The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus
From The Font
"On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread"
We here in the US struggle to get our heads around what a "feast" meant in the ancient world. The closest thing we have to it is Mardi Gras… In a world where everyone lived harvest to harvest and 1% of 1% of the population was wealthy enough to be any different, a feast was the kind of thing that made life worth living. Every ancient eastern culture had several major feasts and a few minor local ones.
As with Mardi Gras, we shouldn't think of these religious feasts as puritanical prayer meetings or as Church potlucks… These feasts were an occasion for music and dancing and especially drinking. The religious ceremonies were interspersed with generous buffets and the overwhelming smell of roasted meat and garlic.
We don't have anything like this up in the North (the Baptist influence is too strong). But in the South of Louisiana, there are events like the Bonfire Festival in Gramercy or the Cochon de Lait in The Avoyelles which are actually fairly decent representations of what an ancient festival would translate to nowadays.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread was one of the most important of the Jewish festivals. It was one of the really big ones. It was held in remembrance of passover. The passover feast had been repeated every year since the freeing of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt roughly 1300 years earlier. Every Jewish family was expected to prepare a lamb in the same way as that original Passover in Egypt. There was a whole series of ceremonies which culminated in the marking of the doorposts of the house with blood from the sacrificed lamb and the eating of the roasted lamb. Interestingly, the words of Jesus at the Last Supper (which took place during the Feast of Unleavened Bread) have a double meaning. When Jesus said "do this in memory of me" He was instituting the Holy Eucharist but He was also saying the proper words of the Passover supper which call the participants to eat the lamb in memory of God's saving them in Egypt. The blood of the passover lamb and the blood of the Paschal Lamb (Jesus) were symbolically united in one powerful moment.
God doesn't do anything by accident!
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Today is the feast of the Holy Body and Blood of Jesus. It's the feast of the Holy Eucharist. Really, we're supposed to celebrate this on the Thursday after the Octave of Pentecost (AKA Trinity Sunday) which is a kind of mirror of the Thursday before the Octave of Easter (AKA Holy Week).
Holy Thursday is the institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper. It's deeply focused on the Death of Jesus and on the bloody Passion which lies ahead. Too often, that day is lost in the confused rite of Washing Feet rather than the real climax of the day which is the repose of the Holy Eucharist outside of the sanctuary of the Church.
Corpus Christi Thursday (which is tragically moved to Sunday) looks at the other side of the Holy Eucharist which is Hope and Joy and the Presence of God and His saving Grace flowing from the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Traditionally, both days include a procession. On Holy Thursday, the procession is muted and sober. The Holy Eucharist is veiled and bells aren't used and there is the sense of the Lord being taken away. On Corpus Christi Thursday, the Holy Eucharist is unveiled. Bells and incense and candles and crowds are encouraged and the whole event is about the Lord among us and within us and before us and behind us.
It's important to remember that both aspects of the Holy Eucharist are always there. Even on Holy Thursday, white vestments and incense represent the joyful, while on Corpus Christi, a movable canopy veil (called a "baldachin") and solemn hymns are called for.
This balance is difficult to explain in words. In part, because human beings don't tend to measure significance in words. We actually tend to sense the most important things in life wordlessly. That's part of the reason Social Media is so soulless.
Think about it - about 80% of our judgements about other people is body language. Whether they're speaking or not, we look and we decide whether they're excited or sad or passionate or honest or lying based on their eyes and whether they're standing up straight or hunched over or whatever. We decide whether someone really cares about something based on the time, energy and money they invest in it.
The same is true of religious matters. When we invest real energy in a procession and we have a bunch of people moving around and singing and carrying all sorts of things, that impresses us immensely. But modern Catholicism is almost entirely words. We yammer and talk and sometimes we sing… But we rarely ever let the gestures and the symbols speak for themselves. Our Mass is rarely silent or even quiet. We tend to put a lot of attention on words, but doesn't it speak far more loudly if Father turns his back on the tabernacle (and the True Presence of Jesus) and then says "Lord Jesus Christ…?"
Symbols matter a lot. Traditionally, Catholics were very symbol-rich in our worship. For sixty years, we've experimented with word-heavy-symbol-light worship and perhaps it's time to ask how that experiment is achieving its stated goals?
