The Fifth Sunday of Easter
From The Font
"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.”
Beginning with Sir Isaac Newton and the “age of science,” a new philosophy of religion grew alongside Protestant Christianity in Europe. The scientific idea was to think of the world as mechanical. Chemistry and physics, and to a lesser degree biology, were rewritten as math formulas. Following that lead, philosophers of religion argued that these sciences proved that God’s creation, then, should be thought of as a machine. William Paley said that we should think of God as a clockmaker who constructed the universe, wound it up, and set it in motion.
In Protestant Christian theology, “cessationism” already taught that the Holy Spirit was finished with his work by the time that St John died around 90AD. And so, these ideas all came together very nicely and our modern American Christian way of thinking - both Catholic and Protestant - tends to assume that we are living in a mechanical universe which God adjusts a little from time to time...
But today’s Gospel defies that thinking entirely. The world isn’t the centerpiece! The world is a stage upon which we play out the real drama of being in union with Jesus. In the grand scheme of things, we don’t understand this universe at all. We haven’t even explored our own oceans and caves... We’re still discovering new species of animals daily. Even fundamental “laws of nature” like Gravity are not well understood and integrated into a complete understanding of the universe. The idea that we know how the world works is a delusion. We are able to manipulate a little bit of the world God created... But we don’t understand it. It may be machine-like or not. We don’t know... But it doesn’t matter.
The heart of Christianity is the realization that Jesus calls us to unite ourselves with Him - body, soul, mind, and strength. We don’t do that in isolation living inside a machine and trying to follow a few rules. Union with Jesus is why we’re here on this stage. It’s what matters.
Ultimately, modernity is so cold and depressing because it’s based on bad philosophy... That can seem obtuse and intellectual, but ideas have consequences! While it’s a good idea to learn good philosophy, what matters is Jesus!
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
I am back! Thanks be to God!
As much as I love travel, and I do, there are few things so good as coming home and returning to the familiar. Nothing helps me to appreciate the enormous blessing of the life God has given me like leaving it behind for a bit... Leaving it behind to hike 100 miles... that may be overkill.
So far, I took my group of nine pilgrims from Baton Rouge to southern France, through a city called Pau (pronounced “Pooh”) and to Lourdes. In Lourdes, we drank the miraculous water and I lit small candles for ten individuals in our parish family who are ill and I lit a big candle (4’ x 3”) for all of us. I offered Mass for the pilgrims and for all of you in the Chapel of St Ann which is in the Main Basilica at the top of all the steps. I also attended the candlelight Rosary procession and prayed for all of us.
From there, we traveled by van to a medieval city in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains named Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. This ancient city has become the traditional starting point for the Camino of St James. If you’ve ever walked in the Military Park in Vicksburg and you’ve tackled some of those really steep inclines... Imagine a whole town of steep inclines. The sidewalk on the main street has stairs and risers built into it because on a rainy day, the cobblestones are too slippery and too steep to walk on their own!
The language barrier was also a challenge. I speak Spanish ok when I’ve had some time to get into the right frame of mind. French is harder, but I know enough vocabulary to piece together a few sentences and to order food and to ask questions.
About 6 days into the trip, we began the actual hiking on the Camino. Day 1 was truly brutal. We only walked for about 6 miles, but my Apple Watch said that it was the equivalent of 202 flights of stairs over that distance... It was about 1000m or about 3200’ or about 6/10 of a mile of vertical climb. So you can imagine those steep inclines in Vicksburg, but walking up them for about 6h. It was brutal.
From there, I took a day off to care for a sick pilgrim who needed some medical attention. Then I walked with the group for several more hiking days averaging about 13 miles a day with about 500’ or so of vertical climb on the other side of the mountains.
I left the group in a little village called Los Arcos to journey back here to beautiful Tallulah. The travel was challenging. I’ve decided that Air France is the worst and that even though being forced to spend a night in Paris seems really romantic and wonderful... A cheap hotel is a cheap hotel regardless of the city. And Air France definitely put me in a cheap hotel. After nearly 50 hours of high stress travel with a total of about 5h of sleep, I arrived in Baton Rouge last Thursday night. I woke up early and drove straight here arriving back in the parish with great joy last Friday morning around 7am. Since then, I’ve been playing catch up doing everything from dealing with the Louisiana Cemetery Board to offering Mass at the jail. It is good to be home!!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Jason Jumonville (birth anni on 28th)/family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon No Mass
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Beverly Lancaster (death anni) and Lee Rome (birth anni)/Lancaster
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Thomas Magoun/Magoun
- Thu 5:30p In memory of Rosa and Gus Gremshell and May DiTomasso
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Father Ferre and in honor of Trey Williams/Magoun
- Sat 5:30p In memory of J.E.”Boyzie” Jumonville (death anni)/family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for Living Deceased Members of our Parish
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Chandler Wood
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/27 5:30p | None Scheduled | MK Book | C VanderVieren |
| 4/28 9:30a | Chandler & Annie | M Lancaster | - |
| 5/4 5:30p | None Scheduled | L Bullard | A Keene |
| 5/5 9:30a | MaryKatherine & Courtland | S Marsh | - |
| 5/11 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil | M Ernst |
| 5/12 9:30a | Cooper & Maura | A Oliver | - |
Stewardship The good steward lives the advice of St. John, loving in deed and in truth rather than just talking about it.
