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The Epiphany of the Lord

January 5, 2020

From The Font

“Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”

King Herod is the archetype of a corrupt king. What we know about him from Scripture and from history is fairly consistent. He’s a vassal king of the Romans - meaning that he’s oppressing his own people in order to live what is really a lie. Now, we have to remember there are two Herods in scripture. The one who reigned when Jesus was born killed the Holy Innocents and lied to the Magi. He died about three years after Jesus was born and was replaced by Herod Archelaus who we heard about in last week’s readings. In all, four of “Herod the Great’s” sons sat on the throne and all of them were terrible.

It’s no accident that Jesus chose to come among us in a moment when the kingship of the Jews was in a sad state. It’s no accident that the three wise men were associated with Kingship in the East. It’s no accident that Jesus doesn’t really call Himself a king until the very end of His ministry when He’s sent to stand before the pathetic and juvenile king of the Jews who both fails to govern by refusing to pass judgment and looks like an idiot asking Jesus to work a miracle for his entertainment and that of his court.

That brings us back to the quotation from Herod the Great - “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” The kings of the Jews weren’t supposed to be rulers in their own right - they were stand-ins for the Lord. They were supposed to be waiting for the Messiah to come and relieve them. All Jews were supposed to be waiting on the Messiah.

Herod’s greatest sin isn’t even the murder - that was tragically common in that world… It’s that he took for himself the right of kingship. He denied the coming of the Messiah in order to have things his own way…

And that’s the greatest sin any of us can commit even now. We are all of us waiting for the Lord… waiting for His command and for His coming. The best thing we can do is be ready to answer when He calls; the worst thing we can do is say “no, I’ll live my life on my own terms.”

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

Both this week and during the Christmas sermon, I mentioned the astronomical events associated with the Birth of Jesus.

There’s Jupiter’s association with kingship and its peculiar motion, especially in relation to the constellation Virgo. There’s Virgo’s odd coincidence with the constellation Leo (the Lion). There’s the timing of these coincidences.

For me, the first time I learned about these events, I was shocked because I had always assumed that so much of the Bible story around the birth of Jesus was just “pious embellishment.” It turns out that way of thinking was strongly encouraged by some terrible priests and bishops in the 30s and again in the 60s when those same men had become bishops and cardinals! Still, it’s easy to read Bible stories about the parting of the Red Sea or the Christmas Star and chuckle to ourselves about how naive and superstitious ancient people were about all sorts of things… Was Joseph really warned in a dream - or was he just smart enough to read the writing on the walls so to speak. (Did you know that phrase comes from the same kind of Bible story? Read Dan 5 for more.) In reality, there’s plenty of very good non-Biblical evidence for many of the events that we can be most tempted to sluff off as fake news.

The astronomy associated with the Birth of Jesus is actually far more complicated and far more shocking than the few little details that I brought up in my sermon. There are dozens of verses of scripture that line up with dozens of odd, rare or unprecedented astronomical events. My source for this info is a documentary presentation compiled by Rick Larson. He’s a law professor with an amateur interest in astronomy. His work is all available at BethlehemStar.com and I strongly recommend looking into it. I have the DVD here in the parish if anyone wants to borrow it or would like to arrange a viewing as a group using our video projector.

While lots of people nowadays are using media to the detriment of our society and while more and more of us are concerned about the effects of screentime on ourselves and our kids - there are also plenty of excellent Christians who are working hard to make the best use of modern technology as they can. Bishop Robert Barron’s excellent Catholicism Series is also available in the parish hall. So are a dozen or so really helpful videos. Online, Formed.org is collecting or producing some of the best resources out there for Catholics who want to take their faith more seriously. There are incredible YouTube producers like Brian Holdsworth who are asking and answering tough questions from a fresh perspective. (Youtube.com/holdsworthdesign)

As we get going with this new decade, it’s a good time for us to be more and more unsatisfied with our spiritual lives as they are. We need to be people on the lookout for the Lord revealing Himself to us and calling us forward toward Him. That means we can’t rest on our laurels. Instead, we need to get busy living the Christian life and helping others to do the same!

Calendar of Events

  • Confessions every Fri & Sat from 5p until Mass at 5:30p and on Sun from 9a until 9:30a Mass

  • Pastoral Council meeting monthly on the third Tuesday after the 5:30p Mass except Jun & Dec

  • Sunday Morning Catechism in the Hall after the 9:30a Mass unless otherwise indicated

  • Jan 4 “Burning of the Greens” following 5:30 p.m. Mass. More info below….

For Your Information:

BURNING OF THE GREENS...JANUARY 4, 2020...You may want to join in the annual Burning of the Greens Epiphany celebration on Saturday, January 4 following the 5:30 p.m. Mass. Blessings of King Cakes and the Queens Soup will be a part of the activity.

