Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
From The Font
“He was not able to perform any mighty deed there”
Can God create a rock so heavy that He can’t lift it? That’s the medieval way of asking about the limits of God’s power… In reality, nothing can limit God’s power except God Himself… If the Lord limits His own power by giving human beings the freedom to choose Him or to reject Him, then Jesus may well find Himself in a situation where He is unable to heal the sick or work a miracle… It’s not, of course, that Jesus couldn’t have easily healed the faithless sick who stood around in Nazareth. It’s that He couldn’t heal them AND be faithful to Himself and to the way in which we were created at the same time. And because God is always faithful - to Himself and to us - Jesus was “unable” to work the miracles.
Heaven and Hell work the same way. The Lord wants everyone to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. But what about people who don’t want to spend eternity with the Lord? If they don’t want Heaven enough to condition themselves for it, then even Heaven would be hellish to them. And so God “cannot” save those who don’t want to be saved.
It may seem silly, but the comic book character of Superman actually works as a fascinating philosophical consideration of God and Jesus. Superman is all-powerful. He has miraculous abilities to know, to see, to heal, to help, to defend, etc. But his most important flaw is that, like Jesus and unlike God the Most Holy Trinity, Superman can only be in one place at one time. He can move fast, but He can only be where He is. Jesus, too, was limited by being in his city and not that one at this moment. God isn’t limited by anything, but in dwelling among us, Jesus limited Himself and that limitation leads us to consider and to be in awe of God’s omni-presence.
As human beings, we struggle to comprehend infinity. We can’t get our heads around really big things like the size of the Earth or the distance between stars. Our minds are just too limited. Jesus, by limiting Himself, actually opens up our perceptions to be bigger and more profound than they could’ve been without His limitations. It seems crazy, but it’s yet another example of the Lord knowing us better than we know ourselves.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
This Sunday, I’m preaching on the Theological Virtue of Hope… Our usual understanding of Hope is more Hallmark™ than Holy. We tend to think of Hope as either an irrational optimism or as wishful thinking.
In Christianity, Hope is a habit of trusting that God has truly revealed Himself to us and that His revelation is good, possible and worth devoting our lives to. It’s not optimism or wishful thinking because we don’t believe that every situation is going to work itself out before the credits roll. In fact, Christianity acknowledges that the world is fading away and Jesus tells us that the prince of this world is Satan.
Christian Hope orients us toward God’s Faithfulness to Himself and trains us to trust that the Lord is good and that His plans are worthwhile. Our Faith, when lived, will pay off in a big way. St. Paul lists the Fruit of the Holy Spirit in chapter five of Galatians as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” All of those are things we’d like to have and things which make life worth living…
But, as many modern folks have come to criticize, none of them line up with the materialism so precious to us today. God doesn’t promise wealth, success, popularity, family bliss, psychological “contentment,” sexual satisfaction, or really any of the things which so many Americans define as the bare minimum for life today. On the contrary, the Lord tells us that life is more about taking up our crosses than it is about counting all the blessings we have in this life.
Now we should be clear, Christianity is not just a philosophical rejection of these material wants! It’s not as if they are there for the taking and Christians pretend they are not. It’s that the world is a certain way. We can choose to see it through Christian eyes and gain the fruit of the Holy Spirit OR we can choose to see it through another lens and try to get from the world what we want.
The problem, of course, is that the world is NOT whatever we make it. We can’t just follow our hearts and be happy. We live in the most depressed generation in world history. The Millennials and kids who are the most spoiled and wealthy generation in world history are sad, angry and lonely. Their worldview is broken. They project their self-loathing onto everyone else and still they can’t see anything but their own issues.
Christianity is not an obstacle to their happiness, it’s the truth of the world as it is. Faith is the Virtue by which we trust that God has revealed that truth to us and Hope is the Virtue by which we trust that the Christian way of life is not only better than the pagan option, but that it is worth an act of total commitment.
Christian Hope transforms this world from a rat race where my happiness requires me to obsess over wealth, status, and power all the time into a primarily spiritual drama in which the Lord Jesus has already won the battle. Christian Hope calls on me to be patient as the Lord forms me into the shape of me which will be most joyful with Him in eternity. Life becomes so much more than the day-to-day struggle that materialism makes it out to be.
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Carroll Regan (birth)/family
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon - Thu - No Mass, Fr. Ryan out of Town
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Philip and Nettie Scurria/family
- Sat 9:00a Private Intentions of Father Ryan (Traditional Latin Mass)
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Jack Ellerbee/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 Paul VanderVieren
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 7/3 5:30p | None Scheduled | L Bullard |
| 7/4 9:00a | Preston and Evelyn | M Lancaster |
| 7/10 5:30p | None Scheduled | A Farlow |
| 7/11 9:00a | Chandler, Cooper, and Maura | D Ellerbee |
| 7/17 5:30p | None Scheduled | P Wilks |
| 7/18 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 July 20 at 6p in the Parish Hall
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.
PASTORAL COUNCIL..will hold its regular meeting on TUESDAY, JULY 20, at 6:00 p.m in the Church Hall. All members are requested to make a special effort to attend. Parishioners are encouraged to attend and contribute to the discussions.
EMPOWERING GOD’S CHILDREN… parish volunteers must be VIRTUS trained and go online regularly at www.virtus.org for the latest training bulletins. Any questions or issues can be reported tothe office. Printed resources are available on the table at the entrance to the Church. “Protecting our Children, Understanding and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse” includes Resources and Contact Numbers for reporting abuse. “Protecting God’s Children, Teaching Touching Safety Quick Reference Guide” The Diocesan Policy for the Protection of Minors and The Diocesan Code of Pastoral Conduct for Priests, Deacons, Pastoral Ministers, Administrators, Staff, and Volunteers are available in the Safe Environment section of the diocesan website at DioceseAlex.org or a copy may be requested from the Safe Environment Office (318) 445-2401.
PLEDGE TO HEAL...If you or a family member has been abused or victimized by a representative of the Catholic church or a member of the clergy, please believe in the possibility for hope and help and healing. Dr. Lee Kneipp, Clinical Psychologist, Victim Assistance Coordinator, Diocese of Alexandria encourages those persons to come forward and speak out. Dr. Kneipp is establishing support groups in the central Louisiana area for victims and family members. The focus of these groups is to further emotional and spiritual healing as an adjunct to therapy, in an atmosphere of others who understand the pain, betrayal, and fear associated with abuse. Dr. Kneipp can be reached at 318-542-9805. All calls are confidential.
THANKS TO SECOND QUARTER SOCIAL COMMITTEE … for providing the opportunity for the “early 4th celebration” last weekend!!! You are appreciated!
Stewardship This weekend as we celebrate the Independence of our country, we will do well to echo the Psalmist, saying, “Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.” May we always recognize and use wisely the gifts of freedom and abundance He has showered upon us.
Second Collection This weekend is for our monthly Building Fund. We thank you for your generosity!
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2020-21 | $ 2,111 |
| May Budget | $10,555 |
| May Income | $12,111 |
| May Expenses | $ 8,028 |
| June Budget | $ 8,444 |
| June 26/27 Collection | $ 1,127 |
| June income to Date | $ 8,878 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Chip Sullivan (July 11), Aidan Collins (July 12)
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
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, 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, Artis Peace (Book), Sue Perrilloux (D Wood), 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.