The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
From The Font
“This is my body...”
We hear these words so frequently that we don’t generally even think about their meaning or importance. But Vatican II teaches that the Holy Eucharist is the SOURCE and the SUMMIT of our spiritual lives and so we can’t really afford to consign “Hoc est enim corpus meum” to the overly familiar part of our brains.
In Scripture, images of and references to bread are oddly ubiquitous, especially given that the Jewish people are herdsmen rather than farmers. Meat and not bread are the traditional staple food of the Jews. And yet bread is the constant reference even to the point that Jesus is born in Bethlehem, literally “the house of bread.”
When Jesus ties Himself to the offering of the Mass by describing His body as specially blessed bread, He recontextualizes all of the Old Testament. Surely, we could go through and highlight characters like Mechezidek, who is a priest-king who offers gifts of bread and wine, or Elijah, who miraculously provides bread-making stuffs to the widow of Zarephath.
Even more than the context and history, though, the New Testament clarifies that the bread is not bread at all, but the very Body and presence of Jesus. More than anything, Catholics in our time have lost the sense of caring about the True Presence of Jesus. We’re not in the midst of a crisis of belief - we’re in the midst of a crisis of caring. We are surrounded by a hurricane of apathy. Church leadership has failed us in the last 75 years and they are partly to blame… But some of the blame, too, belongs to each and every one of us who - through lack of prayer, fasting, and merciful works - have failed to be in awe that Jesus Christ, Lord of All, Creator of the Universe has chosen to remain with us in such a vulnerable way that we are free to receive Him with or without love, with or without dignity, and with or without any real reverence!
This isn’t so much to shame any of us as it is to remind us of just what we risk each time we approach our Lord for Holy Communion! It’s to remind us that the words of today’s Gospel ‘This is my body’ are perhaps the most important words in our language and we must do what we must to receive them as such.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Prior to COVID, I was thinking and praying about what we can do to improve our Sacred Liturgy. What can we do? What will make a difference? What’s going to be worth an investment of time and energy? I’m certainly not alone. Basically, every attentive pastor I know is asking the same question of himself and of his pastoral council.
The problem is relatively straight-forward. We live in a world utterly overwhelmed with speech, ideas, and noise. We hear more words in a day than previous generations did in several weeks… That flood of verbiage dilutes the potency of the Gospel message when it is read or spoken directly. But from the beginning, the Church has not especially advocated the use of words at Mass. From the beginning, the Mass was really about gestures and symbols. The sermon wasn’t considered “part of the Mass” until 1962. Sermons weren’t really required at Sunday Mass until 1983. Technically, the official language of Mass is still Latin and not whatever the vernacular of the place happens to be.
Interestingly, marketing experts and psychology tells us that the best way to communicate ideas nowadays is… signs and symbols! Sadly, the 1960s changes to the Mass actively replaced most of the signs and symbols with more and more words. I believe that’s why people get burnt out on their pastor nowadays whereas in years past that wasn’t usually the case. Nowadays, you have to listen to me talk ALL THE TIME! God Bless you, I don’t even want to hear me speak all the time!!
The solution to the problem, then, is relatively obvious: more signs and symbols and less talking. And, honestly, the Mass is capable of doing that for us, but there are all sorts of challenges too. Which symbols should we incorporate? Some of the symbols replace others and so we can’t just choose willy nilly. Some of the symbols and signs that the Mass offers us are unpopular or difficult. Do we want Mass to be more challenging for us spiritually? Will that cause some folks to stop coming? Is it better to offer something easier that will be more popular but less sanctifying?