PRAYER FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW BISHOP...Praise to you, Lord our God, our eternal shepherd and guide. In your faithfulness, grant to the Diocese of Alexandria a new bishop whose watchful care will serve to continue the good work of his predecessors. In your Love, give us a shepherd who will lead us in being Christ’s heart of mercy, voice of hope,and hands of justice. Help him to fill our minds and hearts with the truth of the Gospel, the power of the sacraments, and the desire to build up your holy Church. We ask this through Jesus Christ,your Son our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen

Our Return to the Lord

  • Weekly Budget FY 2019-20 $2,111
  • November Budget $8,444
  • November Income $8,535
  • November Expenses $8,325
  • December Budget $10,555
  • Collection Dec 28/29 $955
  • December Income to Date $ 9,341

Stewardship Today we remember the three wise men from the East who came to pay homage to the infant Jesus, bringing 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.

Mass Schedule & Intentions for the Coming Week

  • Sat 5:30p In memory of Michael King/Humphries
  • Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased members of our Parish
  • Mon NO MASS
  • Tue 5:30p In memory of Marie Phillips Michele/Weaver
  • Wed 5:30p In memory of Becky Lancaster/S Plachke
  • Thu 9:00a In memory of Rosa Gremshell Legacy Nursing Home
  • Fri 5:30p In memory of Curt Farlow (death anniversary) & AnnaMay Farlow (birth on 11th)/family
  • Sat 5:30p In memory of Louise Testa
  • Sun 9:00a 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

  • 1/4 5:30p _ Lector: C VanderVieren _ EMHCs: A Farlow & L Bullard
  • 1/5 9:00a _ Servers: C Sullivan, C Wood, MK Marsh _ Lector: B Sullivan * EMHCs: N & M Ernst
  • 1/11 5:30p _ Lector: M Rome _ EMHCs: P & M Gilfoil
  • 1/12 9:00a _ Servers: M Wood & E Kivett _ Lector: J Howington * EMHCs: C Howington & A Keene
  • 1/18 5:30p _ Lector: A Farlow _ EMHCs: MA Gilfoil & L Bullard
  • 1/19 9:00a _ Servers: C Marsh, H Ellerbee, K Ellerbee _ Lector: P Collins & M Wood * EMHCs: B Smith & K Collins

Let us Rejoice in the Lord!

Happy Birthday Beth Sullivan (Jan 4), Edward Yerger (Jan 7), C. W. Keene (Jan 9), Matilda Johnson (Jan 10)

Happy Anniversary Abby and Darryl Ellerbee (Jan 5), Alyssa and Teddy Oliver (Jan 10)

In Our Daily Prayers…

Our Holy Father Pope Francis and Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI; Archbishop Aymond and our Diocesan leaders, our President, Governor, Mayor and national, state and local elected representatives

Our parishioners who are sick, shut-in, or otherwise in need of our prayers: Terri Brown, Pat Bullard, Connie Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Susan Gilfoil, Josephine Hodge, C.W. and Alyce Keene, Bill Kennedy, Ed Mills, Kathleen Mills, Sue & Mike Rome, Delia Trichell and Don Wood

Those under full-time care: Frances Kennedy, Sue Scurria (Texas), Jim Farrell of Vicksburg, Margaret Fortenberry of Tensas, Sharon Hansen of Gonzales, Consuelo Marsh of Lake Providence, Jean Cantrell, Marie Cedotal

Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Lee Adams (Smith), Ashley Weimer Alexander (Regan), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), Jenna Faye Allen (Florence), Marie Farlow Bellard, Hattie Brown (Lancaster), Jerry Bullard, Colton Bullock (Farlow), Richard Chappuis (Johnson), Karen Cobb, Jami Cook (Wilks), Carol Dipert (Rome), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Melinda and son, Will, Fewell (Farlow), David Fortenberry, Meg Gaumnitz (Copes), Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Cooper Harris (R Wood), Bo Holloway, Diane Johnson (Johnson), Terry Lynn Jones (Howington), Ben Lenhart (G Marsh), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Michelle McGuire (Gilfoil), Tobie McKowen (Wilks), Keith Melancon (Regan), Tucker Melancon (Johnson), Lindsay Mills, Debbie Pettis (Rome), Sam and Betty Phillips (Hodge), Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Debbie Prine (Wilks), Lee and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Linda Sanchez (Wilks), Walter Scott, Andy Sevier, Beverly Sibile (Gilfoil), Theresa Thom (Rome), Elaine and James Trimble (Rome), Adam Triplett (Reynolds), Teresa Vidrine (Wilks), Conner and Hudson Wood (nephews of Bart)

Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Norman Ernst, Anna Ginn, Josh Hall, Chris Hall (USMC), Matt Hall (USArmy), Nick Hall, Emmy Lu Marsh, Maddie Oliver, Bailey Rome, Blake Sullivan, Brice Wood

Those Catholics residing at Christian Acres, Louisiana Transitional Center for Women, and our local Detention Centers and for their families and loved ones.

PLEASE LET US KNOW OF ANYONE WHO IS ILL OR HOSPITALIZED OR WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE A VISIT. PLEASE HELP US TO UP-DATE OUR PRAYER LIST BY ADVISING US OF ANYONE WHO SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE PRAYER LIST.