The 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Ash Wednesday is right around the corner! Already! I can’t believe it. It really snuck up on us.
In the Church, we have two liturgical calendars that interconnect to make each year utterly unique. The “Sanctoral” calendar goes Jan-Dec and is all about the Saints, hence “sanctoral.” The “Seasonal” calendar goes Advent → Christmas → Epiphany → Ordinary Time → Lent → Easter → Pentecost → Ordinary Time. The Traditional Calendar actually has several more seasons including a pre-Lent, quarterly “Ember Days,” and “Rogation Days” in Autumn.
The way in which each Season and the saints common to it cycle through the week and the secular holidays and the changing events of the world is meant to form a kind of small-scale drama which reveals to those of us paying attention the way in which the Lord wants us to see the world at large.
As Christians, we are not meant to chase the meaningless drama of the world. There’s no real adventure in careerism, politics, the accumulation of wealth, popularity, etc. The real adventure is getting to Heaven and finding in Jesus the love, peace, patience, joy, etc that He offers. The real adventure is fundamentally supernatural. And the Liturgical calendar is meant to reveal that to us in a symbolic and ever changing way.
That’s why I’m such a big fan of odd little traditions like Epiphany Chalk and the Burning of the Greens. There are, in fact, hundreds of those kinds of little traditions. Each of them helps to get our heads out of the world and into the Lord.
For example, there is a bonfire tradition associated with the birth of St. John the Baptist. Scripture says John was six months older than Jesus and so we celebrate his birthday on June 24, six months before Christmas. As Christmas is one of the longest nights of the year, John’s Birthday is one of the shortest. And so there’s a tradition of building a huge bonfire on that night, which symbolizes the time at which the length of the night will begin to increase… The bonfire is blessed with Holy Water and is accompanied by a party as we prepare ourselves to fight against the night which will get longer and longer until Christmas when it will begin to shorten thanks to the power of the Christ Child…
Now, is that mostly an excuse for a party… of course it is! But so are birthdays and basically every “reason” that we party. But the fact that we frame in our minds this or that reason matters. Thinking about the natural world in terms of the power of light and darkness is helpful for us as humans… And the less we remind ourselves of the little ways in which this world reflects the spiritual drama of our lives, the more detached we become from who we truly are. We get gender theory and tiktok.
The way in which we perceive the world matters and, as Christians, the Liturgical Calendar is an incredible assistant to understanding our world and the adventure of living in it as we await the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
Upcoming Events
Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass and Sunday from 9a until Mass
Sunday Morning Catechism in the Hall (with Coffee & Donuts) after the 9:00a Mass during the School Year unless otherwise indicated
Pastoral Council meeting monthly on the third Wednesday at 6p unless otherwise indicated
Feb 2-13 Fr Ryan out of town, no daily Masses. Sat 5:30p & Sun 9:30a as usual, NO LATIN MASS
Feb 15 First Quarter Social - Mardi Gras theme for Potluck Brunch following Sunday Mass
Feb 18 Ash Wednesday - Not a Holy Day of Obligation, Day of Obligatory Fasting
For Your Information:
FORMED.ORG has weekly features at https://watch.formed.org/this-week-on-formed. Remember to sign in using our parish’s zip code (71282) at https://signup.formed.org
ROSARY GROUP meets on Monday at 5:30p for prayer and supper. Everyone is invited. Contact Louise Magoun (318-341-2403), coordinator for more information.
MAUSOLEUM Construction will begin in Summer 2026. Our sales representative, Garth Daniels, can be reached at (318) 295-4409. If you have any questions or you know of anyone else interested in making a purchase, please encourage them to speak with Garth or to call the church office.
SUNDAY MASS INTENTIONS are now available for request. In the past, the Sunday Morning Mass was not available for personal or requested intentions as the Church requires that at least one Sunday Mass be offered for the entirety of the Parish. With the new Latin Mass, Fr Ryan is able to offer the other Sunday Mass for whatever intention you may wish to request.
