Fifth Sunday of Lent
From The Font
“Jesus said, ‘This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.’”
Most of us tend to think about the events in the life of Jesus through the modern way of thinking about life. We tend to see life as largely random and we tend to think of Faith as a way of reacting to what life throws our way.
Today’s Gospel, though, turns that way of thinking on its head. Jesus tells us that many of the events in His life were “staged” by God for the benefit of those present. From the Transfiguration to His Baptism in the Jordan River, most of the miracles that happen TO Jesus don’t really happen FOR Jesus. In John 17, the Lord will take it a step further by saying that even the prayers He prays aloud to the Father are only being said aloud for the benefit of the listeners because Jesus and the Father don’t need Human words to communicate with one another.
Traditionally, Catholicism has been a Faith driven by symbols rather than words. From about 160AD until 1968, the Mass was less about the words spoken and more about the gestures, movements, vessels, and vestments that the clergy and the people shared. That’s why people from all over could worship together even when they couldn’t understand the language. In the middle ages, art and architecture added to the clarity by showing that the altar area symbolizes heaven and the clergy and ministers symbolize the characters seen in the Book of Revelation. The stained glass and the ornate statuary created an atmosphere of holiness and devotion. Nothing at Mass was left to chance or occurred by coincidence. Our worship reflected the clear understanding of how and why God does what He does.
The 1960s devastated that clarity and replaced it with a mishmash of symbolic ideas and imagery mostly invented by a few dozen Italian academic priests based on their ideas about psychology, pop art, and “the divine.” In particular, the understanding that today’s Gospel clarifies and denies was canonized as the up-to-date way of thinking about God. Rather than acknowledge the Lord’s talent for the theatrical, modernity is full of words that have little to say to the human and it’s nearly empty of the symbols that the Lord used to draw in the multitudes.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
The statues are veiled!
We’ve entered that fascinating part of Lent traditionally called “passiontide” in which the statues of the Church are veiled. Ideally, of course, we’d veil every image in the Church, but that’s no small task even in our little Church here in Tallulah.
As we make our way closer and closer to the silence of Good Friday, we amp up our fasting and penance. So far, we’ve been doing our own penances… We’ve skipped on saying the Gloria and on singing the Alleluia… We’ve left the altar bare of flowers… Now, though, it’s time to step even further into the silence by setting aside even the beautiful and the good images that draw us into prayer at Church. It might well be a good little devotion to veil your own statues and holy images as home…
For us, this removal of images is even more important than it was for previous generations. Even 50 years ago, most people just didn’t have houses full of images, statues, religious lawn ornaments, iPhone backgrounds, and oddly interesting holographic knick-knacks with the face of Jesus following you around the room. From the time of Jesus until very recently, most people had one or two images of the Lord and maybe one or two more of Mary in their homes. Mostly, they also didn’t have hundreds of square feet of photographs and canvas prints at home alongside countless tchotchkes and memorabilia. It wasn’t all that difficult to enter into the Lenten disciplines at home because homes were simpler.
We, on the other hand, live better than most royals lived 100 years ago. It’s genuinely difficult to find quiet in our homes. Even if we manage to get the TV, iPhone, kids and dogs quiet all at the same time, our eyes are flooded with imagery and stuff… And so this time of year is all the more important for us to try and give the Lord a little bit more brainspace than usual by limiting our intake of noise (audio, video, and imagery).
At Church, we do this by simply veiling the statues in simple purple cloths. We could remove the statues entirely… But that’s never been the tradition even where it was easy to do. The idea isn’t to pretend they weren’t there, it’s to cover them with a Lenten veil and offer to the Lord the quiet of mind and heart that comes from the limitation we impose on our eyes and our minds. It’s the same idea as what we do with food when we fast.
I do want to say a word of thanks to our Ladies Altar Society, and especially to Ms. Cathy VandeVieren, for their excellent work with our Lenten Season and I want to thank them and Mr. Mike Rome in advance for what is shaping up to be a beautiful Easter Floral arrangement.
A Personal Note from Fr. Ryan
I would like to add a word of thanks to all who prayed for me as I underwent a diagnostic Cardiac catheterization this week. The results were 0% blockage in all arteries. The entire process couldn’t have gone smoother and, as I haven’t been hospitalized in my adult life, I have an entirely new appreciation for those who are. God is Good! Thanks for your prayers!
