33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

The first existential crisis most of us face is life happens when we go to mom or dad or teacher or coach or whoever and we explain that someone didn’t treat us fairly… and we discover that the person in authority isn’t able to help. The person who lied about me or who cheated to get ahead gets away with their nefarious plan and we’re forced to realize that the world isn’t fair.

Of course, the only thing that says it should be fair is the innate part of ourselves which says the world should be as God originally planned it to be. Philosophers call that the Natural Law. Christians know that sin fundamentally changed our human nature. Sin damaged creation in a radical way. It was so destructive that the Lord God Himself promised to do away with his creation and basically to upgrade us from Eden to Heaven and from our bodies and souls as we know them to a new kind of body and soul altogether.

Today’s gospel is a bit of a gut punch to that part of ourselves that wants things to be fair and equal. To one, the master gives five talents. To another, he gives two. And to some poor sap, only one. Then, when the time comes to count out, the (pun intended) multi-talented are rewarded and the less-talented are left high and dry. Nothing about this feeds into the modern sociological drib-drab about equity, diversity, and equality of outcome. The world is unfair - by design. The Lord gives more to some than He does others and that is that.

Where Jesus adjusts the narrative is where He teaches - as He does in this gospel - that everyone has exactly what they need to live out the purpose for which they were created. Who cares if someone else’s purpose is more glorious than mine… So what if they’re the star of the show and I’m the guy who sweeps the stage… The end result of sanctity is salvation and sanctity can be achieved by all.

There’s also a powerful lesson to absorb here about the value and the benefit of UNfairness. The Lord praises poverty. The Lord favors and praises the UNinfluential and UNpowerful. St. Paul tells us that it is in weakness that we are made strong.

One of the great failures of Eve in Eden was that she trusted her gut. She was the original Disney princess who followed her heart right to her doom.

One of the most wonderful lessons of Jesus in the Gospels is that our common sense is fine for business and multiplying talents, but it’s not very good for understanding the universe and the moral law of our human nature.

In fact, having lots of talents is just fine. Having very few is fine as well. St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, Pope St. John Paul II were incredible people who were good at everything from sports to law to preaching to politics. St. Francis of Assisi was a one-trick pony - he did whatever he believed God wanted him to do in the moment. He changed the world. His religious order imploded before he died! The Franciscans today are THE example of how not to run a religious order. Our own patron King Edward the Confessor was not some brilliant polymath, he mostly did as his nobles told him to do and he took little steps when he was able. But by the Gospel standard, he put his one talent to the best use he could given his circumstances.

It’s not about how many talents, but about the willingness to use them. Look around at history. Alexander the Great was one of the most multi-talented men in world history and he didn’t do much more than war. Queen Elizabeth II of England was one of the wealthiest and most respected people to live on this planet and, beloved as she is, what has she done other than allow herself and her wealth to be reduced to little more than a mascot who reads bullet points from the prime minister and speaks in platitudes on Christmas Day before Shrek comes on…

It’s easy to misconstrue a gap in wealth or power or whatever as a function of fairness… But that understanding requires us to believe that everything in the world is without meaning and purpose. It requires us to reject that God created us and has a specific plan for each of us.

As it is, God did create us and He does imbue this world and our lives with purpose, and so we are left not to bemoan our status in wealth or health or power or whatever, but to engage as completely as possible with the Lord’s will for us.

Upcoming Events

Confessions every Fri & Sat ~5p until Mass and Sunday ~9a until Mass
Sunday Morning Catechism (with Coffee & Donuts) after the 9:30a Mass unless otherwise indicated
Nov 15 Altar Server Training POSTPONED
Nov 18 Pastoral Council meeting - 6pm in the Parish Hall
Nov 21 Angel Tree selection begins
Nov 22 Potluck Brunch following 9:30 Mass. Mark your calendar and plan to join in this faith family event to give thanks for our many blessings.

For Your Information:

ROSARY GROUP meets on Monday at 5:30p for prayer and supper. Everyone is welcome. Contact Louise Magoun (318-341-2403), coordinator for more information.

FORMED.ORG has weekly features at https://watch.formed.org/this-week-on-formed. Remember to sign in using our parish’s zip code (71282) at https://signup.formed.org

MASSES WHICH WERE CANCELLED LAST WEEK will be rescheduled and the intentions for which they were to be offered will have Masses offered for them. This is an essential part of Church Law. Fr Ryan just wants to make sure folks know that we have a system to manage this kind of thing.

ALTAR SEVER TRAINING POSTPONED DUE TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING FR RYAN, HAVING THE FLU. It will be rescheduled ASAP. It will last about 25 mins and is optional. Students who have never served should plan to attend. Students who have never attended a training should plan to attend. Other students are welcome to attend for a refresher… If a student is interested in serving, but not sure, they are welcome to come as well and see what it’s like. If needed, Father will schedule more.

ANGEL TREE Our annual Angel Tree is getting ready to kick off at the beginning of Advent. Many, many thanks to Dana Hamilton and Dana Dukes for heading up the project. If anyone knows of families who may be in need, please let Dana, Dana, or Fr Ryan know as soon as possible. Thank you!

POTLUCK BRUNCH will be on Sunday of this weekend following the 9:30 Mass to celebrate Thanksgiving. ALL are encouraged to participate.

