Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
From The Font
“For whoever is not against us is for us.”
Plenty of people have pointed out that this simple aphorism doesn’t at all jive with Mt 12:30 where Jesus says ‘whoever is not with me is against me.”
In reality, there’s a lot of context and language barriers, but the essential problem isn’t about these contrasting verses, it’s about the idea that the Bible should be read in this way at all.
The Bible isn’t written as one integrated book with one clear storyline and one clear main character’s point of view and one unseen, all-wise editor bringing everything together in one style. The Bible wasn’t even written by people with a shared purpose… Some books were written to instruct, but others were written primarily to preserve historical details or tribal wisdom. Some were written to be sung or prayed or performed while others, while others were written to be studied only by legal experts. Some try to convert people to Judaism or Christianity, while others are written to chide or correct religious communities already firmly established.
The modern Protestant understandings of the Bible as “Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth” or as “Life’s Instruction Booklet” or as “God’s definitive word” are simply wrong. What’s more, they’re stupid, by which I mean irrational. These understandings are just made up out of thin air. None of them come from the Bible itself… None of them come from the wisdom of the Holy Spirit expressed through History (which we call Sacred Tradition)... Ultimately, none of them even come from human reason. They’re all just made up because some preacher or atheist or whoever decided that their personal beliefs required the Bible to be this or that way.
In reality, the so-called contradictions of the Bible arise only when someone over-focuses on some detail to the exclusion of the whole religious picture. Understood as a cohesive religious statement, the Bible is integral and complete. But when we over-focus on why the Hornets in Revelation have Blond Hair, we get nonsense about the inherent sexism in the early Church…
A proper reading of the Bible, as the saints have attested from the beginning, begins and ends on one’s knees - that is, in prayer.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
This Wednesday is Michaelmas - the feast of St. Michael the Archangel. In the 60s, Ss. Gabriel and Raphael were robbed of their feast days and huddled together with poor Michael so that now the Archangels share a single day of celebration.
The angels are an increasingly important part of our faith as, increasingly, we are encouraged by the world to ignore or reject the supernaturality of Christianity. The angels are fascinating theologically as well because the way they are structured is easy to understand (even if it’s really, really hard to dig into why they are structured that way).
The first thing to know is that each angel is as different from one other as a dolphin is from a paperclip. In theology, we say that “each angel is its own distinct ‘species’”.
From there, we find in Scripture, nine broad purposes for which these multitudes of differing angel species are created. St. Thomas Aquinas labeled these divisions-by-purpose as Choirs. St. Thomas uses a lot of words that seem odd to us… there are good reasons for his word choices, so don’t fret if they sound weird.
The nine “choirs” of angels are then divided into three tiers of three choirs each. The top tier consists of angels who are created by God for purposes in Heaven and around God’s throne. The bottom tier consists of angels who are created by God for purposes around us human beings. The middle tier, then, fills in the gaps between Heaven and us dealing with the universe at large.
At the top of the top are the Seraphim. They exist to worship at God’s Throne constantly.
Next come the Cherubim, who are NOT fat babies and who do NOT shoot little arrows. They also exist to worship God but in a broader, across the entirety of Heaven and not just at the Throne. These are also the angels who worship the Holy Eucharist wherever it is reserved.
The Thrones function as liaisons between the angels working outside of Heaven and the Glory of God in Heaven.
The Dominions, Virtues, and Powers are the middle tier angels at work in the Universe at large…
The top of the bottom, so to speak, are the Principalities which are angels who function like guardian angels but for who cities or regions. Lots of exorcists have lots to say about these.
The bottom of the bottom - closest to us - are the Angels (aka “simple angels), who help us most directly.
The Archangels - who are the eighth choir - are a little complicated, mostly because we tend to think of them as the biggest, best, greatest, strongest, etc… But it’s not really that simple. The Archangels are a big deal and Lucifer (aka Satan) is an Archangel and He was the most beautiful of the angels… Like I said, it’s not 100% easy to comprehend the ins and outs, but the overall framework fits into this short article.