THIS WEEKEND (April 28)… SECOND COLLECTION …for Catholic Home MIssions to be used to strengthen the Church at home.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| March Budget | $ 10,555 |
| March Income | $ 16,474 |
| March Expenses | $ 10,693 |
| April Budget | $ 8,444 |
| April 21 Collection | $ 4,445 |
| April Income To Date | $ 5,005 |
Upcoming Events
Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass and on Sunday from 9a until Mass
Sunday Catechism with Coffee and Donuts after Mass unless otherwise indicated
Wednesday Morning Catechism about 9:30 a.m in Church and on Facebook and YouTube
Pastoral Council meeting monthly on the third Wednesday at 6p
April 28 Second Quarter Social will be held following the Sunday Mass and will be our usual Potluck Brunch in the Church Hall. EVERYONE is encouraged to attend. Fr Ryan will talk about his trip to Spain.
May 5 First Holy Communion followed by a reception in the Church Hall for our Faith Family
For Your Information:
ROSARY GROUP… a group of parishioners is meeting on Monday at 5:30 p.m. to pray the Rosary. Everyone is invited to join the group. If you need additional information, please contact the Coordinator, Louise Magoun, at 318-341-2403.
PILGRIMAGE!... Fr Ryan is leading a Pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome in Italy in September of 2024. More information is available at HolyTravels.org/FrHumphriesItaly . Please pass the word around!
FORMED.ORG… FORMED has an entire page of weekly featured videos that are worth checking out at https://watch.formed.org/this-week-on-formed. Remember to sign in using our parish’s zip code (71282) at http://signup.formed.org
SECOND QUARTER SOCIAL …. will be held this weekend following the Sunday Mass and is our usual Potluck Brunch in the Church Hall. EVERYONE is encouraged to attend and join in the festivities. Father Ryan will share experiences from his trip to Spain. Giving leadership to the event are the members of the Second Quarter group (April, May, June) group - Libby Bullard, Angel Farlow, Margaret and Pat Gilfoil, MaryAnne Gilfoil, Terry and Andy Hall, Isabell Hernandez, Cindy and Jamie Howington, Ann Keene, Alyce and C.W. Keene, Elizabeth and Paul Naya, Bobby Reynolds, and Cathy VanderVieren who is serving as chairperson.
FIRST COMMUNION… will be celebrated for Hazel Bedgood and Candler Hamilton on Sunday, May 5, at the 9:30 a.m. Mass. Following Mass, we will have a reception in the Church Hall to afford everyone an opportunity to congratulate our Communicants. Additionally, on May 8, Max Paz of our faith family and Franco and Ian Rodriguez from Vicksburg will make their First Communion at a Mass celebrated in Spanish. A family celebration in Vicksburg is planned afterward.
CONGRATULATIONS… to CHANDLER WOOD, who is being honored this week for the occasion of her graduation from Tallulah Academy. Chandler has been a faithful member of the St Edward faith family serving as an altar server and as a youth lector. She will be missed!
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Norman Ernst II (April 27), Ginny Marsh (April 28), Hunter Sullivan (May 4), Father Ryan Humphries (May 6)
In Our Daily Prayers…
Please let us know of anyone who is ill or hospitalized and would like to receive a visit from Father. Also, help us keep our prayer list up to date by advising us of those who should be added or removed.
Our Pope Francis; Bishop Robert Marshall, and our Diocesan leaders, our President, Governor, Mayor and national, state and local elected representatives
Our parishioners who are sick, shut-in, or otherwise in need of our prayers: MaryKathryn and Nap Book, Connie and Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Leslye Ellerbee, Susan and Johnny Gilfoil, Margaret and Pat Gilfoil, Terry Farlow Hall, C.W. and Alyce Keene, Bill Kennedy, Hannah Wood McCarty, Ed Mills, Terry and Susie Murphy, Bobby Reynolds, Sue & Mike Rome
Those under full-time care: Frances Kennedy
Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Lee Adams (Smith), Ashley Alexander (Regan), Graham Allen (S Gilfoil), Kathryn Wood Allsopp (D Wood), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), James Arceneaux (Book), Marie Farlow Bellard, Tommy Bickham (C Copes), Chris Breard (Gilfoil), David Cagnolatti, Willetta and Mac Cagnolatti, Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Fran Castile (Keene), Jeannie and Donald Collins, Teresa Carney Condra, Jami Cook (Wilks), Bobbe and Gene Cox, Marla Evans Cummings, Carol Dipert (Rome), Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, Monique Florence, Jimmy Fordham (Gustafson & Fordice), Judy Fortenberry, April Franklin (Wilks), Thom Gilfoil, Wyly Gilfoil (Gilfoil), LaVonne Givens, Gail Gilfoil Graugnard, Charlotte Green, Theresa Gunter, Rita Hargrave, Ralph Harris (Gilfoil), Arlice Evans Headley, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Charles Howington, Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Diane Johnson, Chelsea Keene & Andrew Lewis, Emery and Kale Kirkland (Gilfoil), Calvin “Beans” and Lynn Lisonbee, LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), James Albert Martin, Ruth McDonald (Copes), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Boyce Miller, Vickie Morelli (Ernst), John Neill, Caryn Oliver, Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Bailey, Scott and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Janie Saxon (Lancaster), Tuleta Sasser(Wilks), Debbie Kedrick Sims, Tommy Trichell, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), Mary Claire Warner and her parents, MaryBeth and Steve, Randy Watts, Jr
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Preston Collins, Henry Ellerbee, Callie Ezell, Lilly Falgout, Jag Gilfoil, Chris Hall (USMC), Nick Hall, Bruen Johnson, Matilda Johnson, Caroline Marsh, Emmy Lu Marsh, Blake Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Marsh Wood
