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Lenten promises
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| Kyle Aubert, a sixth-grader at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, receives ashes during Mass on Ash Wednesday from parishioner Mary Lomax, an extraordinary minister for the church. |
By Kassia Micek
The ashes have been washed away and the masses have emptied out of church, but the season of Lent is just beginning.
Today marks the first of six Fridays in the 40-day season that ends during Holy Week and culminates with Easter Sunday, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“Lent signifies the sacrifice Jesus died on the cross for us,” said Olga Wunch, who has two children attending St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School in The Woodlands. “Coming from a Hispanic family, it’s always been sacred. We always sacrifice something and give up something. … We make sure we give up something that is hard for us to give up or change something that helps us become more patient.”
Her 9-year-old son George, a third-grader, is giving up his favorite cookies, Thin Mints.
“We sacrifice something for 40 days because Jesus died on the cross for us and we need to do something for him,” George Wunch said.
Each member of Rhonda Aubert’s family chooses what they want to give up for Lent.
“One year, I gave up coffee and the kids didn’t like that,” said Aubert, who has four children at St. Anthony. “They said, ‘You’re not going to give up coffee this year.’”
She and Lourdes Flanagan, who also has four children at St. Anthony, said their families will listen to the Bible on CD, which the church provided for free.
“If you do this for the entire 40 days, you will have listened to the entire New Testament,” Aubert said.
In addition to listening to the Bible, 11-year-old Kyle Aubert, a sixth-grader, plans to give up Gatorade – his favorite drink – at meals, run to get the mail every day to help train for track and say grace before meals.
“I become more holy when I do more things like listening to the Bible,” Kyle said. “It can become a habit; and maybe after Lent, I will continue to do it and keep doing it.”
The 40-day period is taken from a Bible story.
“Lent is celebrated because Jesus was in the desert for 40 days without food or water,” said 10-year-old Benjamin Fetzer, a fourth-grader at St. James Episcopal School. “We try to give something up we really like.”
For Fetzer, that’s French fries.
Lent began on Ash Wednesday as devoted worshippers flocked to area churches for a symbolic marking brushed on their foreheads.
“They make the sign of the cross on your forehead with the ashes,” George Wunch said.
The ashes are the burnt remains of palms used in the past year’s Palm Sunday service.
“We go up there, and they put ash on your forehead and they say, ‘Remember, you are dust and you will return to dust,’” said 10-year-old Maggie Owen, a fifth-grader at St. James.
In the weeks following Ash Wednesday, followers seek a deeper meaning of their faith and a closer connection to God.
Flanagan said her priest related it to a car needing regular maintenance.
“Our souls need regular maintenance,” she said. “I thought that was great. What a neat way to put it. Lent helps you get closer to God.”
While Catholics give up meat on Fridays in Lent – many churches offer a weekly fish fry – the Flanagans take it a little further and also give up meat on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“It makes you think about it more,” Lourdes Flanagan said. “You pay more attention to it.”
Her son, 14-year-old Matthew Flanagan, an eighth-grader at St. Anthony, is giving up all sweets.
“I think Lent is a time when we can repent for what we’ve done all year and we can turn back to God for all he’s done for us,” he said. “… It reminds you you’re giving up something for God. A little bell rings in your head that you’re doing this for God.”
Today marks the first of six Fridays in the 40-day season that ends during Holy Week and culminates with Easter Sunday, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“Lent signifies the sacrifice Jesus died on the cross for us,” said Olga Wunch, who has two children attending St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School in The Woodlands. “Coming from a Hispanic family, it’s always been sacred. We always sacrifice something and give up something. … We make sure we give up something that is hard for us to give up or change something that helps us become more patient.”
Her 9-year-old son George, a third-grader, is giving up his favorite cookies, Thin Mints.
“We sacrifice something for 40 days because Jesus died on the cross for us and we need to do something for him,” George Wunch said.
Each member of Rhonda Aubert’s family chooses what they want to give up for Lent.
“One year, I gave up coffee and the kids didn’t like that,” said Aubert, who has four children at St. Anthony. “They said, ‘You’re not going to give up coffee this year.’”
She and Lourdes Flanagan, who also has four children at St. Anthony, said their families will listen to the Bible on CD, which the church provided for free.
“If you do this for the entire 40 days, you will have listened to the entire New Testament,” Aubert said.
In addition to listening to the Bible, 11-year-old Kyle Aubert, a sixth-grader, plans to give up Gatorade – his favorite drink – at meals, run to get the mail every day to help train for track and say grace before meals.
“I become more holy when I do more things like listening to the Bible,” Kyle said. “It can become a habit; and maybe after Lent, I will continue to do it and keep doing it.”
The 40-day period is taken from a Bible story.
“Lent is celebrated because Jesus was in the desert for 40 days without food or water,” said 10-year-old Benjamin Fetzer, a fourth-grader at St. James Episcopal School. “We try to give something up we really like.”
For Fetzer, that’s French fries.
Lent began on Ash Wednesday as devoted worshippers flocked to area churches for a symbolic marking brushed on their foreheads.
“They make the sign of the cross on your forehead with the ashes,” George Wunch said.
The ashes are the burnt remains of palms used in the past year’s Palm Sunday service.
“We go up there, and they put ash on your forehead and they say, ‘Remember, you are dust and you will return to dust,’” said 10-year-old Maggie Owen, a fifth-grader at St. James.
In the weeks following Ash Wednesday, followers seek a deeper meaning of their faith and a closer connection to God.
Flanagan said her priest related it to a car needing regular maintenance.
“Our souls need regular maintenance,” she said. “I thought that was great. What a neat way to put it. Lent helps you get closer to God.”
While Catholics give up meat on Fridays in Lent – many churches offer a weekly fish fry – the Flanagans take it a little further and also give up meat on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“It makes you think about it more,” Lourdes Flanagan said. “You pay more attention to it.”
Her son, 14-year-old Matthew Flanagan, an eighth-grader at St. Anthony, is giving up all sweets.
“I think Lent is a time when we can repent for what we’ve done all year and we can turn back to God for all he’s done for us,” he said. “… It reminds you you’re giving up something for God. A little bell rings in your head that you’re doing this for God.”
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Reader Comments
pprwrtr wrote on Feb 27, 2009 9:47 AM:
" mcphee--
maybe you could give up being so "holier-than-thou, pious, obnoxious, and quit telling everyone that "I am a Christian and you go to hell." Bet you can't do that because you are a "Christian" and you said so! "
maybe you could give up being so "holier-than-thou, pious, obnoxious, and quit telling everyone that "I am a Christian and you go to hell." Bet you can't do that because you are a "Christian" and you said so! "
Whiskyecho wrote on Feb 27, 2009 9:53 AM:
" the article, pprwrtrperson, the article - if you must comment, comment on the ARTICLE.. "
Hennessy62082 wrote on Feb 27, 2009 12:36 PM:
" pprwrtr should give up mcphee so we can all be happy "
BigTexN wrote on Feb 27, 2009 2:20 PM:
" I give up pprwrtr and L Concern for Lent...
And, SmokinJoe, for your information...Lent is NOT what you pick out of your belly-button...its what you do when you give your kinfolk some money...DUH! "
And, SmokinJoe, for your information...Lent is NOT what you pick out of your belly-button...its what you do when you give your kinfolk some money...DUH! "
Whiskyecho wrote on Feb 27, 2009 7:29 AM:
-Thin Mints
-coffee
-Gatorade
-French fries
-meat on Fridays - also on Mondays and Wednesdays
-all sweets
what a frickin' joke ! "