Fourth Sunday of Lent | St. Edward Catholic Church, Tallulah

From The Font

Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

The Jewish idea that all of our worldly ailments, issues, and problems are the result of sin is wrong. So is the more modern idea that NONE of our worldly ailments, issues, and problems are the result of sin… The modern notion that God doesn’t cause “bad things” to happen to us is demonstrably false. Jesus, after all, endured great suffering and promised that His apostles would receive much of the same… In fact, Jesus tells us that if we want to go to Heaven, we MUST take up our crosses and suffer with Him, albeit in different ways.

The modern image of Jesus is far too aloof to be real. The Jesus that too often comes to mind is all about power. Jesus is above all things and so we rejoice when He makes the Pharisees look like fools or when He heals an incurable sickness. We tend to emphasize the easy teachings about love, peace, kindness, and community. The idea that Jesus would let the woman in John 15 squirm… The idea that Jesus would tell someone that even the scraps of the spiritual food He is offering are too good for them… The idea that Jesus would deny or refuse to heal or help… They’re all things that happen in the Gospels and yet they seem totally out of place in our modern ideas about God.

In reality, the Lord does allow us to endure suffering. He does this because He tells us it is good and necessary for us… The Church not only recommends but demands penance and reparation for our sin… We are mandated to take upon ourselves limited suffering in order to “complete in ourselves what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ” as we read in the Scripture. Whether it’s the story of Job, Elijah, or St. Paul’s many stays in jail, the question of whether the Lord causes some to suffer is without question “yes.”

Of course, the purpose of that suffering is medicinal! The Lord is trying to get us to Heaven! We will “consider the suffering of the present age to be as nothing compared to the glory that is to be revealed in Christ Jesus!”

The modern notion of God as a kind fellow passing out lollipops and big ole smiles is no help to us when it comes to eternal life!

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

First, let’s make something clear… An artist or a painter may look at my vestments and call them salmon or peach or coral… But whatever the official name of the color, it is ROSE and not PINK. Let it be written on the hearts and minds of all who read these words, Amen! :) This Rose Sunday is about Joy. And that doesn’t really make sense in the middle of Lent. But if we look back in history, it fits.

Let’s go back to 1960 (and the previous 1000 years with it). From about 850 AD - 1960, Lent began on Ash Wednesday. Three weeks before, there was a mini-season called “Septuagesima.” That little mini-season was lent-like in that the vestments were purple, the alleluia and gloria were not sung and the glory be (of which the old Mass had about 12) was not said.

From Ash Wednesday to Good Friday, every single day - except Sundays, of course - were fasting days. That means one meal, no meat, no meat products and no meat broth. And that was the baseline. You still gave up something extra.

The last two weeks of Lent were called “Passiontide.” During that time, the statues and images in the Church were veiled and some other parts of the Mass were also suppressed. The Fifth Sunday of Lent was Passion Sunday which included the long reading of St. Matthew’s Gospel from the Last Supper to the Death of the Lord on the Cross.Then, the next Sunday was Palm Sunday which was also much longer than the usual Mass with a long blessing of the Palms before Mass and a dozen or so psalms that were chanted as a part of that. It also had a very long Gospel. Then came Holy Week with Spy (Judas) Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil.

Lent - for most of the history of the Church - was a real-deal, hard, penitential season. And so it makes sense in the middle of that to have a breather. Right in the middle of all of that penance and all of that self-awareness, the altar was decorated with flowers and the dark, purple robes were replaced with bright, rose ones. We were reminded - and we needed reminding - that we’re doing all this because the natural result of being with the Lord Jesus on the Cross is JOY and not sadness. When we take up our cross, joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and all of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5) is what we expect to experience - even if our lives don’t look like a Hallmark movie. Rose Sunday was needed. It was a real rest in the middle of a real desert.

Nowadays, those 40 days of fasting have been reduced to 2 and many Catholics don’t take Good Friday seriously because it’s a spring day and an excuse to have a party. We don’t have the pre-lent season and we don’t fast and we don’t experience Lent as hard, so the idea of needing a rest in the middle of the desert has less impact. Having flowers on the altar mostly makes us notice that we didn’t have flowers on the altar last weekend.

That doesn’t mean we don’t need the reminder of joy, but it does mean that we need to work to take Lent so seriously that we really do need it.

