Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
From The Font
“Although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.”
The Greek word mustérion comes into English pretty smoothly as mystery. But it’s not a word that means a puzzle or a question with an as of yet unclear answer… While it comes into English as mystery, it comes into Latin as sacramentum from which we get the words sacrament and sacramental. In the Christian context, a Mystery of Faith is not a question with a human answer, it’s a reality about God which is beyond our human capacity to explain. Take, for example, Jesus praying to the Father… Is He talking to Himself? If there’s one God, what makes the three Divine Persons different from each other? They have one Divine Mind, one Divine Will, one Divine Nature so why would Jesus pray to the Father?
Well, there’s plenty of ink spilled in theology books about how Jesus is setting an example for us and about his “hypostatic” nature… But the real answer just doesn’t fit inside our human minds. And that’s 100% OK! That’s not a problem for my Faith that I don’t have a clear and simple answer to every question. It’s not a problem for my Faith that no one really does.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says something utterly counter-intuitive and seemingly backward: that God has given wisdom to those who are uneducated or not thought of as smart. He also implies that excess human wisdom can blind us to God’s wisdom.
That’s something worth thinking about for all of us. It’s not that children understand this or that better than wise people. It’s that God gives insight and perspective and wisdom to those He wants to give it to and that being a good receiver of that gift isn’t necessarily about a good education or thinking oneself to be enlightened. The difference between “little ones” and the wise isn’t so much knowledge as it is humility. Over and over Jesus reminds us that the more we think we know and the more we think we have, the less God is able to give us good gifts.
The message today isn’t about what we should do, it’s about our attitudes toward ourselves.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
When the War Between the States ended in Louisiana at Grand Ecore in 1865, two groups of people rushed from the North toward our borders: yankee “officials” who would oversee the lie that was “Reconstruction” and protestant preachers.
The officials were little more than war profiteers sent to rob the spoils of war and send them back to the northern textile magnates. They oversaw horrific atrocities and deliberately created friction between southerners and freedman. They rewrote histories and created much of the animosity that would lead to secret societies like the KKK. Their policies also led to massive fatalities due to famines and the great floods that set the stage for the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1875 which reduced the population of the boomtown of Shreveport from about 10,000 to about 5,000.
That was the event that gave rise to the Shreveport Martyrs. These priests and nuns served the dying in Shreveport for two horrific seasons and reduced the number of clergy and religious in the Diocese of Alexandria by more than half. It gave us true local Saints! At the same time, the very, very Catholic State of Louisiana was invaded by thousands of Protestant pastors who rushed in to “save” the freed slaves from the barbaric throws of Catholicism. They told freed slaves that Catholic marriages didn’t count. If you didn’t like your wife anymore and you had been married by a Catholic priest, you could divorce her no questions asked. They seized Church property, desecrated chapels and toppled statues. They took over city councils and parish committees and devastated the religious traditions of communities.
Why recall these events? Because our history is essential to who we are. Human beings don’t exist in a bubble. Our history determines our language and our way of seeing the world. When we fail to recognize, for example, the real origins of racism in Louisiana, we can find ourselves tilting at windmills. The real reason there are so few black Catholics in Louisiana isn’t racism, it’s the anti-racism efforts of our Bishops in the 60s. The Catholic Bishops of Louisiana got on board with forced integration. They didn’t ask if the black community wanted it, they just commanded it. And just like what happened with other institutions, the black Catholic community was all but obliterated. Communities weren’t ready and so many, many black Catholic Churches became black Baptist Churches. This was especially true in North Louisiana. That reality tremendously informs our own efforts toward evangelization.
At the moment, there are young activists throwing tantrums about history they don’t understand and trying to rewrite the textbooks they’re too triggered to read. We, as sane people, don’t have the luxury of just letting this happen. We have the three-fold obligation to understand our own history, teach it to others, and stand against those who don’t know or don’t care enough to recognize the danger of living without context.
If we don’t know our own stories, now is the time to learn. If we’re not teaching our own stories, now is the time to start. If we’re not standing against tantrums, now is the moment to do so.
Calendar of Events
- Saturday, July 4
- 5:00p Confessions
- 5:30p Holy Mass
- Sunday, July 5
- 9:00a Holy Mass Live-Streamed
- 11:15a Holy Mass @St Theresa, Delhi
- Tuesday July 7
- 9:00a Holy Mass
- Wednesday, July 8
- 9:00a Holy Mass Live-streamed
- 10:00a The CU Catecast Live-streamed
- Thursday, July 9
- 9:00a Holy Mass
- Friday, July 10
- 5:00p Confessions
- 5:30p Holy Mass Live-streamed
- Saturday, July 11
- 5:00p Confessions
- 5:30p Holy Mass
For Your Information:
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.
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 27/28 $1,320
- June Income to Date $6,842
Stewardship ”Let all Your works give You thanks, O Lord, and let Your faithful ones bless You,” says the Psalmist. Stewardship is this “attitude of gratitude” for the many gifts God has given us.
Mass Schedule & Intentions for the Coming Week
- 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
- Mon NO MASS
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Paul VanderVieren (Birth)/Family
- Wed 9.00a In memory of Suzanne Luckett Wood/Fulton
- Thu 9:00a In memory of May DiTommaso
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Becky Lancaster/family
- Sat 5:30p In honor of Katie (birthday on 13th)/Magoun
- 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
- 7/4 5:30p
- A Farlow
- 7/5 9:00a
- A Keene
- 7/11 5:30p
- L Bullard
- 7/12 9:00a
- A Oliver
- 7/18 5:30p
- C VanderVieren
- 7/19 9:00a
- K Collins
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Chip Sullivan (July 11), Aidan Collins (July 12)
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: 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, Terri Wilson, 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.