Bluntly, we’re doing really well at the moment, and upsetting the apple cart seems unwise… On the other hand, we’re doing well because we didn’t go with the flow these past nine months…
As our pastor, I don’t necessarily need to make any decisions at the moment. Thankfully, St Edward is moving in a positive direction and I’m very satisfied with our pastoral program… But I’m not off the hook either. After all, my salvation - going to Heaven or to Hell - will depend in part on my service here. I love you, but I’m not willing to go to Hell for you! There are few things the Lord is so vicious about in the Bible as mediocrity… And so I don’t have the luxury of just going with the flow. I have to ask myself these kinds of questions all the time and I hope you’re thinking about them too. We should never be spiritually comfortable where we are. This short life is given to us in anticipation of eternity and we can’t afford to waste even a second of it!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In Thanksgiving by Magoun family
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon No Mass
- Tue 9:00a In memory of May DiTomasso
- Wed 9:00a in memory of Josephine Hodge/G Cox
- Thu 9:00a No Mass as Father away
- Fri 5:30p No Mass as Father away
- Sat 9:00a No Mass as Father away
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Pat Bullard/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 Mary Anne Gilfoil
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 6/5 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil |
| 6/6 9:00a | Preston and Evelyn | B Sullivan |
| 6/12 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome |
| 6/13 9:00a | Chandler, Cooper, and Maura | C Guizerix |
| 6/19 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil |
| 6/20 9:00a | Henry and MaryKatherine | Youth |
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
- June 18 Father Thomas Kennedy will celebrate Friday’s 5:30 p.m. Mass at St Edward. Following Mass, there will be a potluck social during which we will present the gift of our faith family to him in honor of his recent ordination.
- June 20 Father’s Day
- June 27 Potluck Picnic to celebrate an early July 4th...following 9 a.m. Mass. ALL are invited to attend. The Second Quarter Social Committee will open the doors and clean up following the event. See notes elsewhere in the bulletin.
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.
VISIT OF FATHER THOMAS KENNEDY… to offer his first Mass at St. Edward will be on Friday, June 18 at the 5:30 p.m. Mass. All are invited to join in celebrating Father Thomas’s Ordination which was May 22. Father Thomas’s first assignment is in Alexandria at Our Lady of Prompt Succor. In connection with Father Thomas’s visit, those who would like to do so should plan on joining him after Mass for supper in the Church Hall to enjoy food and conversation. If you are attending and would like to bring a dish, there will be a list at the entrance of church next week for you to record what you plan to bring.
FATHER’S DAY… JUNE 20. We invite all the dads of our community to join us for a special blessing of Fathers at each of our weekend Masses!
SECOND QUARTER SOCIAL … Mark your calendar for JUNE 27 and celebrate an early 4th of July with a Potluck Picnic following Sunday Mass. The Committee for Second Quarter (April, May, June) - Libby Bullard (Co-chair), Elizabeth Crothers*, Angel Farlow, Margaret and Pat Gilfoil, MaryAnne Gilfoil, Terry and Andy Hall, Isabell Hernandez, Ann Keene, Alyce and C.W. Keene, Frances Kennedy,* Bobby Reynolds, Delia Trichell, and Cathy VanderVieren (Co-chair).
Stewardship The focus of Today’s feast is the total self-giving of Jesus. The Bishops’ stewardship pastoral reminds us that ”the glory and the boast of Christian stewards lie in mirroring, however poorly, the stewardship of Jesus Christ, who gave and still gives all he has and is, in order to be faithful to God’s will and carry through to completion his redemptive stewardship of human beings and their world.”
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2020-21 | $ 2,111 |
| April Budget | $ 8,444 |
| April Income | $10,777 |
| April Expenses | $ 8,759 |
| May Budget | $10,555 |
| May 29/30 Collection | $ 2,049 |
| May income to Date | $12,111 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Billy Marsh (June 8), MaryKathryn Book (June 13), Emily Ginn (June 14)
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, 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, Brittany and Brian McFall, 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
Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Lee Adams (Smith), Ashley Alexander (Regan), Kathryn Wood Allsopp (D Wood), Jenna Faye Allen (Florence), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), James Arceneaux (Book), Marie Farlow Bellard, Molly Corulla, Jerry Bullard, Sara Cannon (Gilfoil), Truman and Diane Collins, Jami Cook (Wilks), Carol Dipert (Rome), Jared and Ainslie Oliver Duff, Tommy Dunning, Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Rita Hargrave, LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Cameron and Katie Murphy Murray, Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Frances Robinson, 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), George and Katie Magoun Williams, Joe Yerger
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Chris Hall (USMC), Nick Hall, Emmy Lu Marsh, Maddie Oliver, 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.