Catholics explain true meaning of fasting season

Parishioners filled the seats at the Catholic Campus Ministry last Wednesday to mark the beginning of the Lenten Season. Catholic ULM students and members of the community attended the evening Mass to receive their ashes for Ash Wednesday.

According to the Catholic Church, Lent is the period of fasting that starts 40 days before Easter.

Lent corresponds with Jesus Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted and emerged prepared to make his journey to the cross. Catholics, and some  protestants, celebrate Lent to empathize with and gain an understanding of Christ.

“Lent is about you and I getting closer to the heavenly father,” said the Rev. Job Scaria, the priest at the CCM. “Lent is a time in which we spend 40 days of the year trying to imitate Christ, so that we may celebrate Easter.”

He said on Ash Wednesday, Catholics are marked with a black smudge of ash on their foreheads as a way of saying yes, they commit to being like Christ.

“Lent’s a chance for me to grow morally and spiritually, and [provides] a short term goal to become a better person through my faith,” said Michael Roboski, a  sophomore earth science education major at ULM.

Scaria said, “We have to respect each other and have a better understanding of each other.” He wants to bring more knowledge about the Catholic Church to students in order to promote more tolerance of religious beliefs on campus.

Scaria wants to remind students that the CCM has dollar lunches on Thursdays, and there will be a fish fry every Friday during the Lenten Season at lunch at the CCM. The price for the fish fry is $6 for students.