Fourth Sunday of Easter
From The Font
“My sheep hear my voice…”
Nowadays, being called a “sheep” is probably an insult. Even before modern politics made the word a specific kind of insult, most of us post-industrial revolution people would hear “sheep” and think of a smelly animal valuable mostly for its wool and remarkable for its naivete.
Before the modern era separated us from the land, so to speak, sheep were incredibly important animals. They provided wool, of course. But they also provided milk, meat, and, most importantly, temple sacrifices. Sheep were highly, highly valued animals which were shepherded by people who risked their lives to protect them. Not only did the owner and the shepherd care about them, the Law of Moses and the Lord clearly cared about them, too. The Passover Supper required a lamb, as did many of the most important sacrifices performed by the High Priest in the Temple.
When Jesus refers to us as sheep, He’s not insulting us at all. He’s speaking about our own value, about God’s concern for us, and about His own willingness to lay down His life for us!
As with most of Scripture, we have to keep in mind that the Lord speaks to us in analogy. Obviously, He’s not literally calling us sheep. But neither is He extending the metaphor forever. In the case of John 10 (today’s Gospel), Jesus uses the metaphor of sheep to identify Himself with the Shepherd and, then, to identify God the Father with the owner of the sheep and then to tie Himself to God the Father by concluding with “The Father and I are one.”
For ancient hearers, the owner of many sheep rarely shepherded them. Anyone who owned a lot of livestock was wealthy and would hire someone more expendable to do the risky work of shepherding and defending his stock. Jesus specifically wants to make clear that He is one with the Lord in loving us and in caring about us and in defending us, specifically, through sacrificing Himself.
It’s really a beautiful passage, even if our modern ears are clogged a bit with some confusing metaphors and false assumptions about sheep. For what it’s worth, though, they do smell pretty rough… Just my opinion… :)
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Happy Mothers’ Day!!!
I’ll be honest, the Catholic Church has had mothers’ day for a very long time, just not on a Sunday in May… Each culture generally celebrated special days of thanksgiving and prayer for mothers, fathers, grandparents, farmers, etc on or near the feast days of the saint that they connected with that group. Farmers day, in many cultures, was on or near May 1 because it’s the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker. Grandparents day was usually around July 26 which is the feast of St. Ann, Jesus’ grandmother. Fathers’ day was usually March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph. Mothers’ day varied a lot more because there are a lot of feast days of Mary. September 8 was a very popular mothers’ day in many places as it is the Birthday of Mary. February 2 was even more popular as Mothers’ Day because it was the feast of the Purification of Our Lady. Where Christmas was not celebrated with a special festival, Mothers’ Day often filled that space. And, even though there isn't an obvious Marian feast day to point to on the second Sunday of May, it’s entirely appropriate to celebrate Mothers’ Day in May as it is the month of special devotion to Our Lady!
We have to be honest, Mothers’ Day gets more attention and more energy than Fathers Day! In part, that’s because it comes first. In part, it’s because, on average, ladies are more interested and excited by receiving gifts and being doted upon. But mostly, I think, it’s because most of us like to dote upon our moms. It’s not accidental that Mary plays such a huge roll in the life of the early Church. Jesus could very well have entered the world in a more typical family structure or He could’ve given Joseph a bigger role in the life of the Church, but He didn’t. Mary features heavily in His youth and she appears in the course of His ministry and she appears quite profoundly at His death. Beyond the Bible, The Blessed Virgin Mary has appeared to saints in Italy, Mexico, France, Portugal, Spain, Japan, Russia, and the United States just to name a few… Jesus clearly intends for His mom to play a role in salvation history.
To my mind, there’s a beautiful symmetry in the way in which God establishes His Kingdom on Earth as a kind of perfection of our own experiences in family and personal life! In order to teach us about the Most Holy Trinity, the Lord orders us in families. In order to prefigure the role of the Blessed Virgin in our lives, He gives us mothers. In order to help us relate to God the Father, He gives us fathers. And so it is with all the aspects of our lives - the ups and the downs, the good and the bad - that the Lord uses what we know to reveal to us that which would otherwise be beyond our comprehension.
It’s both humbling and amazing then, that God would use us - you and me - to reveal Himself to other people just because we are parents or children or mothers or fathers. How remarkable!
To all of our mothers and expecting mothers, I wish you a very, very happy mothers’ day and to all of those whose mothers have gone on to their reward, let us pray for them and be thankful for them. To those whose mothers are still here - you’d better make this year a good one!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Pat Bullard/family
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon NO MASS
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Gus Gremshell
- Wed 9:00a In memory of James Trimble and Theresa Thoms/Rome
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Fred Wyly (birth)/Magoun
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Becky Lancaster/family
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Dale Magoun/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 Margo Corulla
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 5/7 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil |
| 5/8 9:00a | Henry and MaryKatherine | S Marsh |
| 5/14 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome |
| 5/15 9:00a | Chandler, Kathleen, Maura | Youth |
| 5/21 5:30p | None Scheduled | C VanderVieren |
| 5/22 9:00a | Preston, Cortland, Evelyn | D Ellerbee |
Upcoming Events
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Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass at 5:30p
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Sunday Morning Catechism in the Hall after the 9:00a Mass unless otherwise indicated
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Pastoral Council meeting monthly on the third Tuesday at 6p unless otherwise indicated
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May 8 Mother’s Day
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May 15 Senior’s Mass for Youth Sunday followed by a parish wide reception
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May 17 Pastoral Council Meeting … 6 p.m. in Church Hall
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May 18 Wednesday Evening Catechism … 6 p.m. in Church Hall
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May 20 Quarterly Healing Mass … 5:30 P.M.
For Your Information:
SAINTS ALIVE…ANGELS AT WORK…Thanks to everyone who helped with First Communion on last Sunday, the Reception that followed, Confirmation on Wednesday evening, and Potluck Supper following. EVERYTHING was a great success and were events of which our Faith Family should be proud!!!
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.
YOUTH MASS - MAY 15…9 a.m. Mass and we will honor our high school graduate, CAROLINE MARSH. Following. Mass, we will have a reception to honor Caroline. Please join us in the Church Hall.
PASTORAL COUNCIL..will hold its regular meeting on TUESDAY, MAY 17, 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.
WEDNESDAY EVENING CATECHISM…MAY 18 In the Church Hall at 6 p.m. Topic of Father Ryan’s presentation is TBA, Father will answer questions after each talk. Guests are welcome!
QUARTERLY HEALING MASS … MAY 20…HEALING MASS… Every few months, our usual Friday evening Daily Mass is offered especially for the sick parishioners of our parish and Father offers the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for those of advanced age or those suffering serious health conditions.
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 |
| April Budget | $ 8,444 |
| April Income | $ 8,531 |
| April Expenses | TBA |
| May Budget | $ 10,555 |
| May 1 collecltion | $ 1,950 |
| May Income To Date | $ 1,950 |
Stewardship Paul and Barnabas encountered both violent rejection and joyful acceptance of the message that they preached. We, too, may meet with mixed reactions when we use our gifts in the service of God. But, the Gospel assures us, the reward for those who follow faithfully is eternal life.
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Colin Donham (May 7), Mary Anne Gilfoil (May 13),Eddie Mills (May 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 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, Jamie and Cindy Howingston, C.W. and Alyce Keene, Bill Kennedy, Ed Mills, Kathleen Mills, Terry Murphy, Sug Regan, 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, Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), 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, Rita Hargrave, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), 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), Paul Wayne and LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), 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