Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time | St. Edward Catholic Church, Tallulah

From The Font

“He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.’”

The Dunning-Kruger effect describes the all too familiar misperceptions that we tend to have of our own understanding. Basically, when we start studying a topic, we tend to believe that we understand it far better than we do. As we study more, we realize how little we really understand it. When we become a genuine expert, we have a realistic perception of our understanding. The phrase is new, but the experience is old.

Peter believes that he understands deeply what Jesus is doing. But he doesn’t. He has just been handed the keys to the kingdom and yet still, Peter is thinking entirely in terms of this world. He’s just been promised that the Gates of Hell will not prevail against this Church that will be founded upon him and still he’s thinking in terms of physical pain and emotional loss.

Most modern Christians, regardless of age, believe themselves to have either an excellent or a truly awful understanding of their Faith.

Those who err on the side of overconfidence tend to believe that what they know and understand of religion is near complete. They’re prepared to pretend to know how Jesus would handle this or that situation. They’re prepared to lecture others about how Jesus would behave if He were confronted with the moral dilemmas of our time.

Those who err toward under-confidence tend to be fearful of the risk of sharing faith and so they generally keep quiet. While that may be an act of virtue, it may also be an act of fear.

Jesus corrects Peter and He instructs us to keep in mind that the cross must be the center of our faith. If we take up our cross, we will find joy. That seems like a paradox and it may well be. Still, if we look to the cross, we will find the resurrection. On the other hand, if we look for what we want our faith to be, we will find little or nothing at all. Jesus tells us that Satan wants to do things his own way and that we must take up our cross if we wish to defeat him and spend eternity in Heaven.

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

This Wednesday is the 81st anniversary of the infamous Aktion T4 signed by Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany which authorized and commanded the systematic and mandatory euthanasia of mentally ill and disabled Germans. In short, anyone who didn’t match his ideal of a strong, useful, Aryan German was a threat and a detriment to the rest of us. It’s worth remembering that Adolf Hitler himself was part Jewish and had neither blond hair nor blue eyes. He has a bit of a limp and a stammer and sometimes his hand froze up which would have made him right on the edge of this very group that he was murdering.

This past week, Sr. Dede Byrne of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts spoke about her experience with the disabled. Her first career was as an army trauma surgeon and medic who retired as a Full Bird Colonel. She left medicine and became a full time lay missionary in Kenya, Sudan, Haiti, and Iraq. From there, she acted on a long-seated desire for religious life and joined a small Italian religious community dedicated to education and the care of those around them. Sr. Dede spoke this week at the Republican National Convention in support of President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. Her speech was marvelous… Not the least because a fully habited Catholic nun had a national audience listen to her advise them to pray the Rosary. Her core theme, though, was the threat to the unborn which has been ongoing in our nation since 1973. Sister quipped, “I am not only pro-life, I’m pro-eternal-life!”

Sister’s speech was simple and elegant. She said that there is no logical, ethical or moral way to support abortion and she said that abortion leads societies to depravity. We find ourselves all too aware of the truth of that statement.

In asking what we can do and how we can respond, there’s a genuine get-out-jail-free card for us. Louisiana is not a swing state. There’s no question how our state will cast its Electoral College ballot. Most of us know that no Catholic can morally vote for a pro-abortion candidate.

Even so, we have a religious obligation as Catholics and a moral obligation as human beings to work against the atrocities perpetrated by our government. We have to do what we can when we can to vote out pro-abortion politicians. We have to speak up and help convince our neighbors and co-workers of the truth behind these atrocities. We have to provide counsel and tangible assistance to the young women or men in our lives who find themselves tested by these truths. And we have to pray - really pray - and ask the Lord to rid us of this evil. We have to pray for the victims of the butchery and for the victims of the propaganda. We have to pray for our kids who will be deceived by the vile sexual revolution which still poisons our society. We have to pray for those given authority and pray for ourselves that we might be ready if the time comes for us to take action in a tangible way.

Sister’s talk was astounding and the contraposition of Hitler’s order is not accidental! Come, Holy Spirit, free us from all evil!

For Your Information:

SUNDAY MORNING CATECHISM … Sunday Morning Catechism along with Coffee and Donuts on Sunday after the 9 a.m Mass. As has become our program, Fr. Ryan will present a short teaching using the projector which is correlated to a specific chapter in our workbooks. Workbooks for all ages will be available in the Hall, free of charge, to anyone who needs one throughout the year. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend these presentations as they will help you, as your child’s teacher, teach your children and, hopefully, increase your own knowledge and understanding of our Faith.

FIRST FRIDAY… SEPTEMBER 4... Holy Hour and Mass.... 5:30 p.m... make a special devotion to the Sacred Heart and attend first Friday devotions for nine consecutive months.

FIRST SATURDAY …SEPTEMBER 5 … Mass and Holy Hour … 8:30 a.m. Our Lady of Fatima called for special devotions to be offered on the first Saturday of each month. Father Ryan will offer Mass on the first Saturday of each month in the Church. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend.

PRAYER FOR HURRICANE SEASON...Our Father in Heaven through the intercession of our Lady of Prompt Succor, spare us during the Hurricane Season from all harm. Protect us and our homes from all disasters of nature. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Our Return to the Lord

Weekly Budget FY 2019-20 $2,111
July Budget $8,444
July Income $11,621
July Expenses $8,705
August Budget $10,555
August 22/23 Collection $4,877
August income to Date $11,646

Stewardship In today’s second reading, St. Paul exhorts the Romans to “total” stewardship. Brothers and sisters, he urges, “...offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”

Mass Schedule & Intentions for the Coming Week

Sat 5:30p In memory of Father Ferre/Mills & Thompson
Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
Mon NO MASS
Tue No Mass as Father Ryan is away
Wed 9:00a In memory of Michael Mills/Mills-Thompson
Thu 9:00a In memory of Marie P Michele, Josephine P Hodge, Sarah & Charlie Phillips/family
Fri 5:30p In memory of Enoul “Jim” Jumonville (death anni)/family
Sat 5:30p In memory of Sue Scurria/Altar Society
Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish

ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of the Wilks family

Lectors at Holy Mass

8/29 5:30p
- MA Gilfoil
8/30 9:00a
- A Keene
9/5 5:30p
- M Rome
9/6 9:00a
- D Ellerbee
9/12 5:30p
- A Farlow
9/13 9:00a
- B Sullivan

Let us Rejoice in the Lord!

Happy Birthday Bruce Copes (Aug 29), Alyce Keene (Aug 31), Chandler Brook Wood (Aug 31), Sug Regan (Sept 4), Kathleen Ellerbee (Sept 8, 2009)

Happy Anniversary Kendra and Dave Collins (Aug 29)

In Our Daily Prayers…

Our Holy Father Pope Francis and Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI; 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, 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 Cedotal

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), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), 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), Terri Wilson, 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 and HELP US TO UP-DATE OUR PRAYER LIST BY ADVISING US OF ANYONE WHO SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE PRAYER LIST.