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The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

June 14, 2020

From The Font

“The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’”

One of the greatest mistakes, errors (and possibly even malicious misunderstandings) of Christianity is that Jesus wanted everyone to get along with one another. Not so! Jesus teaches us to LOVE one another, not merely to get along with one another. Love isn’t cowardice or tolerance, it is desiring the true good of the beloved and putting that desire into action. Sometimes that’s a bouquet of flowers and a kiss and other times it’s speaking the hard truth that our beloved doesn’t want to hear. When the Jews were affronted at the teaching of Jesus, He never backed down. He never walked back His teaching. He spoke the truth and He taught that the Truth will set us free. Anything less isn’t enough.

Jesus teaches most specifically here in John, chapter six, that the Holy Eucharist will be the living heartbeat of the religion that we know as Christianity. But He doesn’t only teach it here.

The Holy Eucharist can be seen as early as Joseph and his amazing coat of many colors in the book of Genesis. Joseph is sent into Exile by his brothers in order that when the famine comes, he will be in a position to provide bread for his people. From his “death,” comes the bread that sustains the entire chosen people. The imagery of the Manna from Heaven, which follows the delivery from slavery by the sacrificing of the lamb and the eating of unleavened bread, the priest Melchizedek and his gift of wine and bread, the fact that David is born in Bethlehem - a name which means “house of bread”, the wedding at Cana, the temptation in the desert, the revelation at Emmaeus and a thousand other references less obvious than these all point to the Lord’s specific intention, basically from the beginning, to use the sign of bread as something much, much more than just a symbol of sustenance.

Today’s feast is a celebration of the Lord’s presence among us and a powerful reminder of the central role which the Holy Eucharist must play in the life of every Christian who hopes to have “Life within.”

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

In the past six months, two very faithful and very different friends of mine have died suddenly and unexpectedly in car accidents on roads that they drove their entire lives.

I’ve always encouraged myself and all of my parishioners not to shy away from thinking about death. I studied for priesthood at a Benedictine Monastery for about half of my training. One of the core tenets of Benedictine Spirituality is “keep death always before you.” That’s why the monks wear heavy black robes and that’s why on the day that they make their solemn vows, they are covered with a funeral pall and given a new religious name. Some Benedictine Monks even fashion their own caskets as a way of meditating upon death and Heaven. (The Romanian myths about vampires sleeping in coffins may actually come from this tradition…)

My friend Louis Lowrey was in his 80s. He was a professional counselor. He worked diligently with all things social justice. He was politically liberal and we bickered constantly about politics in the world and in the Church. He was a remarkable and prayerful man who believed to his core in the spiritual value of assisting the poor, the imprisoned and the mentally unwell. While plenty of people give lip-service to those ideas, shockingly few people will go to the jail on Saturday morning to visit with the inmates. But Louis went almost every week to see the imprisoned. He brought a young man into the Church only a month before he died. Louis drove from Natchitoches to Tallulah (almost a six hour round trip) on several occasions to counsel and teach the young man. He was one of the most remarkable men I’ve ever known.

Nancy Gallien was also in her 80s, I think. She didn’t look it! She was a fireball of southern Baptist energy. When I got to Campti (a small town just outside of Natchitoches), she was a new convert, a singer in the choir, and a devoted step-grandmother to a huge and storied family. Nancy was one of the most supportive and maternal people I’ve ever met. She was genuinely inquisitive about Catholicism, prayed me under the table and was a delightful conversationalist. She was a country girl and made no apologies for it. Even after I left, she was a good friend and a pillar of the community.

Both Louis and Nancy died suddenly in car wrecks. That’s tragic from our point of view in that their communities depended upon them and they were generous with their time and their love. But it’s even more tragic from their points of view. When was their last confession? Had they repented not just of the big, obvious sins, but of the little grudges and petty self-centeredness that creeps into each of our lives? Neither of them were forced by the hospital bed or the hospice paperwork to think about the big questions and to put their lives in order in a deliberate way…

Thankfully, I happen to know that Louis and Nancy were both the kind of people who took stock of their treasure in Heaven frequently and didn’t go to bed without making sure they were “right with God.”

So my question - in light of their loss - is “do I?” And to all you, my readers, I ask, “Do we?”

Calendar of Events

  • Saturday, June 13
    • 5:00p Confessions
    • 5:30p Holy Mass
  • Sunday, June 14
    • 9:00a Holy Mass
    • 11:15a Holy Mass @St Theresa, Delhi
  • Monday, June 15 - Thursday, June 25 - Fr. Ryan on Vacation in Texas
  • Saturday, June 20
    • 5:00p Confessions
    • 5:30p Holy Mass (Fr. Louis Sklar)
  • Sunday, June 21
    • 9:00a Holy Mass (Fr. Louis Sklar)
    • 11:15a Holy Mass @St Theresa, Delhi (Fr. Louis Sklar)

Our Return to the Lord

  • Weekly Budget FY 2019-20 $2,111
  • May Budget $10,555
  • May Income $12,405
  • May Expenses $7,962
  • June Budget $8,444
  • Collection June 6/7 $2,360
  • June Income to Date $2,360

Stewardship The Scriptures today remind us that ”we, many though we are, are one body for we all partake of the one loaf.” How are we using our gifts of time and talent to build up the body of Christ?

Mass Schedule & Intentions for the Coming Week

  • Sat 5:30p In memory of Thomas Trichell/family
  • Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
  • Mon - Fri NO MASS - Fr Ryan on Vacation
  • Sat 5:30p In memory of Sue Scurria/Wilks
  • Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish

ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning in honor of Margaret Gilfoil who celebrates a birthday this week

Lectors for Holy Mass

  • 6/13 5:30p
    • MA Gilfoil
  • 6/14 9:00a
    • S Marsh
  • 6/20 5:30p
    • C VanderVieren
  • 6/21 9:00a
    • B Sullivan
  • 6/27 5:30p
    • M Rome
  • 6/28 9:00a
    • J Howington

Let us Rejoice in the Lord!

Happy Birthday MaryKathryn Book (June 13), Emily Ginn (June 14), Connie Copes (June 15), Margaret Gilfoil (June 16), Matt and Josh Hall (June 18), Robert Wood (June 18)

Happy Anniversary Kate and Bruce Copes (June 18), Beth and Chip Sullivan (June 19)

In Our Daily Prayers…

Our Holy Father Pope Francis and Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI; Archbishop Aymond, Bishop-elect Robert Marshall, 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 Wilson, Libby Bullard, Connie and Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Mary Ernst, 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, Carol Dunning, 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, Karen Cobb, Jami Cook (Wilks), Fr Chris Decker and The Catholic Underground Ministry, Carol Dipert (Rome), Kim Dorbeck (Keene), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Meg Gaumnitz (Copes), Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Bo Holloway, Terry Lynn Jones (Howington), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), James H. Lossin (Keene), Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Lee and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Linda Sanchez (Wilks), Mary and Spencer Sevier and family, Beverly Sibile (Gilfoil), Theresa Thom (Rome), Ray Thornton, Elaine and James Trimble (Rome), Teresa Vidrine (Wilks), Todd Windham

Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Anna Ginn, Josh Hall, Chris Hall (USMC), Matt Hall (USArmy), Nick Hall, Emmy Lu Marsh, 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.