March 6 - Ash Wednesday

I am always heartened when I see people setting aside time for God while on vacation. We have Mass every day on this ship and about 50 people show up. When we are at sea, Mass is usually 8:30 am. When we are in port, Mass might be at 5:30 pm or later depending on the times of the tours. Today we are at sea so Mass was at 8:30. Fr. Dumont did not bring purple vestments so he made do with a purple stole and sash. Around 100 people came for Mass! The homily centered on how we can live “Lent” in our own simple ways. Going without meat on a cruise ship is not a big sacrifice. Lobster will most likely be on the menu. However, Fr. D suggested we tell God in our heart that we are not eating meat…even though there is steak on the menu, too! We can also sacrifice our place in line or smile at a person we find annoying. Very practical suggestions.