Skip to content
← Back to Bulletins

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 28, 2020

From The Font

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

It’s important to understand the Jewish literary style in order to avoid being offended by some of the harder sayings of Jesus… Just as is true of our day and age, the Jews were flooded with windbags preaching from every corner. Just as Twitter and CNN and every politician with vocal cords never shut up, so, too, the Temple in Jerusalem was chock full of preachers and teachers and rabbis and scribes all yelling at every poor sap who walked by. As such, the Jews developed a style of preaching which involved a lot of dramatic exaggeration. We do the same thing now. “Trump is literally a Nazi” is the same mode of speech as Jesus saying “if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out!” Obviously, Jesus is literally correct, but He’s using the common speaking techniques of the day.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that anyone who “loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” That’s very true! We are told to love the Lord with ALL our heart, soul, mind, and strength! Not with some or most of it, but with all of it. That’s mostly unobjectionable. It sounds like good teaching and fits with what we understand about the Lord. But Jesus reinforces that mostly unobjectionable teaching with one that sounds like a wild exaggeration. His use of a speaking technique doesn’t make the teaching wrong, it catches us off guard just as it’s meant to.

We don’t complain when the coach tells the boys that “any man here who isn’t prepared to live for this football team for the next three months won’t fit in our jersey.” It’s an exaggeration. In fact, it’s absurd. But it serves a purpose in communicating an idea.

Jesus isn’t telling us not to love our families. Rather, He is simply reinforcing the simple teaching that we must love the Lord above every single thing which exists…

Whenever we’re confronted with these hard sayings of Jesus, it helps to make sure we have a sense of the context of the saying. That won’t make the sayings less hard, but it will help us to understand the saving truth beneath them!

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

I had a lovely vacation and thank you to all who helped make it possible by welcoming Fr. Sklar so generously! I feel a little over-blessed because I know so many of us are itching to take a little vacation. Granted, my trip was to spend a week with my parents and not exactly a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro kind of vacation, still there’s something to be said for stepping away.

While I was away, I came across a fascinating article about the long-term effects of the stress hormone cortisol. When you feel anxious, cortisol elevates your blood pressure and causes the physiological effects of stress. That’s why doctors are always talking about reducing stress. It’s only partially about mental health… Stress has real, physical side-effects. The article I read was talking about how relatively low, but consistent levels of cortisol can have really unexpected side effects. Waking up with a headache, for example, is something that could indicate a serious health problem, but it’s something a lot of people are experiencing as the COVID situation extends into its fifth month. Other potentially serious issues like sleep apnea, depression symptoms, and even heart palpitations can occur as a result of ongoing anxiety.

I, myself, have experienced a few of these kinds of things and have been to the doctor to be poked, prodded, X-rayed, and otherwise evaluated only to have every single test return normal. Their advice was to reduce stress… But I’m not a high-stress person. And while I’ve had a good bit of work to do in making the live streaming stuff work, I can’t say that I’ve had all that much frustration in these past few months. Still, as I read this article, several stray concerns began to fit together into a whole picture. I began to pay more attention to my shoulders being tight or when I wake up with a headache.

The unifying factor was the news… That may not sound like a profound insight, but, again, I’m a relatively relaxed person. But when I checked on the news, I realized that I find myself stressed. I don’t waste the Church’s money on cable, so I don’t watch the 24h news stations. Most of my news I get from the web and from social media. Still, I found that the less time I spent following every detail, the better my health has been. Even my resting heart rate has gone down as I’ve decided that I don’t need to know every absurd exaggeration and ridiculous proclamation of whatever news service this or that article comes from.

While I was at my parents’ home, I sat with them as they watched the Today Show… Whew, the garbage that passes for news! I could feel my cortisol levels rising.

I’m not exactly a textbook case for all of humanity… But I believe we could all do with less anxiety. And from what I’ve seen, the media is hell-bent on keeping us on edge. Perhaps what we have here is an opportunity to set aside the news and take up our Rosaries, our Bibles, and our Catechisms. Our Faith tells us that the world will never bring us peace, freedom, or happiness, and I doubt we’ll ever see truer evidence of that teaching than what passes for news and online discussion right now.

Up To Date Information on COVID-19

For up to date info on St. Edward’s response to the COVID situation, please visit StEdward.space and click on QUARANTINE or type in Stedward.space/pages/live.

You can also visit Facebook.com/StEdwardTallulah. We also have a shared calendar that you can add to your phone or your computer calendar at Bit.ly/stedwardcalendar. Please feel free to call\text (318-542-3316) or email (frhumphries@gmail.com) Fr. Ryan at any time if you have questions, concerns, ideas, suggestions, or pastoral needs.

Calendar of Events

  • Friday, Jun 26
    • 5:00p Confessions
    • 5:30p Holy Mass
  • Saturday, June 27
    • 5:00p Confessions
    • 5:30p Holy Mass
  • Sunday, June 28
    • 9:00a Holy Mass Live-Streamed
    • 11:15a Holy Mass @St Theresa, Delhi
  • Tuesday June 30
    • 9:00a Holy Mass
  • Wednesday, July 1
    • 9:00a Holy Mass Live-streamed
    • 10:00a The CU Catecast Live-streamed
  • Thursday, July 2
    • 9:00a Holy Mass
  • Friday, July 3 First Friday
    • 5:00p Confessions
    • 5:30p Holy Mass & First Friday Devotions Live-streamed
  • Saturday, July 4 First Saturday
    • 8:00a Confessions
    • 8:30a Holy Mass & First Saturday Devotions
    • 5:00p Confessions
    • 5:30p Holy Mass

Notes on Events in the Church

  • All are asked and expected to observe the precepts of “social distancing.” Masks and gloves are welcome and strongly recommended, but not required.
  • Holy Communion is available only under the single species of the Sacred Host.
  • THANK YOU for your patience with us and for your cooperation!
  • Further information from Archbishop Aymond and Bishop Marshall regarding the re-opening of Public Masses is available at DioceseAlex.org.

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 20/21 $1,447
  • June Income to Date $ 5,522

Stewardship Both the first reading and the Gospel today speak of hospitality and welcome. Our lectors, altar servers, and ministers of Communion are a visible example of using one’s time and talents to serve the people of God. But the Gospel assures us that all who give even just “a cup of cold water” to one of His lowliest ones will be rewarded.

Mass Schedule & Intentions for the Coming Week

  • Sat 5:30p In memory of DaleMagoun/Vedros
  • Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
  • Mon NO MASS
  • Tue 9:00a In memory of John and Marie Johnson
  • Wed 9.00a In memory of Josephine Hodge/G Cox
  • Thu 9:00a In memory of Michael Mills(birth)/family
  • Fri 5:30p In memory of Carroll Regan(birth)/family
  • Sat 5:30p In memory of R.L. and Eva Reynolds/Bullard
  • Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish

ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Margo Corulla

Lectors at Holy Mass

  • 6/27 5:30p
    • M Rome
  • 6/28 9:00a
    • J Howington
  • 7/4 5:30p
    • A Farlow
  • 7/5 9:00a
    • A Keene
  • 7/11 5:30p
    • L Bullard
  • 7/12 9:00a
    • A Oliver

Let us Rejoice in the Lord!

Happy Birthday Frances Roemer (June 27)

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.