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Jason Jumonville
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon NO MASS
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Rosa and Gus Gremshell and May DiTomasso
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Lee Rome/LeBeau
- Thurs 9:00a For a special intention of the Magoun family
- Fri 5:30p In memory of deceased members of the Regan, Adams, and Weimer families
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Pat Bullard, Patrick Thomas, and Eva and R.L. Reynolds/family
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Dead members of our Parish Family
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of MaryAnne Gilfoil
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/1 5:30p | None Scheduled | P Wilks | N Ernst |
| 6/2 9:30a | MaryKatherine & Courtland | S Marsh | - |
| 6/8 5:30p | None Scheduled | MK Book | C VanderVieren |
| 6/9 9:30a | Cooper and Maura | D Ellerbee | - |
| 6/15 5:30p | None Scheduled | L Bullard | A Keene |
| 6/16 9:30a | Kathleen & Evelyn | Youth | - |
Stewardship The focus of today’s feast is the total self-giving of Jesus. The bishops’ stewardship pastoral reminds us that “the glory and the boast of Christian stewards lie in mirroring, however poorly, the stewardship of Jesus Christ, who gave and still gives all he has and is, in order to be faithful to God’s will and carry through to completion his redemptive stewardship of human beings and their world.”
Second Collection this weekend is our once monthly Building Fund Collection.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| April Budget | $ 8,444 |
| April Income | $ 11,478 |
| April Expenses | $ 12,122 |
| May Budget | $ 8,444 |
| May 26 Collection | $ 1,295 |
| May Income To Date | $ 8,382 |
Upcoming Events
Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass and on Sunday from 9a until Mass
Wednesday Morning Catechism about 9:30 a.m in Church and on Facebook and YouTube
Pastoral Council meeting monthly on the third Wednesday at 6p
June 2 First Sunday Benediction at the conclusion of Mass
June 7 First Friday devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - 5:30 p.m.
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.
PILGRIMAGE!... Fr Ryan is leading a Pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome in Italy in September, 2024. More information is available at HolyTravels.org/FrHumphriesItaly . Please pass the word around!
FORMED.ORG… FORMED has an entire page of weekly featured videos that are worth checking out at https://watch.formed.org/this-week-on-formed. Remember to sign in using our parish’s zip code (71282) at http://signup.formed.org
FIRST SUNDAY BENEDICTION…JUNE 2 …. at the conclusion of weekend Masses as part of our larger program to improve Eucharistic Devotion and to understand what a gift we have in the Most Holy Eucharist.
FIRST FRIDAY …. JUNE 7...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.
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Billy Marsh (June 8)
Happy Anniversary Betty and Kenny Smith (June 1)
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 Pope Francis; 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: MaryKathryn and Nap Book, Connie and Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Leslye Ellerbee, Susan and Johnny Gilfoil, Margaret and Pat Gilfoil, Terry Farlow Hall, C.W. and Alyce Keene, Bill Kennedy, Hannah Wood McCarty, Ed Mills, Terry and Susie Murphy, Bobby Reynolds, Sue & Mike Rome
Those under full-time care: Frances Kennedy
Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Lee Adams (Smith), Ashley Alexander (Regan), Graham Allen (S Gilfoil), Kathryn Wood Allsopp (D Wood), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), James Arceneaux (Book), Marie Farlow Bellard, Tommy Bickham (C Copes), Chris Breard (Gilfoil), David Cagnolatti, Willetta and Mac Cagnolatti, Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Fran Castile (Keene), Jeannie and Donald Collins, Teresa Carney Condra, Jami Cook (Wilks), Bobbe and Gene Cox, Marla Evans Cummings, Carol Dipert (Rome), Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, Monique Florence, Jimmy Fordham (Gustafson & Fordice), Judy Fortenberry, April Franklin (Wilks), Thom Gilfoil, Wyly Gilfoil (Gilfoil), LaVonne Givens, Gail Gilfoil Graugnard, Charlotte Green, Theresa Gunter, Rita Hargrave, Ralph Harris (Gilfoil), Arlice Evans Headley, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Charles Howington, Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Diane Johnson, Chelsea Keene & Andrew Lewis, Emery and Kale Kirkland (Gilfoil), Calvin “Beans” and Lynn Lisonbee, LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), James Albert Martin, Ruth McDonald (Copes), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Boyce Miller, Vickie Morelli (Ernst), John Neill, the family of Caryn Oliver, Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Bailey, Scott and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Janie Saxon (Lancaster), Tuleta Sasser(Wilks), Debbie Kedrick Sims, Tommy Trichell, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), Mary Claire Warner and her parents, MaryBeth and Steve, Randy Watts, Jr
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Preston Collins, Henry Ellerbee, Callie Ezell, Lilly Falgout, Jag Gilfoil, Chris Hall (USMC), Nick Hall, Bruen Johnson, Matilda Johnson, Caroline Marsh, Emmy Lu Marsh, Blake Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Marsh Wood