More to come when we get to the Guardian angels next week!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/P Gilfoil
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon No Mass
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Carroll Regan/family
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Rosa Gremshell
- Thurs 9:00a In memory of Gus Gremshell
- Fri 5:30p In memory of SeSe Holstead (death anni)/family
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Jackson Jumonville (death anni)/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 Blanche & Skeeter Wilks
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 9/25 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil |
| 9/26 9:00a | Preston and Evelyn | K Collins |
| 10/2 5:30p | None Scheduled | TBA |
| 10/3 9:00a | TBA | TBA |
| 10/9 5:30p | None Scheduled | TBA |
| 10/10 9:00a | TBA | TBA |
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
- Sept 26 SUNDAY MORNING CATECHISM in Hall after 9:00 a.m. Mass.
- Oct 1 First Friday Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - 5:30 p.m.
- Oct 2 First Saturday Devotions to our Blessed Mother - Mass and Holy Hour - 9 a.m.
- Oct 4 Blessing of Pets
- Oct 15 Quarterly Healing Mass - 5:30 p.m.
- Oct 16 /17 Celebration of Feast of St Edward the Confessor...on Saturday following Mass there will be a Potluck Supper
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.
FIRST FRIDAY…OCTOBER 1 ...Holy Hour and Mass....5:30 p.m. ...make a special devotion to the Sacred Heart and attend first Friday devotions for nine consecutive months.
FIRST SATURDAY …OCTOBER 2… Mass and Holy Hour … 9 a.m. Our Lady of Fatima called for special devotions to be offered on the first Saturday of each month. Father Ryan will offer Mass on the first Saturday of each month in the Church. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend.
BLESSING OF PETS… SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3… In anticipation of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (who is not actually the patron of pets…, but who everyone seems to think is the patron of pets and animals), Fr. Ryan will bless household pets in the parking lot ~4:30p. There will be minimal ceremony and so there’s no need to dress up, just bring your pets for a sprinkling. Enthusiastic pets can even remain in the vehicle.
HEALING MASS… Every few months, our usual Friday evening Daily Mass will be offered especially for the sick parishioners of our parish and Father will offer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for those of advanced age or those suffering serious health conditions. The next of these Healing Masses will be offered on OCTOBER 15.
FEAST OF ST EDWARD THE CONFESSOR… The Church strongly encourages all parishes to celebrate their patronal feasts and even offers a Plenary Indulgence for members of that parish who do so. Our feast day is technically October 13, but the Church allows for us to celebrate it on an adjacent Sunday. This year, on the weekend of October 17, all parish Masses will be celebrated in Honor of St. Edward the Confessor. Everyone who attends and is a member (officially or de facto) of our parish may receive a Plenary Indulgence under the usual conditions for participating. There will be an informal parish potluck on Saturday, October 16 after the 5:30p Mass.
FATHER RYAN ON RETREAT: OCT 18-21… Fr. Ryan will make his required annual retreat in Alabama this year. Neighboring priests (Fr. Taylor Reynolds & Fr. Dale Meade) will be available in case of emergencies. There will be no daily Masses for that week. The Mass schedule will resume as normal on Saturday evening, October 23.
PRAYER FOR HURRICANE SEASON...Our Father in Heaven through the intercession of our Lady of Prompt Succor, spare us during the Hurricane Season from all harm. Protect us and our homes from all disasters of nature. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Stewardship St James warns in today’s second reading that those who hoard their wealth and live only for themselves will be condemned. But in the Gospel, Jesus assures us that all who give of themselves for His sake will be rewarded.
THANKS… our Retired Priests collection, which remains in our parish, totaled $1,118 last weekend.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2021-2022 | $ 2,111 |
| August Budget | $ 8,444 |
| August Income | $ 9,611 |
| August Expenses | $ 9,843 |
| September Budget | $ 8,444 |
| September 18/19 Collection | $ 1,155 |
| September To Date | $ 5,615 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Leslye Ellerbee (Sept 25), Bishop Johnson (Sept 26), Blake Sullivan (Sept 26), Susie Murphy (Oct 1)
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, Mary Ernst, Monique Florence, 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
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), Tommy Dunning, Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Rita Hargrave, Sharon Jackson (Wilks), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Mona Martin-Mills (M Gilfoil), Caryn Oliver, Sue Perrilloux (D Wood), Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Frances Robinson (Wilks), Lee and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), 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, Calli Ezell, Chris Hall (USMC), Nick Hall, Emmy Lu Marsh, Maddie Oliver, Bailey Rome, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Brice Wood, Marsh Wood
Those Catholics residing at Christian Acres, Louisiana Transitional Center for Women, and our local Detention Centers and for their families and loved ones.