The 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
The Greek words that Jesus uses to describe what human faculties we must engage to love the Lord in this passage are kardias, psychē, ischui, and dianoia.
Kardias (καρδίας) is translated “heart” and it’s where we get our words cardiac and cardioid. To love the Lord with all my heart implies passion, courage and vigor. That also means feelings, but it’s more an active sense of attitudes and intentions than a passive sense of what I happen to feel at any moment.
Psychē (ψυχῇ pronounced “PSOO-khay”) is tougher. It’s usually translated as soul and sometimes as breath or life’s-breath. To love the Lord with all my soul is to engage the energy that gives me life. It means to pour myself out and to wear myself out for love of God and in His service. More than an intellect or passion, I’m engaging my sense of self and those priorities which determine what I do in the short term and in the long term.
Ischui (ἰσχύϊ pronounced is-KHOO-ee) comes from the verb which means to apply force to overcome resistance. So if I’m trying to lift something and I have to stop, reposition my hands and really “put my back into it,” that’s what Jesus means when he says to love the Lord with our strength. We serve the Lord from the depths of our strength - physical, moral and otherwise. We will encounter resistance from ourselves and from others, but we keep going.
Dianoia (διανοίᾳ pronounced dee-AN-oy-ah) is the thinking mind. This is less about IQ or learned knowledge and more about what we might call “reason” or maybe “understanding.” The origin of the word has to do with “thoroughness” and balance. So the idea isn’t loving the Lord by studying or by knowing a lot. It’s love the Lord by using what He gave you and by applying seeking wisdom over just knowledge. There’s also a sense of time built into this word that Jesus chooses. Wisdom takes time. Wisdom involves experience and the habit of making good decisions over time.
The last bit is just as important as the rest! Jesus says that the second half of the great commandment is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, which is where the Good Samaritan comes in. The story of the Good Samaritan does not stand on its own! It’s not a parable or a lesson-story in the way that the Prodigal Son or the Pearl of Great Price is. Jesus proposes the story of the Good Samaritan in the context of explaining how we should love God.
One good way for us to think about this is to consider ourselves as the Samaritan… The victim in the story is overlooked by the righteous jews, and so it falls to us to see their need and love them with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The Samaritan feels for, prioritizes, is thoughtful for, and takes action on behalf of the victim…. If we take love seriously, that’s what we need to do as well. Especially when we recognize a need that others don’t. The point, though, is that the Samaritan loving his neighbor is teaching us how to love God.
Another good way to think about this is to consider ourselves as the victim… The victim is powerless. He has nothing of his own to offer. He is entirely reliant on the love shown to him by another. From the victim’s point of view, love is entirely receptive. When it comes to loving God, we first have to receive love FROM God if we are then to pass it along. One of the most powerfully implied messages in the story is that when the victim recovers, he, himself, will pass it along… He will show love (heart, soul, mind, strength) to others as he, himself, received love. There is a sense in which we can imagine that the Samaritan is able to be good, because he, himself, was shown loving goodness by another.
To love selflessly is to have been loved selflessly. We are all certainly loved by God in that way. If we have also experienced that love from our neighbor (or our family, friends, etc) then we can be all the more grateful to God for sending those people into our lives!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30 pm For a special intention of the Magoun 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 Jack Ellerbee/family
- Mon NO MASS
- Tue 9:00 am In memory of Patrick Thomas/Bullard
- Wed 9:00 am In memory of Rosa & Gus Gremshell and May DiTomasso
- Thu 9:00 am In memory of Bryan Stamey/family
- Fri 5:30 pm In memory of Philip and Nettie Scurria/family
- Sat 5:30 pm In memory of Pat & Marleigh Bullard, Patrick Thomas, and Eva & R L Reynolds/family
- Sun 9:30 am In memory of Kathleen Mills/Massey
Flowers on the Altar are in memory of Jack Ellerbee by his family.
Altar Candles this week are burning in memory of Becky, Beverly, and Edgar Lancaster
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHC(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/12 5:30p | - | L Bullard | L Magoun |
| 7/13 9:30a | Kathleen/Evelyn/Daniel | K Collins | - |
| 7/19 5:30p | - | A Farlow | M Rome |
| 7/20 9:30a | MaryKatherine/Maura/Elizabeth | Youth | - |
Upcoming Events
- Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass and Sunday from 9a until Mass
- July 15 Pastoral Council Meeting - 6 p.m. - Parish Hall
For Your Information:
WELCOME to visiting members of the Reynolds, Neuroth, and Tyron families who are visiting Tallulah this weekend for their annual family reunion! We’re always so happy to have you with us!
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 our other Sunday Mass for whatever intention you may wish to request.
TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS is offered at 8 a.m. on SUNDAY. There is no longer a Mass on Saturday mornings. The Sunday Morning Traditional Latin Mass does count for your Sunday Mass obligation. English translations of the readings and prayers will be provided and the sermon will be in English. MAUSOLEUM We are reaching the end of our sales period for the Mausoleum. It will, of course, be possible to purchase spaces in the future, but our sales representative Garth Daniels will be leaving the area in the next week or so and will not be returning. If you have any questions or you know of anyone else interested in making a purchase, please don’t wait to encourage them to speak with Garth. ALSO, this initial sales period will determine both the viability of the project at all and the size of the building we’re able to erect. If you’re on the fence, the time to decide is now. Anyone wanting information should call (318) 295-4409 right away. PASTORAL COUNCIL will hold its regular meeting on WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2025 at 6:00 p.m in the Church Hall. Appointed members of the Council are: Kathleen Ellerbee, Norman Ernst, Jamie Howington, Elizabeth Naya, Mike Rome, and Shannon Wood.. Appointed as Trustees by the Bishop are Michel Lancaster and Cathy VanderVieren. Appointed by the pastor to serve as Finance Council Chair is Darryl Ellerbee. All members are requested to make a special effort to attend. Parishioners are encouraged to attend and contribute to the discussions.
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.
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
ALTAR CANDLES Anyone wishing to provide candles for the altar in honor of their loved one or in prayer for some intention may do so simply by asking. A small donation is recommended, but not required. A list of dates is in the sacristy and a date can be reserved up to one year in advance.
Our Return to the Lord
Stewardship “The good Samaritan was also a good steward, giving his time and his treasure to meet his neighbor’s need. At the end of this familiar story, Jesus urges his hearers–and us–to go and do the same!
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| June Collections | $ 13,752 |
| June Total Expenses | $ 11,151 |
| July Budget | $ 8,444 |
| July 6 Collection | $ 2,698 |
| July Collections To Date | $ 2,698 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday to Aidan Collins (July 12), Sue Rome (July 16), Caroline Marsh (July 19)
Happy Anniversary to Beth and Chip Sullivan (June 19)
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, 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
Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Ashley Alexander (Regan), Graham Allen (S Gilfoil), Marie Farlow Bellard, Nap and 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), Mike Coullard (Oliver), Gene Cox, Marla Evans Cummings, Carol Dipert (Rome), Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, Judy Fortenberry, April Franklin (Wilks), Fred and Cathy Fulton, Thom Gilfoil, Wyly Gilfoil (Gilfoil), LaVonne Givens, Charlotte Green, Rita Hargrave, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), 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, John Neill, Bailey, Scott, and Tiffney Rome, Janie Saxon (Lancaster), Sara and Jess Shields (Keene), Debbie Kedrick Sims, Tommy Trichell, 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
