The Epiphany of the Lord | St. Edward Catholic Church, Tallulah

From The Font

“Behold! Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem”

Magi from the East implies the kingdoms in what is now Iran and Iraq. In the time of the Old Testament, that meant the Assyrian and the Babylonian empires. For the few centuries surrounding the birth of Jesus, that meant the Persian empire.

It’s hard to sum up the brutal history of those peoples whose empires lasted for a collective 3500 years! What we can say is that they were vicious, militaristic, and that EVERYONE feared them. Israel was small enough to be ignored for much of their history, but it was the Babylonian empire that destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel and it was the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II who defeated the last Davidic King Jehoiakim and exiled the entire Chosen People from their Promised Land. For about 75 years, the Jews were captive in the Babylonian Empire. In about 538 BC, they were freed by the decree of the Persian King Cyrus and were permitted to return to Jerusalem and their ancestral land. About 10 generations later, the Romans came and conquered Israel which led to ‘king’ Herod…

That time of captivity, though, introduced the Persian intellegentia to Jewish scholars, the most famous of which was Daniel. The Persians were surprised by the sophistication of the Jews and, no doubt, that’s why the three Persian wise men Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar were paying attention to the stars in regard to the Jewish nation.

When they saw the arrangement of Jupiter in the constellation Virgo with Leo en corona they set out for the 8-10 day trip across 80 miles of well-tended roadway from ancient Babylon to Jerusalem. We don’t know for certain when they arrived in Jerusalem or when they ultimately made the one day trip from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. We celebrate Epiphany on the 12th day of Christmas more for reasons of tradition and theology than for history, but that doesn’t affect the story itself.

The wise men were paying attention because the Lord had prepared the way for Jesus not only among His Chosen People, but among all the peoples of the world who were willing to pay attention… And that’s a cause for thanksgiving and celebration.

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

What is Epiphany Chalk…?

In the early Church, bishops were very local. A bishop would have had a Cathedral Church and maybe two or three parish churches to serve. And so, he was generally expected to travel to the home of each Catholic family on a regular basis. Most bishops got into the habit of making their visits and blessing each home at the beginning of the year, around the time of Epiphany. As the Church grew in numbers, the bishop couldn’t do it himself. So bishops started sending priests out at this time of year to bless homes. As the Church continued to grow, even the priests couldn’t make it to everyone’s home near to Epiphany and so two traditions arose. First, priests were instructed to bless water at Epiphany and to use that water to bless chalk. The faithful would then take that chalk to their homes and inscribe a blessing upon their doorposts. They were told to write the initials of the wise men (Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar) in the midst of the year. For example, for 2022:

2 0 + C + M + B + 2 2

This inscription is designed to remind everyone who passes through the door of the true meaning of Epiphany which begins by realizing that the Lord made Himself known to us in a specific space and time.

While many of us simply assume that we’re heading for heaven (a very dangerous assumption, indeed!), the truth is that God chose a specific people - the Jews. As such, only the Jews had any reason to believe that the resurrection of the dead would apply to them.

When the Magi from the East recognized God’s design and they found the Christ child and were welcomed by Him… WOW! Symbolically, this is the sign in the scriptures that Jesus came not only to save the Jews, but also to save gentiles. It’s an incredibly important moment and so we, as the gentiles we are, mark our homes with the names of those gentiles who symbolize our admission into the promise of being chosen by God. At Mass today, I’ll bless chalk and all are encouraged to take some to their homes. Simply make the marking that you see here above the door (on the frame) and add a prayer of thanksgiving that God is good.

This isn’t some kind of totem, taboo, or magic. This is like making the sign of the cross with your house instead of your hand. It’s meant to convey a real blessing and then to remind us of God’s work in our lives.

This is also an ideal time to invite your pastor over to your home for a yearly blessing. In exchange for a cup of coffee and some conversation, I am very happy to make a big batch of Holy Water just for you and to bless your home which has the two-fold purpose of warding off dangerous spiritual activity and helping to remind you and your family that the home is not merely a place to keep out of the weather but a special place - instituted by God from His very birth at Nazareth - in which to grow in love and to become a kind of living icon in our families of the love in which the Holy Trinity abides. The house blessing is a wonderful tradition and a real opportunity in our little community.

