The Presentation of Our Lord
From the Scriptures
“Now, Master, let your servant go in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and a glory for your people Israel.”
This short prayer is said by priests and nuns every night before bed. It’s part of the “Divine Office” AKA “the Liturgy of the Hours.”
In some sense, all of us are meant to sympathize with this old man in the temple named Simeon. All of us are called to wait on the Lord… No matter how much we know Him and love Him, serving the Lord is 100% a matter of listening for His direction and then following His instruction.
Simeon is a living image of that waiting for the Lord. He, along with the prophetess Anna from today’s Gospel, are both symbols of the Christian ideal of “dwelling in the temple.” We are called in our daily lives to be near to the Lord… to grow constantly in the knowledge and love of God… to pray without ceasing… Simeon and Anna both do this and so when the Lord comes before them in an unexpected way and at an unexpected time, they are ready. Simeon and Anna both recognize the Lord whereas most everyone else doesn’t.
In our lives, we should do our best to be near to the Lord and to grow in the knowledge and love of God by prayer, study, fasting, works of mercy and moral living. As we do that, we are more and more equipped to recognize the Lord when He reveals Himself to us and more equipped to respond when He directs us to some task.
Just like a military man or a police officer learns over time to recognize when a situation is about to become dangerous or when a person may be about to attack, so we as Christians learn over time to recognize the Lord warning us away from certain situations or encouraging us to share our faith in others.
Simeon’s prayer is one we should all hope to be able to say toward the end of our lives… “Lord, let me go to my death now happy and fearless because I know and believe with my whole heart that you are the one true God and You have shown Yourself to me!”
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Imagine, if you will, the early days of Christianity. There are off and on periods of peace and of persecution. Christians are preaching a message that is strongly at odds with most of the world - and it’s a small world. Most of us will never travel more than 40 or 50 miles. We’ll only hear music and stories from our local community. We’ll see three to five plays in the course of our lives. Every now and then, a traveling entertainer will pass through town. Most of our lives will be the daily grind of work and precious time spent with family. Our Faith is THE centerpiece of life - and it’s a short life. Most folks will die before 50 and even a small cut that gets infected or a simple fever can kill you in a week…
And then, one day, one of your fellow Christians tells you that folks with eye problems have been visiting an underground cemetery to pray at the tomb of some dead girl… Well, the Romans don’t pray for the dead. They decorate the tombs to show off their wealth, but they only visit them rarely. It’s even a little dangerous to go into some of these catacombs… They’re not marked or labeled and so if you get lost and your lamp burns out, you’re as likely as not to die before anyone finds you… And yet your friend tells you that people who pray at this tomb of this girl find their eyes healed of all sorts of things. Even people who prayed with the bones stolen from the tomb were healed! A few months later, someone else tells you about a bishop who heals throats…
It’s hard for us to imagine how insane that must’ve sounded. Why eyes? Why bones?
I can write the same kind of story for things like Holy Water or Scapulars or the Miraculous Medal. At some point, we’re left simply to acknowledge that the Lord has chosen to use certain physical things for certain spiritual effects. Surely, a dozen books have been written to explain or argue some theological blah blah blah… At the end of the day, though, the question isn’t so much “why” as it is “how.” Why ever God chose to use the bones of the saints - which we call “relics” - to bring about certain kinds of healing, He has! Why ever God chose to use St. Blaise to heal throats rather than whole heads or just Sinus Infections, He has! Why ever God chose to use Holy Water or the Brown Scapular or the Miraculous Medal, He has chosen to use them and the wisest response is to take advantage of the gift and say thank you.
This weekend, we have the blessing of throats at the end of Mass. The blessing involves two long candles and a simple prayer from the priest: “Through the intercession of St. Blaise Bishop and Martyr, may God deliver you from every ailment of the throat and every other illness.” It’s an incredibly simple prayer. I, honestly, have no good answer to the question why. I don’t know WHY relics or Holy Water or the Latin Language or the Rosary or the Brown Scapular… I just don’t. I don’t know WHY, but I absolutely believe that God has given us these gifts and we ought to take full advantage of them every chance we get.
From the Saints
“Let us make best use of the fleeting moments. They will not return.” -- St Marianne Cope
“The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise him to the greatest extent of our powers.” -- St Maximilian Kolbe
“He loves, he hopes, he waits. Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for the sinner for years rather than keep us waiting an instant.” -- St Maria Goretti
"The saints understand the Bible better than theologians because they understand the Bible’s primary author, God, by loving Him with their whole heart and their whole mind." -- Dr. Peter Kreeft (not a saint)
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In honor of Brendan McFall (birthday)/family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon-Wed No Mass
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Terry Murphy/Keene Legacy
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Joe Farlow/Bellard
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Donald and Payton Trichell/family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living & Dead members of our Parish Family
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Margo Corulla
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHC(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/1 5:30p | None Scheduled | P Wilks | M Rome |
| 2/2 9:30a | Kathleen, Ashlyn, & Evelyn | K Collins | - |
| 2/8 5:30p | None Scheduled | A Keene | C VanderVieren |
| 2/9 9:30a | MaryKatherine & Maura | D Ellerbee | - |
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 First Sunday Benediction following weekend Masses
Feb 2 Blessing of Throats for St Blaise Feast Day on February 3.
