The Epiphany of our Lord
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
In the early Church, priestly ministry was very, very local. A bishop in the second or third century would have had a Cathedral Church and maybe four or five other churches to serve with his staff of several priests and deacons. And so, each Bishop was generally able to know each family in his diocese and to travel to the home of each Catholic family on a somewhat regular basis. Most bishops got into the habit of making their visits and blessing each home at the beginning of the year, around the time of Epiphany. As the Church grew in numbers, especially in larger cities, the bishop and his priests were stretched farther and couldn’t bless every home in a timely way.
Two traditions arose as a result. First, the bishop and the priests blessed water at Epiphany which could be used for house blessings throughout the year. (At this point in Church history, there were several types of Holy Water and both Easter Water and Epiphany Water were commonly kept on hand for blessings of items or things.)
In addition to the water, a tradition arose of marking homes in honor of the wise men. The bishop or the priest would mark the transept of the main door of the home with the year and the initials of the wise men (Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar). For 2026:
MM + C + M + B + XXVI
As the Church grew, the priests would bless the epiphany water and bless the marking chalk and send the faithful their own homes to inscribe a blessing upon their doorposts. This, of course, was not universal - very few of these sorts of devotions were universal in the very early Church. But the tradition grew and developed over time and became popular in the so-called French School of Spirituality which was then brought to the United States by the earliest French, Belgian, and Dutch missionaries.
This inscription is designed both to mark the home as a place where a committed Catholic lives and to remind everyone who passes through the door of the true meaning of Epiphany which begins by realizing that the Lord made Himself known to us in a specific space and time. The letters do double duty as the initials of the Wise Men and as an acronym for the Latin phrase Christus Mansionem Benedicat (“Lord, Bless this home”).
While it’s overshadowed by Christmas, the event of the Epiphany is an incredibly important one… While many of us simply assume that we’re heading for heaven (a dangerous assumption), the truth is that God chose a specific people - the Jews. As such, only the Jews had any reason to believe that the resurrection of the dead would apply to them. When the Wise Men from the East recognized God’s design and they found the Christ child and were welcomed by Him… Symbolically, this is the sign in the scriptures that Jesus came not only to save the Jews (symbolized by the shepherds), but also to save gentiles (symbolized by the magi). It’s an incredibly important moment and so we, as the gentiles we are, mark our homes with the names of those gentiles who symbolize our admission into the promise of being chosen by God. Simply make the marking that you see here above the door (on the frame) with blessed Epiphany Chalk and add a prayer of your own choosing to thank God for His goodness to us.
I should add that this isn’t some kind of totem, taboo, magic or other wacky thing. This is kind of like making the sign of the cross with your house instead of your hand. It’s meant to convey a real blessing and then to remind us of God’s work in our lives. Beyond this blessing and marking, the chalk is not special and can’t be used to convey other blessings. You can’t, sadly, mark the cross on your misbehaving child or your broken TV...
I also encourage you to make sure everyone in your home understands the message of the chosenness of the Jews and the meaning of the gentile wise men so that when people ask what that writing is - we’re able to use it for a little evangelization.
This is also an ideal time to invite your pastor over to your home for a yearly house blessing… and maybe a piece of pie.
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
- Jan 3/4 First Sunday weekend Benediction following Masses
- Jan 8 Feast of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Patroness of Louisiana
- Jan 16 Quarterly Mass for Healing
- Jan 21 Pastoral Council Meeting - 6 pm - Parish Hall
- Feb 15 First Quarter Social - Mardi Gras theme for Potluck Brunch following Sunday Mass
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.
FIRST SUNDAY BENEDICTION will be offered after all Masses on the weekend of January 3-4, 2026 as part of our larger program to develop Eucharistic Devotion and to appreciate the gift we have in the Most Holy Eucharist.
EMPOWERING GOD’S CHILDREN… parish volunteers must be VIRTUS trained and go online regularly at Virtus.org for the latest training bulletins. Any questions or issues can be reported to the office. Printed resources are available on the table at the entrance to the Church: “Protecting our Children, Understanding and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse” includes Resources and Contact Numbers for reporting abuse; “Protecting God’s Children, Teaching Touching Safety Quick Reference Guide”; The Diocesan Policy for the Protection of Minors and The Diocesan Code of Pastoral Conduct for Priests, Deacons, Pastoral Ministers, Administrators, Staff, and Volunteers are available in the Safe Environment section of the diocesan website at DioceseAlex.org or a copy may be requested from the Safe Environment Office (318) 445-2401.
PLEDGE TO HEAL...If you or a family member has been abused or victimized by a representative of the Catholic church or a member of the clergy, please believe in the possibility for hope and help and healing. Dr. Lee Kneipp, Clinical Psychologist, Victim Assistance Coordinator, Diocese of Alexandria encourages those persons to come forward and speak out. Dr. Kneipp is establishing support groups in the central Louisiana area for victims and family members. The focus of these groups is to further emotional and spiritual healing as an adjunct to therapy, in an atmosphere of others who understand the pain, betrayal, and fear associated with abuse. Dr. Kneipp can be reached at 318-542-9805. All calls are confidential.
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Eliette Maria Mendoza Villasenor/Arturo & Gabby Meza
- 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 Johnson and Roy families
- Mon NO MASS
- Tues 9:00a In memory of Carol Folk LaHitte/P Lancaster
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Joe Farlow/Bellard
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Neal Bolton (death anni)/Howington (Legacy Nursing Home)
- Fri 5:30p In thanksgiving for C W Keene/family
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Curt Farlow (death) and Anna May Farlow (birth)/VanderVieren
- Sun 8:00a (Traditional Latin Mass) PRO POPULO for the living & deceased members of our parish
- Sun 9:30a In memory of Louise Testa (birth annni)/Magoun
Altar Candles this week are burning in honor of Vicki Morelli
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHC(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/3 5:30p | - | C VanderVieren | M Ernst |
| 1/4 9:30a | Kathleen, Evelyn, Daniel | C Guizerix | - |
| 1/10 5:30p | - | P Wilks | N Ernst |
| 1/11 9:30a | MaryKatherine, Maura, Elizabeth | J Howington | - |
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2025-2026 | $ 2,500 |
| November Budget | $ 12,500 |
| November Collections | $ 17,012 |
| November Expenses | $ 11,641 |
| December Budget | $ 10,000 |
| December 28 Collection | $ 9,370 |
| Collections To Date | $ 19,861 |
Stewardship Today we remember the three wise men from the East who came to pay homage to the infant Jesus, bridging him rich gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gifts we bring–our time and service and some share of what we earn for the work we do–are equally precious in His sight.
SECOND COLLECTION This weekend’s second collection is our once-a-month Building Fund collection.
NEXT WEEKEND SECOND COLLECTION to support our Diocesean Newspaper “The Church Today”.
Community Celebrations
Happy Birthday to Beth Sullivan (Jan 4), C. W. Keene (Jan 9), Matilda Johnson (Jan 10)
Happy Anniversary to Elizabeth and Paul Naya (Jan 4), Abby and Darryl Ellerbee (Jan 5), Alyssa and Teddy Oliver (Jan 10)
In Our Daily Prayers…
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, 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), Lonnie Hollowell (Naya), 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, 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
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.
Novena to St Jude • O Holy Saint Jude, Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor for all who invoke you, special patron in time of need; to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart, and humbly beg you, to whom God has given such great power, to come to my assistance; help me now in my urgent need and grant my earnest petition. I will never forget thy graces and favors you obtain for me and I will do my utmost to spread devotion to you. Amen! St Jude, pray for us and all who honor Thee and invoke thy aid. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be three times.
