COEUR d'ALENE - Lent, said Father Francisco Godinez, is a time to discover inner attitudes "that may be the root of our sins or sinful behavior."

It's a time for self-examination.

There's another way to look at it, too.

Sometimes, he said, "we need to have a spiritual colonoscopy."

"We need to go deep in ourselves and look at ourselves very closely," Godinez said. "I'm talking about our souls," he added with a smile as many of the 150 people seated in St. Pius X Catholic Church chuckled.

The wooden pews were filled for the noon service on Ash Wednesday. For the Roman Catholic Church, it's the first day of Lent, "the season of preparation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday."

There was song, prayer, praise and ashes in the sign of the cross placed on foreheads of each person to signify they were a follower of Jesus Christ.

"Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return," said Father Roger LaChance as he used his fingers to rub ashes on a church-goer.

In his 15-minute sermon, Godinez explained that Lent is a time - 40 days - of fasting, prayer, sacrifice, abstinence and discipline.

Hopefully, it will lead to a daily habit beyond Easter.

"It helps us, it prepares us, it disposes us to be open to the word of God, so we can hear him clearly," he said.

Godinez shared a story of his youth, when in anger, he ran away from home and went to his grandparents' house. He stayed for a week. His mother begged him to come home.

"We love you, return to us," she said.

The son did.

God invites people in the same way, to return to him, and Lent is a good time to reflect, look within, and remove what is bad. Consider Lent a "Catholic colonscopy," Godinez said.

But despite good intentions, many won't change their ways and will continue sinning against God.

"The ashes we will receive on our forehead will be a reminder of our human condition," he said.

People must give their time, their talents and their treasures to the Lord, he said. It is time for change.

"This Lent has to be different," Godinez said. "We have to go closer to God."

Neal Buechner, leaving the church with ashes on his head, said it was his first time attending an Ash Wednesday service.

He said he believes in Jesus Christ.

"I wanted to know what it was all about. That's basically it. I wanted to know how the Catholics worship Jesus," he said.

Leah Moeller said Lent is a time to prepare for Christ, and that means prayer and reading religious books and articles.

Catholics generally give up something for the 40 days of Lent.

"I would think a good thing would be to give up smoking," Buechner said.

Joane Pfarr, 85, left St. Pius with the assistance of her daughter, Christine Singer. Pfarr, speaking in a whisper, plans to fast, pray and sacrifice during Lent to honor God.

"I wanted to do what he did," she said.

Singer said Lent is a time for a rebirth, "so we're more holy and worthy of God's grace."

She intends to give up wine for Lent.

"I was going to have wine tonight, and I went, 'Oh darn,'" she said, laughing. "I'm not a big wine drinker, but I do enjoy wine."

Pfarr, who lives at an assisted living home, said they were going to have ice cream Wednesday night.

"I like it," she said. "But I'm giving it up."