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Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 26, 2020

From The Font

“He goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

I’ve heard a few stories recently of people who really found their faith after joining the military. For some, that faith was a result of trauma in battle or boot camp. But most of the stories I’ve heard recently have been about young men and women who discovered the value of self-discipline and commitment in the armed forces. They have discovered what their generation has struggled to grasp and so has generally refused to acknowledge - freedom comes alive with discipline rather than indulgence. This is the freedom that a master musician feels when she sits down at the piano and makes it look effortless. Most of us will never know that freedom to make truly beautiful art. It’s the same freedom that someone who feels no addiction to alcohol has to have one drink at a party. An addict, whether in recovery or not, feels the burden of that lack of freedom.

In today’s Gospel, the Lord calls for an all encompassing approach to living the Christian life. It can’t be done on our own terms. We can’t decide where the property line begins or ends. We can’t decide to take the new and abandon the old. We can’t offer ourselves in parts to the Lord.

This is where the truth of our creation in the image and likeness of God becomes an essential part of our religious understanding. We cannot give what we don’t have. If I am not free to choose for myself, then I cannot really give of myself. If I am weighed down by lack of self-discipline, then I can’t offer my heart, soul, mind or strength to the Lord entirely. I can’t sell all that I have if half of what I have is locked up in the chaos of adolescent immaturity. We must gain possession of ourselves in order to be ready and able to sell all that we have to buy the pearl of great price.

In this way, we realize that being fully human precedes being fully Christian. Because God made us, the more we engage our Christian Faith, the more we become fully human and that, in turn, allows us to become more fully Christian. The back and forth between our nature and our super-nature feels so well designed as to make us think it may have been God’s plan all along.

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

My mother’s birthday is this week, on Wednesday, the feast of St. Martha, the stereotype for people who work themselves to death. It makes me wonder whether the day made her the way she is or whether it’s just a coincidence. If it is a coincidence, it’s a good one! My mom is relentless in cleaning, cooking and keeping house. It’s a trait I inherited to be sure, but not to the degree that she has. Of course, her life has been one that demanded an remarkable work ethic which explains her insistence on keeping the house clean. Still, the coincidence of her birth on the Feast of St. Martha is so on the nose that it’s hard for me not to see a Divine plan.

Whatever went on in the heart and mind of God as he knit my mother together in the womb of her own mother, there’s a value in my choice to see a spiritual connection. Atheists would tell me that I’m inventing coincidence where there is none. Smart atheists would tell me that I don’t understand the law of probability and that I should apply the same standard to everyone in my life. Is my birthday also the feast of the saint of OCD overthinkers? Was my father born on the feast of storytellers? Were my sisters born on the feasts of saints with characteristics that define them? What about my barber or my dentist?

Well, my dad’s birthday has no saint on it at all. My birthday is a traditional celebration of a failed attempt to martyr St. John. One of my sisters was born on Christmas and the other on the feast of two martyred Roman soldiers. So, we can’t say that the calendar of the saints universally decides personality. It’s not a kind of Catholic horoscope.

Still, we can recognize the fingerprints of God on the world we live in. I don’t think there’s any coincidence at all in my mom’s birthday being shared with St. Martha’s feast. I don’t think there’s coincidence in my birthday being shared with a feast that only exists in the traditional liturgical calendar. On the contrary, I think it’s a good thing to know and to pray with.

Too often, we’re encouraged to buy into the belief that nothing in this world means anything. We’re told to believe that everything is a random chance and that coincidence is just coincidence. But the Lord speaks to us in small ways - like Elijah at the mouth of the cave. To some of us, He speaks through these quirks of history. To others of us, He speaks through a profoundly beautiful moment. To others, He speaks through an unexpected and powerful feeling.

As we make our way through the world, it’s important not to be trapped in the hopelessness that the world sells us as good or true. God speaks through His creation. Our response is to learn to listen. We have to be willing to listen and we have to spend time with the Lord to become attuned to the way he speaks. Old married couples have their own language and some small gesture can mean a thousand things to them without seeming to mean anything at all to an outsider. The Lord wants to reveal Himself to us at every moment, but we have to allow Him to teach us this way of communication if we want to receive that revelation.

Calendar of Events

  • Saturday, July 25
    • 5:00p Confessions
    • 5:30p Holy Mass
  • Sunday, July 26
    • 9:00a Holy Mass Live-Streamed
    • 11:15a Holy Mass @St Theresa, Delhi
  • Tuesday July 28
    • 9:00a Holy Mass
  • Wednesday, July 29
    • 9:00a Holy Mass Live-streamed
    • 10:00a The CU Catecast Live-streamed
  • Thursday, July 30
    • 9:00a Holy Mass
  • Friday, July 31
    • 5:00p Confessions
    • 5:30p Holy Mass Live-streamed
  • Saturday, August 1 First Saturday
    • 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
  • June Budget $8,444
  • June Income $6,942
  • June Expenses $7,988
  • July Budget $8,444
  • Collection July 18/19 $1,704
  • July income to Date $8,949

Stewardship “Today’s Gospel story reminds us “Act prudently,” you children of God; use material treasures so as to make eternal friends; exercise your talents in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Those whom you help to save, will help save you.

SPECIAL COLLECTION … August 9 … for the Church in Africa.

Mass Schedule & Intentions for the Coming Week

  • Sat 5:30p In memory of Pat Bullard
  • Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
  • Mon NO MASS
  • Tue 9:00a In memory of SeSe and Racer Holstead (anniv)/family
  • Wed 9.00a In memory of Marie and John Johnson/family
  • Thu 9:00a In memory of May DiTomasso
  • Fri 5:30p In memory of Becky Lancaster/family
  • Sat 5:30p In memory of Charlie and Sarah Phillips (anniv)/family
  • Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish

ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning in memory of Dale Magoun by the Rome family

Lectors at Holy Mass

  • 7/25 5:30p
    • MA Gilfoil
  • 7/26 9:00a
    • D Ellerbee
  • 8/1 5:30p
    • A Farlow
  • 8/2 9:00a
    • B Sullivan
  • 8/8 5:30p
    • M Rome
  • 8/9 9:00a
    • S Ernst

Let us Rejoice in the Lord!

Happy Birthday Edmond Copes (July 30), Louise Magoun (Aug 2)

Happy Anniversary Renee and Robert Wood (July 30), Blanche and Skeeter Wilks (August 1), Margaret and Pat Gilfoil (August 3)

In Our Daily Prayers…

Our Holy Father Pope Francis and Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI; Archbishop Aymond, Bishop 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), 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), Theresa Thom (Rome), Meg Keene Thomas , 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.