FIRST QUARTER SOCIAL Potluck Brunch will be in the Church Hall on February 15 following the 9:30am Mass. Margo Corulla and Darryl & Abby Ellerbee will serve as co-chairs. Other committee members include Norman and Marie Ernst, Brian Johnson, Sidney and Mary Jane Johnson, Robbie and Tori Kivett, Brian and Brittany McFall, Ed Mills, Billy and Courtney Nadeau, Teddy and Alyssa Oliver, Mike and Sue Rome, Jason Trichell, Mary Trichell, Levi Washington. Mark your calendars and plan to join in the Mardi Gras celebration.
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Pat & Marleigh Bullard, Patrick Thomas, & Eva & R L Reynolds/family
- Sun 8:00a (Traditional Latin Mass) NO MASS
- Sun 9:30a In memory of Becky Lancaster/family
- Mon-Fri NO MASS
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell (birth anni)/family
- Sun 8:00a (Traditional Latin Mass) PRO POPULO for the living & deceased members of our parish
- Sun 9:30a In memory of deceased members of the Bolton and Howington families
Altar Candles this week are burning in memory of Becky, Beverly, and Edgar Lancaster
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHC(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/7 5:30p | - | MA Gilfoil | (flu season) |
| 2/8 9:30a | Kathleen, Evelyn, Daniel M | S Marsh | - |
| 2/14 5:30p | - | M Rome | (flu season) |
| 2/15 9:30a | Mary Katherine, Maura, Elizabeth | Youth | - |
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2025-2026 | $ 2,500 |
| January Budget | $ 10,000 |
| January Collections | $ TBD |
| January Expenses | $ TBD |
| February Budget | $ 10,000 |
| February 1 Collection | $ TBD |
| February to Date | $ TBD |
Stewardship In the first reading, Isaiah urges us in the name of the Lord to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and clothe the naked. If we do so, he assures us, the Lord will hear and answer our cries for help in time of need.
Community Celebrations
Happy Birthday to Brody Bokros (Feb 14), Jay Bailey (Feb 14), Mike Rome (Feb 14)
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.
For our Pope, Leo XIV, our 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, under full-time care and for those who care for them, and for those otherwise in need of our prayers: MaryKathryn & Nap Book, Chris, Susan, and David Cagnolatti, Connie & Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Leslye Ellerbee, Susan & Johnny Gilfoil, Margaret & Pat Gilfoil,Terry Farlow Hall, Sidney & Mary Jane Johnson, Frances & Bill Kennedy, Ed Mills, Susie Murphy, Bobby Reynolds, Phillip and Peggy Scurria, Mike & Sue Rome, Lori Sullivan
Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Ashley Alexander (Regan), Graham Allen (S Gilfoil), Marie Farlow Bellard, Martha Book, Kay Boolos (S Gilfoil), Chris Breard (Gilfoil), Gayle Brown (Dukes and Oliver), Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Albert Christman, Jeannie & Donald Collins, Teresa Carney Condra, Jami Cook (Wilks), Craig Cox, Gene Cox, Carol Dipert (Rome), Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, Judy Fortenberry, Donna Fulton (Ellerbee), Fred and Cathy Fulton, Morgan, Alex, and Palmer Gilfoil, Thom Gilfoil, Wyly Gilfoil (Gilfoil), LaVonne Givens, Charlotte Green, Rita Hargrave, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Patricia Lively (Wilks), Charles Howington, Callie Halbach Hyams, Jimmy Hopson(Wilks), Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Diane Johnson, Carla Leese (S Gilfoil), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Ruth McDonald (Copes), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Boyce Miller,Mike Morelli, Cole Norris, Randy Parker, Russell and Betty Petersen, David Peterson, Quintin Purvis, John Neill, Curt and Brianne Rome, Bailey, Scott, and Tiffney Rome, Debbie Kedrick Sims, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), Randy Watts, Jr.
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Preston Collins, Henry Ellerbee, Lilly Falgout, Jag Gilfoil, Matilda Johnson, Caroline Marsh, EmmyLu Marsh, Charlize Richardson, Chandler Wood