The Fourth Quarter (Oct, Nov, Dec) Social Committee who will give leadership to the event consists of Skeeter and Blanche Wilks, and Louise Magoun chair, Leslye Ellerbee, Susan and Johnny Gilfoil, Sherry Lynn and Timmy Harris, Michael Lancaster, Billy and Ginny Marsh, William and Sharyn Marsh, Hannah McCartney, Sug Regan, Skipper and Christy Guizerix.

VICKSBURG CATHOLIC MOMS GROUP MEETING will be Sunday, November 22 at 3 pm in the St Michael’s Education Building. Continuing their study of Marian Virtues using the Blessed Is She study “Home.” Feel free to join in now or at any point– it is not necessary that you have attended every meeting since this study was begun. For more information, email VicksburgCatholicMomsGroup@gmail.com Points of contact are Kathleen Harris, Brittany McFall, and Anna Guizerix.

Mass Intentions for the Coming Week

Sat 5:30p In memory of Elaine Larpenter/Rome
Sun 8:00a (Traditional Latin Mass) PRO POPULO for the living & deceased members of our parish
Sun 9:30a In memory of Mary Ernst (birth anni)/family
Mon NO MASS
Tue 9:00a In memory of Inez DeMoss (birth anni)/family
Wed 9:00a In memory of Brian Stamey/family
Thu 9:00a (Legacy Nursing Center) In memory of Anna May Farlow (death anni)/family
Fri 5:30p In memory of Jimmy Howington (death anni)/family
Sat 5:30p In memory of Vicki Morelli (death anni)/family
Sun 8:00a (Traditional Latin Mass) PRO POPULO for the living & deceased members of our parish
Sun 9:30a In memory of Louise Testa/Magoun

Altar Candles this week are burning in memory of Becky, Beverly, and Edgar Lancaster

Assistants at Holy Mass

		Acolytes	Lector
11/14	5:30p	-	MA Gilfoil
11/15	9:30a	Evelyn & Kathleen	Youth-Jamal
11/21	5:30p	-	M Rome
11/22	9:30a	MaryKatherine & Maura	J Howington

Our Return to the Lord

Weekly Budget FY 2025-2026	$ 2,500
Oct Budget	$ 10,000
Oct Collections	$ 11,912
Oct Expenses	$ TBD
November Budget	$ 12,500
November 8 collection	$ 2,554
November to date	$ 9,089

STEWARDSHIP Good stewards are like the industrious and reliable servants in today’s Gospel, prudently using and multiplying the gifts entrusted to them by God.

Community Celebrations

Happy Birthday to Jake Guizerix (Nov 14), Isabel Hernandez (Nov 19), Libby Bullard (Nov 20), Lynley Riddick (Nov 20), Kaci Ernst (Nov 21), Brice Wood (Nov 22), Darryl Ellerbee (Nov 22), Heather Jammal (Nov 22)

In Our Daily Prayers…

For our Pope, Leo XIV, our 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, under full-time care and for those who care for them, and for those otherwise in need of our prayers: MaryKathryn & Nap Book, Chris, Susan, and David Cagnolatti, Connie & Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Darryl and Abby Ellerbee, Leslye Ellerbee, Ann Claire Fordice and her children, Susan & Johnny Gilfoil, Margaret & Pat Gilfoil,Terry Farlow Hall, Sylvester and Isabell Hernandez, Brian Johnson, Sidney & Mary Jane Johnson, Frances & Bill Kennedy, Ed Mills, Susie Murphy, Bobby Reynolds, Phillip and Peggy Scurria, Sug Regan, Mike & Sue Rome, Lori Sullivan, Mary Trichell

Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Ashley Alexander (Regan), Graham Allen (S Gilfoil), Merlin and Marily Banta (Copes), Marie Farlow Bellard, Martha Book, Kay Boolos (S Gilfoil), Carl Bryant (Wilks), Chris Breard (Gilfoil), Gayle Brown (Dukes and Oliver), Albert Christman, Jeannie & Donald Collins, Jami Cook (Wilks), Gene Cox, Carol Dipert (Rome), Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Keith and Debbier Dulaney (S Harris), Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, Judy Fortenberry, Donna Fulton (Ellerbee), Fred and Cathy Fulton, Morgan, Alex, and Palmer Gilfoil, Thom Gilfoil, Wyly Gilfoil (Gilfoil), LaVonne Givens, Charlotte Green, Ricky Hendrix (Howington), Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Charles Howington, Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Diane Johnson, Kerry and Todd LaBiche(M Gilfoil), Lil Lancaster, Carla Leese (S Gilfoil), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Jessica McCoy (Reynolds), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Boyce Miller, Mike Morelli, Randy Parker, Betty Petersen, David Peterson, Quintin Purvis, John Neill, Curt and Brianne Rome, Bailey, Scott, and Tiffney Rome, Debbie Kedrick Sims, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), Christopher Weems & Patrina & Bruce Weems, Randy Watts, Jr.

Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Preston Collins, Henry Ellerbee, Lilly Falgout, Jag Gilfoil, Matilda Johnson, Caroline Marsh, Charlize Richardson, Will Richardson, Chandler Wood

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.