The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
From The Font
“The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”
How can God - who is… you know... God - change? It’s a pretty important question. God exists outside of what we think of as time. God is utterly perfect and so any change at all would be, somehow, less perfect. If that doesn’t seem immediately obvious, think on it for a bit. It’s one of the biggest intellectual hurdles that we have as Christians when it comes to Philosophy. And it’s not a modern problem. Jewish writers and rabbis raised the question before St. Paul’s conversion.
Simply put, none of us will ever really understand how Jesus can be truly God and truly Man. None of us will really comprehend how God exists or why He chooses to exist in that way.
For our part, then, we must accept our own limitations and ask the Holy Spirit to use what we have been given to teach us what we can comprehend. That Jesus was truly man and that he truly grew from infancy to the adulthood teaches us at least three lessons.
First, it teaches us that the process of growth is not random or accidental. We shouldn’t look to the mistakes of youth as meaningless nor should we think of the family environment as mere coincidence.
Second, it teaches us that growing up strong and wise requires the favor of God. Sin robs us of the favor of God. A household without regular confession and regular prayer and the life of Faith robs our children of what they need to grow up strong and wise.
Third, it teaches us that maturation is God’s plan for us. We may be amused by that fun uncle who never really left his 20s behind, but that kind of arrested development isn’t good.
Of course, there are other lessons that we can take. Some of those lessons may be proper to us or to our families, others may be universal. The feast of the Holy Family celebrates the deliberate way in which the Lord planned for our growth and our health. It celebrates the care with which the Lord planned this life for us.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
I was so very pleased with our Advent Mission this month! The turnout was excellent and our speaker did a great job of laying out for us one of the most important aspects of our Faith, the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary both in history and in our lives of Faith.
As a young Catholic, I read about the power of the Rosary and about the theology of Our Lady. It’s hard not to be compelled by the scripture and the evidence of history as to what Our Lady can do for us as we try to overcome sin and grow in prayer. The stories from saints are so numerous! After about ten years of priesthood, I began to be more interested in the role Our Lady plays in the book of Revelation and in her increasingly frequent apparitions. Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to dismiss the words of Our Lady at Fatimá, Lourdes, and Akita (among others).
In the midst of the crises of our time, which include abortion, euthenasia, destructive gender ideology, the politicization of science and acedamia, the propogandizing of the media, the humiliation of priests and bishops in light of proven sin and wrongdoing, COVID, and numerous others, it’s hard for anyone to pretend that the events described in Revelation and at Fatima and Quito don’t seem all too familiar!
Of course, in our time as in all great epic fiction, we have ignored centuries of warning and still, somehow, find ourselves caught unaware. Catholics don’t know about Fatima! Are we all praying the Rosary daily?!? Are we “offering up” penance for our sins and in reparation for the sins of the whole world?!? Are we looking to Our Lady as we have been instructed to do from time immemorial?!? Our parish mission was a wonderful reminder that Our Lord had Our Lady in mind from the very beginning. In Genesis 3, the so-called Proto-Gospel, claims that the woman’s offspring would destroy the serpent! What a bizarre wording and what a potent image! Our Lady is at the center of both the annunciation and Our Lord’s first miracle. She is the new Ark of the new Covenant. She is the archetype of humanity and the undoer of knots.
As one steps more deeply into Scripture, Prayer, Meditation, theology, or basically any aspect of the Christian Life, Our Lady is there as a kind of advocate and guide. That’s not just pious words! Mariology - the theological study of Our Lady - is one of the very best ways to get a sense of how Scripture works beneath the surface layer of literal meaning. The Rosary is unquestionably the best way to delve more deeply into prayer and the easiest way to build a habit of mediation. If you’re looking for a model of virtue, Our Lady is the best place to turn. Wondering about the end of the world or trying to understand the beginning of it? Study our Lady’s apparitions and her role in scripture.
I know it may seem overly simple, but that’s entirely superficial. The role of Mary in Salvation History is tied up with basically every book of the Bible and every aspect of Theology from Christian anthropology to the Canticle of Zechariah! Whatever your Spiritual New Years’ Resolution is for this year, expect Our Lady to be your biggest aide and supporter!
