FAITH • AT THE TABLE • SEPTEMBER 13, 2026

A Sunday in Lafayette.

Noon Mass at St. Genevieve, a message about forgiveness and a Louisiana lunch shared with Michelle.

Johnson’s Boucanière sign in Lafayette, Louisiana — A familiar Lafayette stop after Sunday Mass.

Michelle and I attended noon Mass at St. Genevieve. The message that stayed with me was direct and uncomplicated:

Forgive.

It is an easy principle to admire and a much harder one to practice—which is probably why I needed to hear it. For me, the homily was not something to leave in the pew. It was something to carry through the doors and into the week ahead.

Then, a table for two.

After Mass, we stopped at Johnson’s Boucanière for an excellent brisket plate lunch, stuffed bread and a few beignets.

A shared table after a brisket plate lunch with stuffed bread and beignets at Johnson’s Boucanière — The aftermath of a very good Louisiana lunch: brisket, stuffed bread and beignets.

Nothing elaborate. Just faith, time together and good Louisiana food.

Culture is not an abstract idea. We preserve it through the churches we attend, the local businesses we support, the meals we share and the way we choose to treat one another.

WHAT I CARRIED HOMEForgiveness—and gratitude for an ordinary Sunday together.