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 JCB “Chipper” Jumonville/family
Wed 9:00a In memory of May DiTomasso
Thurs 9:00a In memory of Darryl Ellerbee, Sr/family
Fri 5:30p In memory of John Johnson/family
Sat 5:30p In memory of Father Ferre and in celebration of Trey Williams/Magoun
Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish

ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Magoun family

Assistants at Holy Mass

Date	Servers	Lector(s)
3/26 5:30p	None Scheduled	A Farlow
3/27 9:00a	Preston, Evelyn, Courtland	B Sullivan
4/2 5:30p	None Scheduled	C VanderVieren
4/3 9:00a	Caroline, Cooper, Maura	K Collins
4/9 5:30p	None Scheduled	P Wilks
4/10 9:00a	Henry and MaryKatherine	Blake Sullivan

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
April 1 First Friday Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - 5:30 p.m.
April 2 First Saturday Devotions to our Blessed Mother - Mass and Holy Hour - 9 a.m.
April 16 Easter Egg Hunt - Church Hall at 10 a.m. see notes elsewhere in 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 the group. If you need additional information, please contact the Coordinator, Louise Magoun, at 318-341-2403.

LENT … All Catholics 18 and older are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. All Catholics 14 and older are obliged to abstain from meat on Fridays of Lent. Further, all Catholics should plan some penance (not just doing something extra) as a way of uniting ourselves with Our Lord’s death on the cross. Lent is a time for sober self-reflection, for prayer, for fasting, for works of mercy, and for redoubling our efforts to grow in the knowledge and love of God. To that end, St. Edward will offer a shared Way of the Cross on Friday evenings at 5:30p followed by Mass. On Apr 8, immediately following the evening Mass, Fr. Ryan will host a meatless potluck (in which he will provide a hearty soup) and show a religious film. All are certainly welcome to attend.

FIRST FRIDAY…APRIL 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 …APRIL 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.

EASTER EGG HUNT...on the church grounds on Saturday, April 16, at 10 a.m. Stephenie Marsh will give leadership to the event so please check with her to offer your assistance. We will need hard-boiled eggs that are dyed or plastic eggs with treats so your help is appreciated.

Our Return to the Lord


Weekly Budget FY 2020-21	$ 2,111
February Budget	$ 8,444
February Income	$ 8,691
February Expenses	$ 8,746
March Budget	$ 8,444
March 19/20 collection	$ 1,460
March Income To Date	$ 6,871

Stewardship The stewardship message in the parable of the Prodigal Son is that it is never too late to become a good steward. Blessed is the elder brother who had been a good steward all along, but blessed, too, is the prodigal who had to lose all he had in order to understand the value of what he had been given.

Second Collection supports Catholic Relief Services

Let us Rejoice in the Lord!

Happy Birthday Terry Hall (March 27), Cooper Wood Ellerbee(March 27), Dana Dukes (March 28), Teddy Oliver (March 28), Harper Bedgood (April 2, 2012), Betty Smith (April 2), Carter Sullivan (April 2), Walker Sullivan (April 2)

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 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: Libby Bullard, Connie and Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Leslye Ellerbee, Mary Ernst, Monique Florence, Susan and Johnny Gilfoil, C.W. and Alyce Keene, Bill Kennedy, 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), Judy and Danny Beard (Keene), Marie Farlow Bellard, Emily Chancellor (C Copes), Ruthie Coenen (Wilks), Molly Corulla, Truman and Diane Collins, Jami Cook (Wilks), Don Deweese, Carol Dipert (Rome), Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Ashley and Chuck Edwards (Keene), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, April Franklin (Wilks), Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Rita Hargrave, Melissa Jennings (Gilfoil & Keene), Dee Jones (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), Bailey, and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Beverly Sibille (Gilfoil), Albert Thom (Rome), Meg Keene Thomas, Lucy Thomason (gr-dau of Bentley Curry)(Book), Elaine Trimble (Rome), Joe Yerger

Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Callie Ezell, Lilly Falgout, Chris Hall (USMC), Nick Hall, Bruen Johnson, Emmy Lu Marsh, Maddie Oliver Bridges, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Brice Wood, Marsh Wood

For the repose of the soul of Lee Rome, mother of Mike, who died on March 19.