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
- Jan 1 Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God - 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
- Jan 9 “Burning of the Greens” following 5:30 p.m. Mass. More info to follow….
For Your Information:
ROSARY GROUP... a group of parishioners is meeting on Monday at 5:30 p.m. to pray the Rosary. Everyone is invited to join with the group. If you need additional information, please contact the Coordinator, Louise Magoun, at 318-341-2403
ANGEL TREE... One of the “thank you” notes that was received from a grateful grandmother who was a recipient of Angel Tree … “would like to take this time to thank you and all that assisted in extending your hands and your hearts to the children of this community. Forever Grateful! Be Forever Blessed.”
CALENDARS FOR 2021... can be found on the table at the entrance of church. We have quite a large number of calendars so please feel free to take as many as you would like!!
2021 ENVELOPES... at the side entrance of church, there are numbered and labeled boxes of 2021 stewardship envelopes for you to take. If you want to use envelopes and do not see your name, please put your name on the list on the table and take the next successive numbered box. If you have questions, please contact Father Ryan or the church office. For those who prefer to drop a check in the collection or use bank-pay, we have a recording system to provide a year-end summary for your tax use.
NEW YEAR’S DAY... The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (normally a Holy Day of Obligation). We will have Mass at 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on that day.
BURNING OF THE GREENS... To celebrate Epiphany as the conclusion of the Christmas Season, we will burn the Greens on January 9 after the 5:30p Mass. Bring your live trees, boughs, etc and BYOB. Setups will be provided and potluck hors d'oeuvres are welcomed, not required.
SAINTS ALIVE…ANGELS AT WORK... The Birthday Party for Jesus was a great success last Sunday! The children had a GREAT time making tree ornaments to take home and the adults had a very rewarding time enjoying the children’s activities, including an oral presentation of the Christmas story! Our thanks to our coordinator and each and every family that contributed to make it a faith family activity!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Thomas Trichell/Tommy
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon No Mass
- Tue No Mass
- Wed No Mass
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Fr Pat Murphy/friends
- Fri 9:00a Solemnity - In memory of Paul Voran, Jr/Fr Ryan
- Fri 5:30p Solemnity - In memory of Barbara Tryon/Mills-Thompson
- Sat 9:00a Private Intentions of Father Ryan (Traditional Latin Mass)
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Sally Higdon/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
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 12/26 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome |
| 12/27 9:00a | Walker and Cooper | D Ellerbee |
| 1/2 5:30p | None Scheduled | P Wilks |
| 1/3 9:00a | Chandler, Mary Katherine, Carter | B Sullivan |
| 1/9 5:30p | None Scheduled | TBA |
| 1/10 9:00a | TBA | TBA |
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2019-20 | $2,111 |
| November Budget | $10,555 |
| November Income | $9,828 |
| November Expenses | $8,959 |
| December Budget | $8,444 |
| December 19/20 collection | $1,907 |
| December income to Date | $8,905 |
Stewardship “Whatever you do,” says St. Paul to the Colossians, ”...do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through him.” And so it is that we offer our gifts in the Eucharist “through Him, with Him and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit…”
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Emmy Lou Marsh (Dec 27), Jen Yabut (Dec 27), Emory Dukes (Dec 30)
In Our Daily Prayers…
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.
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, Marie and Norman Ernst, 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, Sharon Hansen of Gonzales, Consuelo Marsh of Lake Providence, Marie Cedotal
Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: 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 and Rod Cobb, Truman and Diane Collins, Jami Cook (Wilks), Carol Dipert (Rome), Tommy Dunning, Eli Edgecomb(Gilfoil), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Rita Hargrave, Terry Lynn Jones (Howington), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), 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), Joe Yerger
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Anna Ginn, Josh Hall, Chris Hall (USMC), Matt Hall (USArmy), Nick Hall, Emmy Lu Marsh, Bailey Rome, 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.