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
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Rose Gremshell
- Wed 9:00a For healing for Marti Vienne/Fr Ryan
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Paul Voran, Jr/Fr Ryan
- Fri 5:30p In memory of JCB “Chipper” Jumonville/family
- Sat 9:00a Private Intentions of Father Ryan (Traditional Latin Mass)
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Thomas Trichell/Tommy
- 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 3/20 5:30p | None Scheduled | A Farlow |
| 3/21 9:00a | Caroline, Henry, Kathleen | Chandler & MaryKatherine |
| 3/27 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome |
| 3/28 9:00a | Walker, Marsh, Cooper | A Keene |
| 4/2 8:00p | Easter Vigil-TBA | MK Book |
| 4/3 9:00a | Easter-TBA | S Marsh |
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
- March 21 Parish St Joseph Social - First Quarter Potluck following Sunday Mass
- March 28-April 4 Palm Sunday and Holy Week - see below for times and participants April 3 Easter Egg Hunt on Church Hall grounds … Stephenie Marsh will give leadership to the effort.
HOLY WEEK
| Day | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday Chrism Mass | 11 a.m. | Live-Streamed from the Cathedral in Alexandria, Attendance is Clergy only due to COVID |
| Spy Wednesday | 9 a.m. | Daily Mass as Usual |
| Holy Thursday | 5:30 p.m. | Lector: Mike Rome |
| Good Friday | 5:30 p.m. | Reading: Angel Farlow, Gospel Narrator: Kendra Collins, Gospel Voice: Michael Lancaster |
| Holy Saturday | 8:00 p.m. | Readings: Cathy VanderVieren (1 & 3) and MaryAnne Gilfoil (6 & 7), Epistle: MaryKathryn Book |
| Easter Sunday | 9:00 a.m. | Lector: S Marsh |
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.
ORDINATION OF THOMAS KENNEDY...on Saturday, May 22 at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Alexandria. Many of you will remember Thomas as he spent a summer with us while a Seminarian at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.
LENTEN DEVOTIONS… As has become our usual plan, on each Friday in Lent, Fr. Ryan will hear confessions at 5pm and offer the Stations of the Cross at 5:30p followed by Holy Mass.
FAST AND ABSTINENCE Lent is a season of penance. Good Friday is the only remaining day of Fasting which means that adult Catholics should plan to abstain from meat and dishes made with meat and should limit their eating to a single meal for the day. If medical conditions or strenuous work require taking extra nourishment, those meals should be small in size and also free of meat. Each Friday of Lent is a day of Abstinence from meat, but not necessarily a day of fasting.
EASTER EGG HUNT … will be on Saturday, April 3, 2021 on the grounds of the church hall. Stephenie Marsh will give leadership to the event. If you would like to help, let her know. All can contribute hard-boiled, dyed eggs or plastic eggs with treats. Please avoid anything with peanut butter as we have some very allergic children in our group of youngsters!
LILIES and FLOWERS FOR EASTER...Envelopes can be found on the table at the entrance of church if you would like to have Easter Lilies in memory of a loved one or in honor of someone. You may drop your envelope in the collection basket.
Stewardship “If anyone would serve me,” says Jesus in today’s Gospel, “let him follow me; where I am, there will my servant be.” In what ways is Jesus inviting me to follow Him? What service is He asking of me?
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2020-21 | $ 2,111 |
| February Budget | $ 8,444 |
| February Income | $ 9,122 |
| February Expenses | $ 7,631 |
| March Budget | $ 8,444 |
| March 13/14 collection | $ 2,550 |
| March income to Date | $ 5,041 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Angel Farlow (March 20), Terry Hall (March 27), Cooper Ellerbee, (March 27), Dana Dukes (March 28), Teddy Oliver (March 28)
Happy Anniversary Alyce and C.W. Keene (March 21)
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: Harper Bedgood, 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, Charlotte Marsh and Lance and Stephenie, 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), Todd Beene, 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, Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Rita Hargrave, Justin Rittenhouse and Arielle Lewis (Keene), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), 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.