Lent Begins

I step forward as the greatest offender of missed deadlines, one who has said too many “thank yous” to others for picking up my slack in preparation for Lent. I was the wayward “chair” of a Lenten committee, started last year in May, the idea of which was to make plans that would lead to mass attendance during this most holy season of the year. We had planned a calendar (with all of the relevant dates and explanations of special services), daily prayers, Stations of the Cross (as in keeping them after our seminarian who started them had graduated on to ordination and a job), and other big ideas. While I was remiss in my duties, many others like Vicki Ledet, have not been.

I’d like to share here just a few pictures that Vicki took, with many more to come as the holy season unfolds.

Here’s a close up of the pancakes served at our Shrove Tuesday supper.




This year, Steve and Connor Mark and Joseph Henry Monti did the honors, flipping the mouthwatering pancakes and decorating the parish hall with Mardi Gras beads.



Note the colors—gold, purple and green. (Purple represents justice; Green represents faith; Gold represents power.)

The Ash Wednesday service was solemn and intimate.



From the BCP, I’ll just write out this short bit here (part of the liturgy), “Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.”




Then we received the blessing from Patricia, the mark of the cross in ashes on our forehead: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.



The choir sang a haunting piece, “View me, Lord, a work of thine” with music by Charles Wood and words by Thomas Campion.



On Friday night, we had a crowd of 85 for a simple dinner of soup (made by Pricilla, I had the leek and potato) and salad, with cheese and capers and little red cherry tomatoes. Hearty whole grain bread with slabs of butter. Madelines, coffee, and fruit for dessert. Many others helped in the kitchen Friday evening, including Pat Berman, Nancy Jean Young, Claudia Gimson, and Nancy Dillon. We all came to hear Sara Miles, our special Lenten lecturer. She spoke at St. D’s Friday night and St. Bede’s Saturday morning. We’ll have more on the lectures here, in both images and words. Stay tuned.

Grace and peace to you all!