The 6th Sunday of Easter
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Jesus said: ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.’
Jesus is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life. Basic logic says that if we believe He is who He says He is, then we should obey each and every one of His teachings and commands.
Of course, He’s had some sketchy followers! As Brennan Manning put it: “the greatest single cause of atheism... is Christians.” And so one has to carefully draw a line between what is the truth of Jesus Christ and what this or that self-serving Christian says it is - be they a layman, nun or pope. Brennan Manning left the priesthood, after all...
We also have the modern problem of “what does the Church actually teach?” The 1993 Catechism of the Catholic Church is AMAZING and remarkably clear if you really read it. But many Churchmen have the bad habit of speaking without precision and the world around us is full of smart-sounding charlatans who are quick to use all the tricks of persuasion in their self-serving pursuits.
So the real question of obedience isn’t so much “should I obey?” as it is “what should I actually do?”
Thankfully, Catholicism is remarkably simple. We should go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Day. We should go to Confession monthly. We should obey the moral law (which isn’t that complicated) and when we’re confronted with something unclear - we should do some research. Read the Catechism and ask a few priests. Our attitude has to be truth seeking, not loop-hole seeking, though! Beyond that, we should pray, fast, and do works of mercy. We should read scripture and try to be virtuous.
There are deeply complex questions out there, but most of us aren’t really going to have to face them head on. And so, for most of us, if we love Jesus, we need to receive the Sacraments, be faithful to a personal spiritual life, and live the moral life with honest intention to love the Lord in our deeds.
Also… Happy Mothers’ Day!
I want to show some special love to our moms today. None of us would be here without them. Moms (and in a different way, Dads) co-create with God. That’s an incredible privilege! Stop and consider it for a moment. I, as a priest, participate in the sanctifying work of the Lord. It’s rad! But moms participate in the creative work of the Lord. Moms’s participation is a lot more visceral, but just as important. S we don’t want to miss just how big a deal being a mom is!
I also want to take a moment to show some very special love to those women who want or desire or would intend to be moms, but who are unable. In many ways, these women are like the martyred disciples who love Jesus and desire to be united to Him in Baptism, but the messiness of the world gets in the way. We describe those martyrs as having a “baptism of desire” or, less commonly, “baptized by intent.” Since the rise of the birth control pill and the massive over-medication of Americans in the past century, many, many women desire to conceive a child, but are unable to do so. It’s an incredibly painful situation to be in! The Lord tends to comfort those women by giving them spiritual children by means of ministry or by means of nieces and nephews. We should really pay attention to the importance of the motherly role that these incredible women play in the world and in the Church! Wise people have always understood why some nuns are called “mother.” In our own community, we have several women who are without their own natural children and who are just as motherly and no less important! It’s important that we realize that every human being is called to be a brother or sister to their peers and to be a father or mother to the young. In some cases, a grandmotherly bop on the head is the best way to get a child to quiet down in Church!! In others, a child may find comfort in sitting in the pew with a mother-figure even when his own natural mother is in the pew across the way with his or her siblings. This is the richness of the idea of motherhood.
As with all things, there is a blessing in the natural reality and a further blessing in the supernatural reality. Whatever our circumstances in the natural order, I wish the happiest of Mothers’ Day to all our moms here at St Edward!!
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
- May 10 Mother’s Day
- May 16 Primera Comunión para niños que hablan español a las 13:00h ¡Todos son bienvenidos!
- May 20 Pastoral Council Meeting meeting - 6pm in the Parish Hall
- June 7 Second Quarter Social - Potluck Brunch following 9:30a Mass at the Parish Hall mark your calendar
For Your Information:
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.
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
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.
ATTENTION ST EDWARD YOUTH Mrs. Dana Hamilton has volunteered to organize several events, trips, and activities for teens from grades 6-12. She will be calling a meeting soon (probably on a Sunday). If you are interested in helping her or your children are interested in participating, please touch base with Dana or let Fr Ryan know. More info is forthcoming.
SECOND QUARTER SOCIAL will be a potluck Brunch on Sunday, June 7 following the 9:30 a.m. Mass. Everyone is invited to attend and celebrate the beginning of Summer. Get out your recipes and find something interesting to prepare and share!!! The Second Quarter (April, May, June) Social Committee is chaired by Cathy VanderVieren and includes 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, Frances Kennedy, Elizabeth and Paul Naya, and Bobby Reynolds.
PILGRIMAGE TO ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC CHURCH, Waterproof, LA is on Monday, May 18. Anyone interested in participating is invited to meet at the Church parking lot for 10a. We will carpool to reduce the number of vehicles. Fr. Taylor Reynolds will offer Mass at 11a, and, following Mass, the group will pray the Rosary. On the return to Tallulah, Dutch-treat lunch is planned in St Joseph.This is to honor the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis and is an official Jubilee Year devotion. Louise Magoun is serving as the coordinator and she can be contacted by text or phone at 318-341-2403.
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Donald and Payton Trichell/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 Howington and Bolton families/family
- Mon NO MASS
- Tues 9:00a In memory of Fred Wyly (anni of birth)/Magoun
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Joe Farlow/Bellard
- Thu 9:00a (Legacy Nursing Home) For healing for Patricia Guizerix/family
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Dale Magoun (anni of birth)/Magoun
- Sat 5:30p In memory Gail Graugard and Mary Agnes York/P Gilfoil
- Sun 8:00a (Traditional Latin Mass) PRO POPULO for the living & deceased members of our parish
- Sun 9:30a In memory of Russell Petersen/Rome
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning in memory of Becky, Beverly, and Edgar Lancaster
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHC(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/9 5:30p | - | MA Gilfoil | M Rome |
| 5/10 9:30a | Annie, Thomas Meyers, & Katelyn | A Oliver | - |
| 5/16 5:30p | - | M Rome | C VanderVieren |
| 5/17 9:30a | Finley, Ashlyn, & Michael | Youth | - |
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,500 |
| April Budget | $ 10,000 |
| April Collections | $ 17,278 |
| April Expenses | $ 14,838 |
| May Budget | $ 12,500 |
| May 3 Collection | $ 6,198 |
| May to Date | $ 6,198 |
Stewardship
Community Celebrations
Happy Birthday to Mary Dyer (May 10), Skipper Guizerix (May 11), Francie Kennedy (May 13), Mary Anne Gilfoil (May 13), Ed Mills (May 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), the Brad Bourgeois Family, Chris Breard (Gilfoil), Gayle Brown (Dukes and Oliver), Albert Christman, Jeannie & Donald Collins, Jami Cook (Wilks), 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, Maggie Reynolds Guillory, Rita Hargrave, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Patricia Lively (Wilks), Charles Howington, Callie Halbach Hyams, Jimmy Hopson(Wilks), Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Diane Johnson, Andrew and Chelsea Keene-Lewis, Carla Leese (S Gilfoil), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Boyce Miller, Mike Morelli, Cole Norris, Randy Parker, 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
