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Penance and Prayer - Thursday, March 10, 2011
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Penance and prayer
Tina Marie Macias • tmacias@theadvertiser.com
• March 10, 2011
The end of Mardi Gras season Tuesday night
marked the beginning of Lent, and the faithful spent
Ash Wednesday preparing for 40 days of penance
and discipline.
Roman Catholics attended Mass on Wednesday and
had their foreheads marked with ashes, a reminder
of their mortality. Ash Wednesday is the first day of
Lent and the start of the holy season that ends with
Easter Sunday.
The season should be a time to focus on
almsgiving, prayer and fasting, said the Rev. Gil
Dutel of St. Edmond Catholic Church.
"Prayer has to do with improving our relationship
with God, almsgiving has to do with improving our
relationship in a spiritual way with other people,
and fasting has to do with improving our
relationship with ourselves," Dutel said.
Parishioners who attended the evening Ash
Wednesday Mass at Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic
Church on the UL campus all had ideas of what they
were giving up, including negative thoughts,
alcohol and hummus.
"I eat it all the time," 20-year-old Barrett Perry said
of the chickpea-based dip. "I probably eat a whole
thing every week."
A couple, Nicholas Potier, 22, and Cabrini Pichon,
21, hoped to "have fun the sober way" this Lent and
planned to stop drinking alcohol.
Jerri Sheramie had a less traditional idea.
"I'm trying to change my mind set about the way I
think. I want to give up negative thinking," she said.
"I think that's better for me than giving up food or
something material."
However menial the sacrifice might seem, however,
the idea is the same, Dutel said.
"The giving up part is in order for us to discipline
ourselves. To discipline oneself is to recognize that
something needs correction or needs changing," he
said.
In practicing almsgiving someone could help out a
family member or friend, or volunteer.
Volunteers often flock to Lafayette Catholic Service
Centers during the Lenten season, said Kimberly B
oudreaux, the executive director of the
organization.
"As Catholics we're not only called to give up things
in our life as part of Lent trying to grow closer to
God," Boudreaux said. "We also try to add things to
ourselves. Service, especially to the poor and the
homeless, is a great way to incorporate that."
The service centers include Bishop O'Donnell
Transitional Housing, Msgr. Sigur Service Center, St.
Joseph Diner, St. Joseph Shelter for men, St. Michael
Center for Veterans, Shelter Plus Care, St. Bernadette
Clinic, New Life Center in Opelousas and New Life
Child Care Center in Opelousas.
Most volunteers help out at the St. Joseph Diner by
serving the poor and homeless. The diner is open
yearlong from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and potential
volunteers can call 232-8434 for more information.
"If they're looking for a longer period of time where
they're looking to commit on a regular basis, I
encourage them to call us we'll do an assessment
and we'll find something that fits their interests and
their skills," Boudreaux said.
The organization's website, catholicservice.org, lists
suggested volunteer opportunities.
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