Mass Intentions for the Coming Week

Sat 5:30p In memory of Sally Higdon/Magoun
Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
Mon NO MASS
Tue: 9:00a In memory of Carroll Regan, Poche & Bill Adams, Bitsy A Weiner/Regan
Wed 9:00a In memory of Wallace Oliver/Rome
Thu 9:00a In memory of Rosa Gremshell
Fri 5:30p In memory of Curley Mills/Mills & Thompson
Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/Rome
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)
1/1 5:30p	None Scheduled	L Bullard
1/2 9:00a	Preston, Evelyn, Courtland	A Keene
1/8 5:30p	None Scheduled	M Rome
1/9 9:00a	Caroline, Cooper	A Oliver
1/15 5:30p	None Scheduled	A Farlow
1/16 9:00a	Henry & 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
Jan 4 Workshop on Dealing with Stress & Anxiety as a Christian. Open to the public and free - 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Scheduled for every first Tuesday in 2022
Jan 7 First Friday - Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - 5:30 p.m.
Jan 8 Saturday - following 5:30 p.m. Mass - Burning of the Greens and Soup Supper. See notes elsewhere.
Jan 18 Pastoral Council Meeting – Parish Hall – 6 p.m.
Jan 22 Bishop’s Pastoral Visit – 5:30 p.m. Mass

For Your Information:

DEALING WITH STRESS AND ANXIETY AS A CHRISTIAN has become increasingly important to all of us. Beginning January 4, Fr. Ryan will host a monthly workshop on Dealing with Stress & Anxiety as a Christian. The workshops are open to the public and free. They will last from about 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. and will be scheduled for every first Tuesday in 2022 except for June and December. Most of the workshops will feature outside speakers and all will include concrete strategies and advice for dealing with stress and anxiety in the wake of the last two years.

ROSARY GROUP… a group of parishioners is meeting on Monday at 5:30 p.m. to pray the Rosary. Everyone is invited to join the group. If you need additional information, please contact the Coordinator, Louise Magoun, at 318-341-2403.

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD…January 1 is NOT a Holy Day of Obligation this year as it falls on Saturday and the precept to attend Mass is lifted (dispensed) (and the same would be true if the date fell on a Monday).

FIRST FRIDAY…JANUARY 7 ...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.

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF PROMPT SUCCOR….January 8, 2022…. Our Lady is the Patron Saint of New Orleans and of Louisiana and the title is one of the Blessed Virgin Mary that is associated with a devotional image of the Madonna and Child enshrined in New Orleans. The title goes back almost three centuries. And, when invoked by it, Mary is said to have interceded in decisive ways.

BURNING OF THE GREENS…will occur following the 5:30 p.m. Mass and will be on the grounds of the Church Hall on January 8, 2022, the Saturday following the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6). Please bring your live greenery left from Christmas as we use it to begin our Carnivale season leading up to Mardi Gras. Also, bring an appetite for Queen’s Soup as we will have supper following.

PASTORAL COUNCIL..will hold its regular meeting on TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2022, at 6:00 p.m in the Church Center. Appointed members of the Council: MaryKathryn Book, Kendra Collins, MaryAnne Gilfoil, Louise Magoun, Levi Washington, and Blanche Wilks. Appointed as Trustees by the Bishop are Michel Lancaster and Cathy VanderVieren. Appointed by the pastor to serve as Finance Council Chair is Darryl Ellerbee. All members are requested to make a special effort to attend. Parishioners are encouraged to attend and contribute to the discussions.

SAINTS ALIVE, ANGELS AT WORK…Because of your generosity, Angel Tree in 2021 met the needs of 16 children and 8 special needs adults during the holiday season. One grandmother texted “Thank you for my grand baby’s gifts! Continue to put smiles on the children’s faces. May God continue to bless all of you!”

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 to the 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.

Our Return to the Lord


Weekly Budget FY 2020-21	$ 2,111
November Budget	$ 8,444
November Income	$ 9,408
November Expenses	$ 8,896
December Budget	$ 8,444
December 25/26 collection	$ 1,663
December To Date	$ 10,757

Stewardship The three kings in today’s Gospel traveled a great distance at considerable cost to offer their richest gifts to the Infant Jesus. How far will I go and what will I offer to do homage to this newborn King and Savior?

SECOND COLLECTION Our monthly Building Fund collection.

Let us Rejoice in the Lord!

Happy Birthday Beth Sullivan (Jan 4)

Happy Anniversary Abby and Darryl Ellerbee (Jan 5)

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, Leslye Ellerbee, 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), Graham Allen (S Gilfoil), Kathryn Wood Allsopp (D Wood), Jenna Faye Allen (Florence), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), James Arceneaux (Book), Marie Farlow Bellard, Ruthie Coenen (Wilks), Molly Corulla, Sara Cannon (Gilfoil), Truman and Diane Collins, Jami Cook (Wilks), Amelia Florence Cowart and her family (Florence), Carol Dipert (Rome), Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Tommy Dunning, Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, April Franklin (Wilks), Cogan Fulton (Ellerbee), Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Rita Hargrave, Carroll Holmes and family (Keene), Lyn and Calvin Lisonbee (Keene), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Caryn Oliver, Sue Perrilloux (D Wood), Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Frances Robinson (Wilks), John and Martha Rogan, Bailey, Lee, and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Saldana Family (Book), Theresa and Albert Thom (Rome), Meg Keene Thomas, Lucy Thomason (gr-dau of Bentley Curry)(Book), Elaine and James Trimble (Rome), Joe Yerger

Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Calli Ezell, Chris Hall (USMC), Nick Hall, Emmy Lu Marsh, Maddie Oliver, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Brice Wood, Marsh Wood