The Solemnity of Christ the King
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Kingship is about war… In times of peace, people can govern themselves however they like. They can be united or dissociated. There can be trade-driven, diplomacy-driven, even philosophy-driven societies. But war calls for a ruler - a shot caller - a king.
The Jews asked God for a king because they were at war with the Philistines and the Assyrian empire. They got Saul, who stunk. And then David, who won. But he had his own secondary problems.
The problem with war, though, especially nowadays, is that unless the war is really bloody and awful in a public way, most people don’t know it’s happening.
And that’s where we find ourselves as Christians in the world of today. We - as Christians - are at war. Most of us, though, don’t notice it.
Individually, we’re at war with our own human nature that wants to make my own desires into little Gods within… We’re all at war with ourselves. That’s why St. Paul in the second reading talks about “making peace by the blood of his cross.”
As families, there’s a little war there too. I’m not talking about interpersonal conflict, but about the genuine struggle to love one another while at the same time our kids have to learn what love is and our parents have to learn new lessons about themselves and their own needs almost daily. God establishes us as families for just this reason, but there’s a constant, little war happening within every real family.
Even moreso, we need Christ as our King because we’re in a very real war as Christians against the world around us.
Our society all-but-worships perversion and sin. The only way not to see it is to consciously ignore it. Our society is obsessed with vice. The seven deadly sins are basically the political program for most of the nation! Pride, greed, wrath/power, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth… Is anyone at the national level of politics against any of these?
Our congress is crowded with people who have a terrifying record of abusing children and covering for others like them - committing most of the deadly sins in the process. Our Church leadership has spent the last decades identifying and removing the same kind of people from within the Church. (Nowhere near as many as the press would have us believe, but far, far too many to be accidental.)
We are 100% - without question - at war.
It’s telling that many of these problematic people in the Church have made such an effort to downplay the image of Christ the King and to downplay the Solemnity of our Worship in the past 60 years.
The recent funeral of Queen Elizabeth and the coronation of King Charles was remarkable because it showed the logic behind royalty and the solemnity of the rituals associated with it.
Christ the King SHOULD be a time of profound SOLEMNITY. Everything to do with kings should be solemn. Casual worship in the Catholic Church began in the 1965 or so. By 1969, almost 10% of American nuns and priests had abandoned their vows and left the Church… 5 years. As of 2015, about 85% of nuns and about 75% of priests had abandoned their vows compared to 1965. Nowadays, fewer than 17% of people who self-identify as Catholic attend Mass regularly and fewer than 3% of all those who were Baptized as Catholics do.
We’re at war with the world and with our own fellows. But we have all the tools we need right here to put everything right.
JESUS IS LORD! HE IS KING OF EVERYTHING!
Every time we come to him casually, we train ourselves to reject that truth. Every time we come to him with solemnity, we train ourselves to know and to believe that Jesus is Lord.
It’s not that the king cares about His crown or the incense or the solemnity we show, it’s that we care at a level deep within us. It matters TO US! We NEED a King! We NEED solemnity and seriousness!
And so whatever is happening around us, if we want to grow in Faith and if we want some help fighting that war within, SOLEMNITY is one of the most virtuous and powerful tools that Christ the King offers us. Thankfully, it’s built right into our Church and our human nature.
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30 pm In memory of Louise Testa/family
- Sun 8:00 am (Traditional Latin Mass) PRO POPULO for the living & deceased members of our parish
- Sun 9:30 am In memory of deceased members of the Roy and Johnson families
- Mon 9:30 am In memory of Joan Hennessey Koestler/Guizerix
- Tues 9:30 am In memory of Kathleen Mills/Massey
- Wed NO MASS
- Thu NO MASS
- Fri NO MASS
- Sat 5:30 pm In memory of Marleigh Bullard/family
- Sun 9:30 am In memory of Delia Trichell/Hayes
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Blanche and Prentiss Wilks
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHC(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/22 5:30p | - | P Wilks | C VanderVieren |
| 11/23 9:30a | Michael and Ashlyn | S Marsh | - |
| 11/29 5:30p | - | L Bullard | M Ernst |
| 11/30 9:30a | Kathleen, Evelyn, Daniel | A Oliver | - |
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
- Nov 22/23 Angel Tree project begins - select a person for whom you would “gift” for Christmas
- Nov 23 Thanksgiving Social - Potluck Brunch following Sunday Mass
- Nov 26-28 Father Ryan out of town - NO DAILY MASS
- Dec 21 Birthday Party for Jesus following Sunday Mass in Church Hall
- Dec 21 Adult Christmas Party in Church Hall - 5:30 p.m.
