every First Thursday of February starting 2019 as the National Synchronized Interfaith Prayers for Peace and Reconciliation.
The synchronized interfaith prayer also falls within the Week of World Interfaith Harmony Week (annual UN observance week, February 1-7) as supported by Republic Act No. 10525 dated July 23, 2012 - An Act declaring the First Week of February of Every Year as "World Interfaith Harmony Week" in the entire country and mandating its observance by the different government agencies.
Turnover Ceremony
On February 3, 2021, PBGEN JASON D ORTIZO, Director Chaplain Service rendered the opening prayer in the Joint Turnover of Office Ceremony of the Directorate for Research and Development and Directorate for Information and Communication Technology Management Service held at PNP Multi-Purpose Center. Said ceremony was presided by PLTGEN JOSELITO M VERA CRUZ, The Chief of Directorial Staff.
1st Multi-Faith Based Summit
On January 21, 2021 the Philippine National Police through the Chaplain Service under the command of PBGEN JASON D ORTIZO, conducted the 1st Multi-Faith Based Group Summit 2021 with a theme, “A Call for Courage: Volt – in to God Towards a Strong and United PNP” held at the PNP Multi-Purpose Center, Camp BGen Rafael T Crame, Quezon City. The activity was graced by Chief PNP, PGEN DEBOLD M SINAS as the Guest of Honor and Speaker together with PLTGEN CESAR HAWTHORNE R BINAG, TDCO and PMGEN ISRAEL EPHRAIM T DICKSON, TDPRM. CPNP SINAS recognized the significant contributions of the Multi-Faith Based Groups as Force Multipliers of the PNP Chaplain Service in line with the CHS Flagship Programs: LOI 17/10 “SUGO” (Spiritual Upliftment and Growth of the Organization), CMC 03-13 “PAGGABAY” (Pastoral and Family Counseling Initiative) and CMC 55/17 “USAP” (Ugnayan ng Simbahan at Pulisya) and their active support in the PNP Internal Cleansing Program.