Feb 7 First Friday devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - 5:30 p.m
Feb 12 Town Hall meeting - 6 p.m. - Church Hall– see notes elsewhere
Mar 2 Potluck Brunch to celebrate Mardi Gras - First Quarter Social - after Mass
For Your Information:
TOWN HALL MEETING... WED, FEB 12, 6PM... The Bishop has asked for all parishes to organize a few town hall meetings in order to gather info about parishioner needs, our human resources, and what we want/need/expect in the future. If you are all able to attend, please do so. Father has promised to keep the meeting as close to one hour as possible. THANKS!!
FIRST SUNDAY BENEDICTION is this weekend at the conclusion of our Masses as part of our larger program to encourage Devotion to Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist.
THE FEAST OF ST BLAISE and the traditional BLESSING OF THROATS will be offered at all weekend Masses. Father will explain at Mass.
FIRST FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7... Mass and Benediction at 5:30 p.m. Come make devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus a priority by attending first Friday devotions for nine consecutive months.
FORMED.ORG… has an entire page of weekly featured videos that are worth checking out 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… a group of parishioners is meeting on Monday at 5:30 p.m. to pray the Rosary. Everyone is invited to join the group. If you need additional information, please contact the Coordinator, Louise Magoun, at 318-341-2403. THE WORD AMONG US… Pick up the February copy at the entrance of church for your daily meditation.
The First Quarter (Jan, Feb, March) Social Committee will organize a Potluck Brunch for March 2 following Sunday Mass. Margo Corulla and Darryl and Abby Ellerbee (co-chairs), Norman and Marie Ernst, Katherine Ernst Bedgood, 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, and Levi Washington make up the committee. Mark your calendars and plan to join in the Mardi Gras fun!
EMPOWERING GOD’S CHILDREN… parish volunteers must be VIRTUS trained and go online regularly at www.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.
Stewardship Jeremiah (Jer 29:11) declares that the Lord knew him before he was born and dedicated and appointed him to his role as prophet even before he drew breath. We, too, are known and sent by the Lord. What deeds of love and service are mine to perform!
SECOND COLLECTION is our once monthly Building Fund collection.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2023-2024 | $ 2,111 |
| December Budget | $ 10,555 |
| December Collections | $ 22,343 |
| December Total Expenses | $ 11,981 |
| January Budget | $ 8,444 |
| January 26 Collection | $ 2,087 |
| January Collections To Date | $ 9,393 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Hazel Bedgood (Feb 2), Evelyn Kivett (Feb 2)Susan Gilfoil (Feb 3), Blanche Wilks (Feb 5), Stephenie E. Marsh (Feb 6)
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.
Our Pope, Francis; 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, Cortland Collins, Connie & Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Leslye Ellerbee, Susan & Johnny Gilfoil, Margaret & Pat Gilfoil,Terry Farlow Hall, C.W. & Alyce Keene, Sidney & Mary Jane Johnson, Frances & Bill Kennedy, Ed Mills, Susie Murphy, Alyssa Oliver, Bobby Reynolds, Mike & Sue Rome, Kenny and Betty Smith
Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Ashley Alexander (Regan), Graham Allen (S Gilfoil), Kathryn Wood Allsopp (D Wood), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), Marie Farlow Bellard, Tommy Bickham (C Copes), Nap and Martha Book, Kay Boolos (S Gilfoil), Dick & Sue Boyd (S Gilfoil), Chris Breard (Gilfoil), Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Fran Castile (Keene), Jeannie & Donald Collins, Teresa Carney Condra, Jami Cook (Wilks), Bobbe & Gene Cox, Marla Evans Cummings, Carol Dipert (Rome), Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Wayne Edwards, Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, Monique Florence, Jimmy Fordham (Gustafson & Fordice), Emily Fortenberry, Judy Fortenberry, April Franklin (Wilks), Fred and Cathy Fulton, Thom Gilfoil, Wyly Gilfoil (Gilfoil), LaVonne Givens, Charlotte Green, Theresa Gunter, Rita Hargrave, Ralph Harris (Gilfoil), Arlice Evans Headley, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Charles Howington, Callie Halback Hyams, Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Diane Johnson, Carla Leese (S Gilfoil), Lynn Lisonbee, LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Ruth McDonald (Copes), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Boyce Miller, Randy Parker, Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), John Neill, Bailey, Scott, and Tiffney Rome, Dianne Roper (Murphy), Janie Saxon (Lancaster), Debbie Kedrick Sims, Tommy Trichell, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), Randy Watts, Jr.
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Preston Collins, Henry Ellerbee, Lilly Falgout, Jag Gilfoil, Bruen Johnson, Matilda Johnson, Caroline Marsh, Charlize Richardson, Blake Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Chandler Wood, Marsh Wood