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 5:30 p.m. to pray the Rosary. Everyone is invited to join in prayer. For more information, contact Louise Magoun (318-341-2403), coordinator.
MAUSOLEUM Construction will begin in 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.
ANGEL TREE 2025 - If you would like to participate in our Angel Tree Project, please go to the Church Hall and select the Angel for whom you would like to provide a gift. Our coordinators, Dana Hamilton and Dana Dukes, have indicated that they would like all gifts to be brought to the Church Hall by December 14.
FOURTH QUARTER SOCIAL Sunday, November 23 following Mass!. The Committee is led by Skeeter & Blanche Wilks and Louise Magoun with assistance from Leslye Ellerbee, Susan & Johnny Gilfoil, Sherry Lynn & Timmy Harris, Michael Lancaster, Billy & Ginny Marsh, William & Sharyn Marsh, Hannah McCartney, Sug Regan, and Skipper & Christy Guizerix.
NEW BABY ANNIE JANE BIGELOW was born on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 in Monroe to John Luke and Anna Ginn Bigelow. Our parishioner, Mary Anne Gilfoil is Annie Jane’s grandmother while Pat and Margaret Gilfoil are her great grandparents. Congratulations!
PRAYER FOR HURRICANE SEASON Our Father in Heaven through the intercession of our Lady of Prompt Succor, spare us during the Hurricane Season from all harm. Protect us and our homes from all disasters of nature. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hastened to help us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen (Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30)
Stewardship Today, we celebrate Christ the King and are reminded that all was created through Him and for Him. Does my stewardship of the blessings entrusted to me give evidence that Christ is Lord of my life?
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2025-2026 | $ 2,500 |
| October Budget | $ 10,000 |
| October Collections | $ 12,517 |
| October Expenses | $ 11,629 |
| November Budget | $ 12,500 |
| November 16 Collection | $ 6,462 |
| Collections To Date | $ 13,356 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Darryl Ellerbee (Nov 22), Will Richardson (Nov 26), Sherry Lynn Harris (Nov 29), Frances Kennedy (Nov 29), Courtney Ernst Nadeau (Nov 29), Lance Marsh (Nov 30), Valerie Paz (Nov 30, 2020)
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, Mike & Sue Rome, Lori Sullivan
Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Ashley Alexander (Regan), Graham Allen (S Gilfoil), Marie Farlow Bellard, Anna and John Luke Bigelow, Martha Book, Kay Boolos (S Gilfoil), Dick & Sue Boyd (S Gilfoil), Chris Breard (Gilfoil), Gayle Brown (Dukes and Oliver), Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Fran Castile (Keene), Caroline and 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, April Franklin (Wilks), Fred and Cathy Fulton, Morgan and Alex Gilfoil, Thom Gilfoil, Wyly Gilfoil (Gilfoil), LaVonne Givens, Charlotte Green, Rita Hargrave, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Patricia Lively (Wilks), Lonnie Hollowell (Naya), Charles Howington, Callie Halbach Hyams, Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Diane Johnson, Carla Leese (S Gilfoil), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Boyce Miller,Cole Norris, Randy Parker, Russell and Betty Petersen, David Peterson, Quintin Purvis, John Neill, Bailey, Scott, and Tiffney Rome, Sara and Jess Shields (Keene), 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, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Chandler Wood, Marsh Wood
