The Most Holy Trinity
From The Font
“When He comes, the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth.”
Until the mid-1500s, it was universally accepted that statements which are not about taste are either true or false. I may like to eat tomatoes or not, but it is either true or false that they are fruits… But in that dark era that we wrongly call the Enlightenment, a small group of shockingly arrogant philosophers began the work of undermining the concept of “truth.” Nowadays, Friedrich Nietzsche’s ideas have become universally accepted and truth has lost most of its meaning. Now maybe I’m being too harsh… The moderns weren’t the only bad philosophers, they just happen to be the ones causing us the most trouble now.
Truth isn’t just a word or a philosophy… Jesus identifies His very nature with Truth! He says, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life.” And that “the truth will set [us] free!” In today’s Gospel, He also identifies the very nature of the Holy Spirit with the idea of truth. And so it’s not just something we can bemoan and set aside… The truth is essential to our Faith. And if we aren’t careful about thinking rightly, our Faith can be undermined by bad philosophy.
If we, for example, buy into Darwin’s idea that everything is just dumb luck and random chance, we’re going to have a hard time trusting that God has a plan. If we buy into the idea that truth isn’t absolute, we’re going to have a hard time trusting that God is Who He says He is… If there’s no absolute truth, then does that mean that Buddhism or Scientology is just as real as Christianity? If there’s no absolute truth, then why give of ourselves to the Lord? Why care? Why not just have as much pleasure as possible? Why not make myself the center of my life?
On the other hand, if there is absolute truth, then God is real and Heaven is real and I don’t get to decide who God is and which of His teachings I’ll follow… I don’t get to invent my own path to Heaven. In fact, logic and reason push me toward the Supernatural if I think rightly about truth…
Perhaps that’s why there’s so much effort being made to undermine our right thinking…
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
My first Mass was on Trinity Sunday in 2005. It’s typical for a new priest to invite a wisened mentor to preach at his first Mass. But the wisened mentor that I would have chosen, Fr. Stan Klores, was already slated to preach the first Mass of my classmate Fr. Luke Melcher at the Cathedral less than half an hour after my first Mass ended… As I considered someone else, I realized that my family - most of whom lived away from Alexandria - wouldn’t hear me preach often or, in the case of more distant relatives - ever. So I made the unusual decision to preach at my own first Mass.
I remember the moment fondly in part because I made three copies of the sermon (just in case) and two of them got lost between the opening hymn and the end of the Gospel… The sermon wasn’t on some grand theological topic on which I would have enjoyed pontificating. I preached that Sunday at Our Lady of Prompt Succor on the family and the way in which the nature of the family is to be a living icon of the Holy Trinity.
I’ve always been a very practical person. I like the high falutin theology and philosophy, but when it comes to living the Catholic Faith, most people don’t find it helpful or useful. And so in preaching, I almost always err on the side of practical and tangible advice rather than theoretical or even spiritual wisdom.
For most people, this is genuinely helpful! It gives us something to do. It doesn’t come across as incomprehensible word salad - after all, what does it practically mean when we say that Jesus is “consubstantial with the Father?” But there is a certain downside to emphasizing the practical at the expense of the spiritual and the ethereal: “Faith is the hope of things unseen” and “the foolishness of God confounds the wisest of the wise.” In sum, God isn’t practical. Prayer and the spiritual life aren’t practical. Much of our Faith isn’t even about “doing” so much as it is about “being” and having an attitude and a disposition of love for God! And we all know that love is anything but practical.
I have kept one and only one of my New Years resolutions this year… I resolved to preach more about Jesus this year. And that’s forced me to re-evaluate what my sermons look like. If I’m going to talk about Jesus, Himself, there’s going to be less practical wisdom, less concrete advice, less obvious value in the sermons.
At the same time, to know the Lord Jesus is to love Him and love overwhelms all the practical wisdom in the world…
So far this year, most of the Sundays have been locked into themes related to Christmas, Lent and Easter. But now that we’re beginning Ordinary Time, the opportunities to wander a little from the readings will afford us some freedom to really think about Jesus, Himself. We’ll have some time to ask Who it is preaching about the Kingdom of God and What the words of Jesus have to say about the Man who is God.
I hope that I’ll be able to carve a good path between the practical and the obtuse! That said, I would genuinely welcome feedback on my preaching or any aspect of my ministry which is helpful or not to you spiritually… Let’s help each other grow nearer to our Lord!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Inez, C.B., and Claude DeMoss/family
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon NO MASS
- Tue NO MASS AS FATHER WILL BE AWAY
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Thomas Trichell(birth)/family
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Father Ferre/Magoun
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Becky Lancaster/family
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/D Fortenberry
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Mary Anne Gilfoil
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 6/11 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil |
| 6/12 9:00a | Chandler, Kathleen, Maura | A Oliver |
| 6/18 5:30p | None Scheduled | MK Book |
| 6/19 9:00a | Preston, Evelyn, Courtland | Youth |
| 6/25 5:30p | None Scheduled | L Bullard |
| 6/26 9:00a | Cooper and Maura | 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
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.
PRAYER FOR HURRICANE SEASON… O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former quietude; you are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. During this hurricane season, we turn to You, O loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with the passing of time. O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son in our behalf so that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of gratitude, we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a stormless eternity awaits us. Amen (Fr. Al Volpe, Cameron Parish, LA, originally dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Audrey in 1957)
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2020-21 | $ 2,111 |
| May Budget | $ 10,555 |
| May Income | $ 14,090 |
| May Expenses | $ 11,671 |
| June Budget | $ 8,444 |
| June Collecltion | $ 2,591 |
| June Income To Date | $ 2,591 |
Stewardship Today’s Psalm reminds us that we have been crowned with glory and honor and rule over the works of God’s hands. But, we must be good stewards, for the Lord will surely hold us accountable for the use of those gifts!
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday MaryKathryn Book (June 13), Emily Ginn (June 14), Connie Copes (June 15), Margaret Gilfoil (June 16), Matt and Josh Hall (June 18), Robert Wood (June 18)
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), John and Carlyle Ashly Hoogland, 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, Scott 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, Caroline Marsh, Emmy Lu Marsh, Maddie Oliver Bridges, Blake Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Brice Wood, Marsh Wood.