Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
From The Font
“When the Son of Man comes in His Glory…”
From about 800 BC, the Jewish prophets began speaking about “The Day of the Lord.” In particular, the prophet Joel was told that the Lord would send a king to the Jewish people who would succeed David and Solomon as a righteous ruler, a just judge, and who would secure the Jews a safe place in which to live and thrive.
Just like in our own era as the Blessed Virgin Mary has begun to appear with frightening frequency, so did prophesies about the coming Messiah and the Day of the Lord become the norm rather than the exception for prophets great and small.
The prophecies seemed to contradict one another. He was to be a great king. But he was also to be a prophet. He would come from the House of David in the Tribe of David, but he would be a priest (all of whom came from the Tribe of Levi). He would be a victim and suffer greatly. He would be rejected by his own people, but he would also be their king… Increasingly frightening images came from the prophets who foresaw valleys of dry bones rising from the dead. They predicted Elijah would return and that miracles (and punishments) would be part of his reign and his realignment of the Jewish people.
As modern Christians, we can read all of this with reference to Jesus and see no contradictions at all. But we too are in the dark about what Jesus told us about His SECOND coming. We are just as lost as the Jews were when we read about “that terrible day” when Jesus will come again in His Glory. Why terrible? Because it will be terrifying! Judgment lays bare all of our faults and failings, every single one. It strips away any justifications and excuses we’ve made. It robs us of any self-righteousness and reveals us just as we are. That’s scary stuff!
The Second Coming, aka the “parousia,” is to be longed-for and to be feared just as our own personal judgment is to be anticipated. It’s scary, but it’s entirely necessary. We can and should empathize with the ancient Jews because we should be feeling something very much like they did in regard to the coming Day.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Happy Thanksgiving! More than ever I’m thankful to be in the rural South for Thanksgiving. As I watch the frankly scary fascism of California and Chicago order people to comport every aspect of their lives to the whim of the government elite, I praise God that here, we are mostly insulated from that nonsense.
And just as many people are playing up humor about how they’re thankful 2020 is finally coming to a close, I find myself more and more thankful for having experienced it just as it was. Despite the clamor, COVID has been far less harmful than reported. It’s killed fewer people than the non-pandemic Bird Flu, SARS, or Swine Flu of the last decade. The media has revealed itself as mere propaganda rather than real news. The State governments around the nation have revealed their totalitarian aspirations. Murder hornets never happened. Our economy and our small businesses thrived and recovered with shocking speed as soon as the government stopped preventing them from doing so. And the blatant racism and hypocrisy of the liberal elites has been lain bare for those who want to see. Also, there’s plenty of toilet paper for anyone who wants it.
Since 2001 when the hypocrisy and sin of many Catholic Clergy was lain bare for the world to see, the Church has been forced to do some soul searching. And that’s been a good and necessary thing. In fact, the Church is always in need of reform. From Eve to Judas to McCarrick, human nature is always under attack by the devil and the devil wins a good bit of the time. Of course, Jesus has the ultimate victory. Jesus is God! But we human beings are weak and all of us sin and fall short of the Glory of God. And so we are constantly in need of looking within and of self-examination, self-evaluation, and reform. And any Church made up of us Humans, despite our Divine Head, will need constant examination and reform. There’s enormous freedom in honesty. I need reform. Our community needs reform. Our nation and our laws and our government need reform. Our little Church here in Tallulah needs reform and so does our entire Catholic Church. And the more thoroughly we’re willing to look within and take stock, the more completely the Holy Spirit can bring healing and repair.
And so we should be thankful for the opportunities for self-reflection and examination that the Year of Our Lord 2020 has provided. We should be thankful for the good and the bad because ALL THINGS work for the good of those who love the Lord. We should be thankful - wherever the future may hold - for each and every gift that comes to us from the Lord. And we should recognize that those gifts are being offered to us in every moment of every day.
Ultimately, life comes down to the choices we make and the reason that we make those choices. Love is less a feeling than a choice. Faith is less a hunch than a choice. Hope is less a disposition than a choice. And the Grace of the Holy Spirit is more than good vibes - it’s a real, powerful influence to help us align our choices with those the Lord wants us to make.
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
- Nov 22 Thanksgiving Celebration … Brunch following Sunday Mass
- Nov 25-27 NO MASS as Father Ryan will be away
For Your Information:
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Pat Bullard/family
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon No Mass
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Gus Gremshell
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Louise Testa/Magoun
- Thu NO MASS
- Fri NO MASS
- Sat NO Latin Mass
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Curley Mills/Mills & Thompson
- 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.
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 11/21 5:30p | None Scheduled | P Wilks |
| 11/22 9:00a | Preston, Marsh, Evelyn | S Marsh |
| 11/28 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome |
| 11/29 9:00a | Caroline, Henry, Kathleen | B Sullivan |
| 12/5 5:30p | None Scheduled | L Bullard |
| 12/6 9:00a | Walker, Marsh, and Coope | A Oliver |
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2019-20 | $ 2,111 |
| Weekly Budget FY 2019-20 | $ 2,111 |
| October Budget | $ 8,444 |
| October Income | $ 8,181 |
| October Expenses | $ 8,840 |
| November Budget | $10,555 |
| November 14/15 Collection | $ 2,685 |
| November income to Date | $ 6,116 |
Stewardship When the Son of Man comes in glory, may we be among those who have fed the hungry, welcomed the stranger, and clothed the naked. For Jesus tells us clearly that it is those who have demonstrated good stewardship by sharing their gifts with the less fortunate who will receive God’s blessing and inherit the kingdom.
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Darryl Ellerbee (Nov 22), Monique Florence (Nov 25), Sherry Lynn Harris (Nov 29), Frances Kennedy (Nov 29), Delia Trichell (Nov 29), Lance Marsh (Nov 30)
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: Connie and Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Mary Ernst, Monique Florence, Margaret and Pat Gilfoil, Susan and Johnny 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 hurricanes, Lee Adams (Smith), Ashley Alexander (Regan), Jenna Faye Allen (Florence), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), James Arceneaux (Book), Marie Farlow Bellard, Molly Corulla, 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), Tommy Dunning, Eli Edgecomb(Gilfoil), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Meg Gaumnitz (Copes), Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Rita Hargrave, Terry Lynn Jones (Howington), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), James H. Lossin (Keene), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Pops Neumann, Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Lee and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Linda Sanchez (Wilks), Theresa and Albert Thom (Rome), Meg Keene Thomas , Elaine and James Trimble (Rome), Teresa Vidrine (Wilks), Terri Wilson, Todd Windham, Joe Yerger
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.