Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
From The Font
Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God… Roman coins came in gold, silver, and copper. At the time of Jesus, they were minted exclusively in Rome and they all bore the image of the current Roman emperor, who was Tiberius, first successor to Gaius Octavius Caesar Augustus, the first Roman Emperor.
Prior to Roman occupation, the Jews had a primarily barter economy. They used some coinage, mostly to trade with outsiders and to pay taxes. There was a specialized temple tax, but it was usually paid in kind. That’s why we read in the Gospels about people paying tithes of mint and grain.
In today’s Gospel, we see a classic trap that plays on the real tension between the civil authority and the religious authority. Each has its own special purview, but what happens when those purviews overlap?
This same kind of thing happens today when the civil authority and other authorities clash. Scientific authorities say “lock everything down until we can cure all disease.” The state has to balance that advice with the advice of other authorities. Economic authorities and law enforcement authorities and religious authorities and local authorities and port authorities and foreign nations and a hundred other authorities all have interests beyond mere theory and so the government has to prioritize them.
In the Gospel, Jesus is entrapped by the state who is forcing the Jews to take a census - something which God specifically says not to do… It’s made worse by the fact that taxes are always a sticking point and, at the time, the business of collecting taxes required observant Jews to break numerous precepts from the Law of Moses.
Jesus’ reply is brilliantly simple. He can’t say don’t pay taxes and He can’t really criticize the tax collection business. Either of those would make Him an enemy of the state. Nor can he encourage breaking the Law of Moses. What He does is reframe the question from should we pay to what really matters… This coin is only useful in this life, invest in something eternal!
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Monday is the feast day of one of my very favorite saints, Jean de Brebeuf. He was a Jesuit who left France to go to modern-day Canada and minister to the Huron Indians. Unsurprisingly, the Huron Indians were uninterested in a little guy in funny robes speaking a language they didn’t understand. St. Jean gave it the old college try before getting a sound beating and sent on his way. Like St. Patrick and St. Sebastian before him, he took his lumps, healed up and headed straight back to the people who beat him to give it another try. Like St. Sebastian, his second try was fatal. Jean was killed by the Huron Indians in 1649. That’s the comically short version anyway. In the time he did have with the Huron, he learned their language, earned serious respect from a great many of them and preached the saving truth of Jesus Christ in such a lasting way that it has lasted up until our day.
St. Jean, like many of the great Jesuits, was fearless, committed and unashamed to preach that Jesus, alone, is God and that there is no other name by which man can be saved!!! As the country song goes “you’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything,” and the great saints stood resolutely by Jesus. Modern Catholic clergy of all sorts seem to be driven by a kind of secret fear of not being accepted by the world. Of course, that’s like being afraid of breathing. Of course Catholic priests aren’t accepted by the world. Even the ones like Fr. James Martin, SJ who are misrepresenting the Church’s teaching on lots of things are hated by the many, many people who are just opposed to basically everything religious. It’s not as if abandoning Jesus for popularity really works. But still there is this bizarre fear of not being accepted by the cultural authority of the day.
St. Jean went to evangelize people who didn’t want to be evangelized. On his first journey, he may have been able to tell himself that this would just be one more mission trip. But on his return journey, he knew the violence and resistance he was going to face and he had to know that his mission trip would end in his own death. Still, he went. He went with joy and enthusiasm.
How many of us would be enthusiastic about a mission trip if we knew it would be easy? Most of us I expect. We’d love to go and sweat a bit to build a chapel for a village and then take a few days well earned vacation and come home feeling good about helping our neighbor. How would we feel if we knew the trip would be harder? What if we were told that it would be dawn to dusk hard work and that we would be building a hundred latrines to improve sanitation…? We’d be less enthused. What if we were told that we would almost certainly contract a nasty illness on the trip? It gets harder and harder to be excited about that trip as the risks and the hardships go up and the glory goes down. When St. Jean went back, he couldn’t have expected for his story to be told… The only motivation he had was love of Jesus and that changed everything! He’s such an inspiration for me and I hope that he’s one for you as well!
Upcoming Events
- Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass at 5:30p
- Sunday Morning Catechism in the Hall after the 9:00a Mass unless otherwise indicated
- Pastoral Council meeting monthly on the third Tuesday at 6p unless otherwise indicated
- October 19-22 Priests’ Retreat - Father Ryan will be away from the parish and there will not be Mass
- October 27 (MOVED due to Priests’ Retreat) Parish Council Meeting - Parish Hall - 6 p.m.
For Your Information:
SUNDAY MORNING CATECHISM… Sunday Morning Catechism along with Coffee and Donuts after the 9 a.m Mass. Workbooks for all ages are 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 of our Faith.
ALTAR CANDLES… Anyone wishing to provide candles for the altar in honor of their loved one or in prayer for some intention may do so simply by asking. A $10 donation is recommended, but not required. A list of dates is in the sacristy and a date can be reserved up to one year in advance.
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING MOVED...new date is October 27, 2020 at 6 p.m.
PRIEST’S RETREAT...Father Ryan will be away from St Edward from the afternoon of Sunday, October 18 until mid-day on Friday, October 23 for Retreat.
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Curley Mills/Mills-Thompson
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon NO MASS MON thru THU, Fr Ryan on Retreat
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Sue Scurria/G Cox
- Sat 9:00a Father’s Private Intentions (Traditional Mass)
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Lillie “Mame” Jumonville/family
- 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
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector |
|---|---|---|
| 10/17 5:30p | None Scheduled | L Bullard |
| 10/18 9:00a | C Sullivan/C Wood/MK Marsh | Preston & Kathleen |
| 10/24 5:30p | None Scheduled | C VanderVieren |
| 10/25 9:00a | P Collins/M Wood/E Kivett | A Oliver |
| 10/31 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil |
| 11/1 9:00a | C Marsh/H Ellerbee/K Ellerbee | J Howington |
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2019-20 | $2,111 |
| September Budget | $8,444 |
| September Income | $10,827 |
| September Expenses | $8,480 |
| October Budget | $8,444 |
| October 10/11 Collection | $2,219 |
| October income to Date | $3,859 |
Stewardship Each year at tax time, we conscientiously give “to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.” Does my stewardship indicate that I am as faithful about giving “to God what belongs to God”?
Second collection this weekend for World Missions
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Kathleen Oliver (Oct 17), Charlotte McKay Marsh (Oct 18, 2016), Terry Murphy (Oct 18), Tori Kivett (Oct 25)
In Our Daily Prayers…
PRAYER DURING 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 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: Connie and Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Mary Ernst, Margaret and Pat Gilfoil, 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, Marie Cedotal Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Especially all of those impacted by Hurricane Laura, Lee Adams (Smith), Ashley Alexander (Regan), Jenna Faye Allen (Florence), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), James Arceneaux (Book), Marie Farlow Bellard, Georgie Gilfoil Breard, Hattie Brown (Lancaster), Jerry Bullard, Stella & Fernando Calvo (Keene), Sara Cannon (Gilfoil), Karen Cobb, Truman and Diane Collins, Jami Cook (Wilks), Carol Dipert (Rome), Kim Dorbeck (Keene), Eli Edgecomb(Gilfoil), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Meg Gaumnitz (Copes), Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Rita Hargrave, 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 and would like to receive a visit from Father. Also, help us keep our prayer list up to date by advising us of those who should be added or removed.