The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ | St. Edward Catholic Church, Tallulah

From The Font

“Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine…”

All ancient peoples had some staple grain and some prevalent alcoholic beverage. In East Asia it was rice and rice wine. In Africa, it was bread and beer. In and around Mesopotamia, it was bread and wine. And yet the scriptures show vastly disproportionate interest in the religious role of bread beginning with the otherwise unknown character of Melchizedek continuing through to the Manna in the desert to the Hometown of David at Bethlehem (“House of Bread”) culminating in the life and teachings of Jesus and the Last Supper.

In the ancient world, even the rich lived day to day. Without reliable food preservation, every family had to go to the market almost daily and no one could stock hygenically store up much for very long. As such, everyone took a serious interest in the role of food and drink in everyday life. Daily meals and, especially, feasts were the subject of stories, songs, legends and myths. The culture, itself, depended upon food and sustenance, not just for the Jews but for basically everyone.

It’s no surprise, then, that the religious life of Jesus was also connected with many meals and teachings which associated with food.

What is surprising, though, is how Jesus could associate His teachings with probably the single most unspeakable food-related evil that existed in a culture obsessed with daily eating: cannibalism… The Holy Eucharist - the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus - is not ok by Jewish culinary standards… The idea that Jesus would give us His flesh to eat is beyond the worst possible thing He could’ve taught as a Jew! And it’s not as if Jesus didn’t know that. Cannibalism was, in every way, an horrific and unspeakable evil.

So we have to ask why it is that Jesus taught it and, when given the chance to retract it, doubled down… The only two reasons for Jesus to go forward with such a bizarre and unJewish idea is 1) He’s a goof or 2) it’s the Truth… And we have to confront that directly. Jesus wasn’t a goof. And so all that’s left is that Jesus did intend for us to eat His flesh in the form of bread and, in doing so, to fulfill a sacrificial covenant in His flesh and blood.

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

A Protestant friend once explained to me that he wasn’t interested in becoming Catholic because clearly Catholics don’t believe what we purport to believe. He explained that he had been to a Cathoic Church for Sunday Mass and found everyone in casual clothes, entering the Church casually, whispering or talking aloud and showing little to no interest in the richly decorated Sanctuary… When a friend of his explained that these Catholics supposedly believed that Jesus, Himself, was present in that Sanctuary (in the Holy Eucharist), my Protestant friend all but called him a liar. “If these people believed that Jesus was physically - really - over there, they’d be on their knees or lying with their faces on the ground in reverence and prayer… These people are acting and dressed like this is a barbeque at the beach. They don’t believe Jesus is in this building at all… Not really.”

Y’all, he’s not wrong! Fr. Brennan Manning famously quipped: “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle.” The way that we act in Church says a lot about what we believe. When we enter the Church, our demeanor should noticeably change! We should hush our talking and put an end to any conversation that’s not about the Lord or essential to managing our kids. Our dress shouldn’t be just whatever is comfortable… What does that say about our Faith? It’s one thing to be dressed for the ballpark when you’re trying to make it to Mass in another city. It’s another when this is the one time you’re going to go to Mass this week! When we come to Church, it is probably best to leave the shorts and flip-flops at home and the phone in the car.

Almost all of us come up to receive Holy Communion, but how many of us are making a regular confession? How many of us can explain - even in a non-technical way - what we believe about Jesus in Holy Communion? For example, what do we believe about the “host” - the small circle of bread - 1) before Mass, 2) at Holy Communion, and 3) after Mass? Is Jesus present there before Mass? Is He present after? Is there a change? At what point does it happen? Is Jesus present in the Tabernacle before Mass? After Mass? What do we believe about the wine in the chalice?

Conversely, what do we believe about putting our best power hitter at #4 in the batting lineup? What do we believe about zone defense in Girls’ JV basketball? What do we believe about shotgun offense against a significantly larger defensive line? If you could pick four LSU games to have good tickets for, which four opponents do you choose? It’s impossible to say we “believe” anything about these without KNOWING quite a lot about the games and teams in question. What do we KNOW about our religious Faith and about the Holy Eucharist which is the single most important part of it?

Maybe this article is an opportunity to ask ourselves if we know what we claim to believe and to ask ourselves what we need to do if we don’t…

Mass Intentions for the Coming Week

Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/D Fortenberry
Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
Mon NO MASS
Tue 9:00a In memory of James Trimble and Theresa Thoms/Rome
Wed 9:00a In memory of Rosa Gremshell
Thu 9:00a In memory of Cougan Fulton/Lancaster
Fri NO MASS
Sat 5:30p In memory of Lee Rome/K Collins
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)
6/18 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
7/2 5:30p	None Scheduled	MK Book
7/3 9:00a	Henry and Mary Katherine	K Collins

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
June No Parish Council this month.
NO MASS on Friday, June 24, 2022 as Father Ryan will be away.

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.

CATHOLIC MOMS GROUP is meeting Monday June 27 at 530 pm in Glynn Hall at St. Paul's.

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, hastened to help us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

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 18-19 Collection	$ 1,512
June Income To Date	$ 4,103

Stewardship In today’s Gospel, the disciples suggest that Jesus disperse the crowd so that they might individually seek food and lodging. The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand is Jesus’ powerful reminder that when we share our gifts in His name, there is always more than enough!

Let us Rejoice in the Lord!

Happy Birthday Matt and Josh Hall (June 18), Robert Wood (June 18), Cindy Howington (June 23)

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: 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), Caroline Marcello (Watts), 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.