Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
On the first day of the week
In the ancient world, every day was basically the same. The weather changed. Maybe a king was overthrown. But each day was much the same as the one before. So was each week and each year. The ancient world just didn't change much. The same family might live in the same house for three or four generations. A handful of events created massive and sudden change, but if you didn't live in an area that was effected, life stayed the same. From the ancient days until the re-urbinization of Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the first day of the week was indistinguishable from the fourth or the seventh. In the last two to three hundred years, though, the world has been defined by near-constant change. Tomorrow is a new day may as well be our modern day mantra as even the most offensive and life-shattering events are forgotten in mere hours. No sin is too big to be overlooked unless the news media keep reminding us of it and even then, our obsessive need for something new eventually overwhelms us.
This idolatry of novelty is particularly challenging for us as Christians. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus hasn't come to satisfy our urges or to be relevant to our day and age; He's come to transform us (and our society) into the image and likeness of the Most Holy Trinity. Jesus has come to reorient us from fads to family, from likes on social media to an unchanging, unevolving love which satisfies in a way that no meme, cat video or instagram post ever could.
The first day of the week is meant to be an icon of new and eternal (that is, non-changing) life which promises to do replace the idol of the daily grind. In the ancient world, people associated the first day with freedom from the daily toil of working just to earn enough to eat for a day and then waking up wondering where their food would come from. Sadly, the poor in our day still live that life. For most of you reading this, though, the first day of the week can and should offer an opportunity to put aside the rat race... The Lord offers us a life driven by genuine fulfillment, meaning, purpose and the peace of the Holy Spirit. Even though most of us don't wake up with an empty belly and no coffers to fill it, most of us spend our days chasing after other things which will pass away much sooner than we'd like. Whether that's entertainment, contentment, the approval of friends and family or something else.
The most astounding promise of the Lord is a change in perspective. What if we weren't driven by the daily grind? What if we recognized in our daily lives eternal possibilities and realities? What if pleasure became something that merely pointed beyond itself to the true joy of Heaven AND what if suffering wasn't a roadblock in itself but it pointed beyond itself to the true suffering or Hell? What if we found in prayer the same peace we have to look for elsewhere? What if we found in works of mercy a lasting satisfaction that we usually have to look for in temporary bits elsewhere?
This year, Easter is a small relief which only anticipates a much greater relief that we hope to receive from our civil government... But what if that inversion speaks more eloquently to the problems in our society, our Church and our lives than any sermon ever could? There were a great many saints whose circumstances were more dire than our own and who came to realize and recognize that true freedom doesn't come from the absence of a pandemic or the relaxation of social distancing policies. Rather, love, peace, joy and happiness are all aspects of the same thing: nearness to Jesus Christ. The first day of the week is an icon of this newness which is really not very new at all. Jesus Christ is, after all, the same yesterday, today and forever.
How-To Watch Mass Online
Due to the COVID quarantine, all public celebrations of the Holy Mass have been cancelled until further notice. Fr. Ryan is working in cooperation with CatholicUnderground.com which he co-founded about 10 years ago with Fr. Chris Decker of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Two Holy Masses will be offered and live-streamed every morning - one in English (the "Ordinary Form") and one in the Traditional Latin ("Extraordinary") Form.
- on Facebook - Facebook.com/FrHumphries
- on Twitter - Twitter.com/FrHumphries
- on YouTube - YouTube.com/FrHumphries
- on Facebook - Facebook.com/StEdwardTallulah
- on the Web - StEdward.space
Note that most videos begin with a still image, but the video is playing. If you're watching live, Fr. Ryan will try to start the live feed about 5 minutes before the event is scheduled to begin. If you are watching an event recorded earlier, you can move the slider at the bottom of the video window or just wait a few minute until the image fades out and the actual video begins to play. This is done in order to give folks who want to watch the live stream a few moments to orient themselves.
Quarantine Calendar (Ongoing)
- Sunday April 12 (Easter Sun)
- Monday April 13
- Tuesday April 14
- Wednesday April 15
- Thursday April 16
- Friday April 17
- Saturday April 18
- 9:15a Holy Mass (English, Ordinary Form)
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- Sunday April 19 (Divine Mercy \ Low Sunday)
- Monday April 20
- Tuesday April 21
- Wednesday April 22
- Thursday April 23
- Friday April 24
- Saturday April 25
- 9:15a Holy Mass (English, Ordinary Form)
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- Sunday April 26 (Good Shepherd Sunday)
- Monday April 27
- Tuesday April 28
- Wednesday April 29
- Thursday April 30
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 9:15a In memory of RL & Eva Reynolds (Bullard)
- Sun 8:15a In memory of Rosa Gremshell
- Sun 9:15a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased members of our Parish
- Mon 9:15a In memory of Gus Gremshell
- Tue 9:15a In memory of Bill Adams (Regan)
- Wed 9:15a In memory of May DiTommaso
- Thu 9:15a In memory of Jack & In Honor of John (Birth) (Leslye Ellerbee)
- Fri 9:15a In memory of Betsy Adams (Regan)
- Sat 9:15a In memory of Marie Michelle (Charles & Susan Phillys)
- Sun 8:15a Pro Populo for the Living & Dead members of our Parish Family
- Sun 9:15a In memory of Rosa Gremshell
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the intention of an end of the Coronavirus Pandemic
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Michael Lancaster (April 13), Skeeter Wilks (April 17)
Happy Anniversary Margaret and Edward Yerger (April 19)
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, Mary Ernst, Margaret Gilfoil, Susan Gilfoil, 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, Margaret Fortenberry of Tensas, Sharon Hansen of Gonzales, Consuelo Marsh of Lake Providence, Jean Cantrell, Marie Cedota
Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Lee Adams (Smith), Ashley Alexander (Regan), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), Jenna Faye Allen (Florence), James Arceneaux (Book), Marie Farlow Bellard, Sara Cannon (Gilfoil), Georgie Gilfoil Breard, Hattie Brown (Lancaster), Jerry Bullard, Richard Chappuis (Johnson), Karen Cobb, Jami Cook (Wilks), Carol Dipert (Rome), Carol Dunning, Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Melinda and son, Will, Fewell (Farlow), 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), Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Lee and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Linda Sanchez (Wilks), Beverly Sibile (Gilfoil), Theresa Thom (Rome), Elaine and James Trimble (Rome), Teresa Vidrine (Wilks), Todd Windham
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.
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
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.