The Feast of the Holy Family
From The Font
“When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”
With the exception of a single event around Jesus’ 12th Birthday, His entire childhood, adolescence, and early adult years are hidden to us. We know Jesus obeyed His parents and that He apprenticed under Joseph to learn the craft of carpentry. There’s strong reason to believe that Jesus actually operated Joseph’s business after his death. But for whatever reason, none of the Gospels record anything about these years in the life of Jesus.
Many saints and spiritual writers have found meaning in these hidden years in which Jesus, Mary, and Joseph grew together as the Holy Family. The simple insight that I prefer to take away from the fact that the Lord and the early Church didn’t feel it was necessary to make a record of these years is that family life is and should be private.
Whether the family is large or small and whether the family is outgoing or introverted, family life is special and particular to a specific family. There are and there should be inside jokes and specific traditions and favorite foods and embarrassing stories and awkward topics and good memories and bad memories. All of these things are part of God’s will for the family.
Pope St. John Paul II liked to refer to the family as “the domestic Church.” Like the Church, herself, the family is a place in which the Holy Spirit dwells and is a place in which the Lord consciously establishes a providential diversity. Our families are there to encourage and to challenge. Loving our family members is easy and hard. It’s in the both/and of Church and family that discover that God has provided all we need for holiness and for virtue.
Even in this brief Gospel about the hidden years of the Holy Family, we get the sense that Jesus got what He needed from them to be virtuous and wise. That requires discipline as well as encouragement. Strength requires work as well as providence. The favor of God is found not just in doing good, but also in learning, repenting of error, and in loving and being loved. All of those are both/and.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
A good many of us spent the last few days before Christmas in the throes of the flu or a respiratory infection or some other form of what Cajuns call the cagou. While it’s not the most pleasant or festive way to get ready for the holiday, God can make all things work to the good of those who love Him. For me, the sickness before Christmas gave me a lot of time to think and to consider.
As I mentioned in my Christmas sermon, my mind kept going back to the fact that none of the kids in my class at TA had ever seen A Charlie Brown Christmas. I admit that I exaggerated a bit for effect in my sermon! I don’t know that this particular cartoon - wonderful as it is - is as essential as I made it out to be. But the whole thing really does make me think about little traditions, especially in the context of family.
In particular, I thought about the damage that posting video on social media does to family traditions. In my youth, we watched certain cartoons and certain movies to mark the season. Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation was the beginning of the season, usually watched around Thanksgiving. The Grinch, Garfield’s Christmas, and the Rankin/Bass stop motions classics were on VHS and each got multiple viewings. When Charlie Brown usually played in the background when we decorated the tree. The list could go on, but those little things were what made it “feel” like Christmas in my home as a child. Each of us has our own family traditions from our youth. Most of us who are raising kids now have multiple layers of traditions for Christmas with the kids, the grands, the grown kids, the at-college kids, etc... All of those traditions, public and private, have a kind of exclusivity to them just because they are “our” traditions. But when we post on social media - especially videos - we break up that exclusivity and we invite strangers into our inner family lives...
Now, honestly, who cares if we share a fireworks display on TikTok... But think with me... if my sister has a special affinity for, say, the really big pink fireworks and in my TikTok video, the whole family cheers as the big pink firework explodes. We cheer because we’re happy for her. The strangers watching on their phones don’t know that and don’t need to know that. But as I share it, I dilute that tradition by however small an amount.
Again, I’m not talking about the kind of stuff that tears families apart, but these are the kinds of things that make family traditions and the ties that bind us just a little looser. There’s a lot to be said - especially in our modern world - for keeping as much as we can private! Even something as simple as a shared cartoon or a private family tradition around decorating the tree can make a huge difference over time in keeping our families close and connected. And even something small like a video that dilutes the family’s private space can cause damage over time. And, while I’m not a sociologist, I have zero doubt that Social Media will continue to be identified as an absolute detriment to everyone who participates in it!
I hope we can all enjoy our private time with our families in this holiday season!! I am certain that we will value that special time for years to come!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/M Trichell
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon NO MASS
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Leon Humphries
- Wed 9:00a In memory of deceased members of Regan, Adams, and Weimer families/Regan
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Rosa and Gus Gremshell and May Ditomasso
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Becky Lancaster/family
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Nettie and Philip Scurria/family
- Sun 9:30a 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 | Lectors | EMHCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/30 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome | None Scheduled |
| 12/31 9:30a | Kathleen and Evelyn | D Ellerbee | None Scheduled |
| 1/6 5:30p | None Scheduled | C VanderVieren | None Scheduled |
| 1/7 9:30a | Chandler and Annie | D Ellerbee | None Scheduled |
| 1/13 5:30p | None Scheduled | P Wilks | None Scheduled |
| 1/14 9:30a | Mary Katherine and Courtland | C Guizerrix | None Scheduled |
Upcoming Events
- Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass and on Sunday from 9a until Mass
- Sunday Catechism with Coffee and Donuts after Mass unless otherwise indicated
- 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
Jan 1 (NOT A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION this year) Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
- Jan 5 FIRST FRIDAY Holy Hour and Mass 5:30 p.m.
- Jan 6 FIRST SATURDAY Holy Hour and Mass 9 a.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 of 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
2024 STEWARDSHIP ENVELOPES... for those who signed up for them, can be found on the table at the entrance of church. If there is someone who did not sign up for envelopes but would like to have them, we have more sets available. If you take a box, you should be sure to sign up on the sheet with the boxes of envelopes so that we will be able to post your offerings to the appropriate account.
REPORT ON ANGEL TREE GENEROSITY... Because of YOU and your generosity, the annual Angel Tree effort reached 29 children in six households (several headed by grandmothers who were forced into a custody situation to protect their grandchildren) and 6 residents of a group home for special needs women. In addition to the items of clothing and a toy for each child which you provided, the families were given Bible story books for each family, grooming aids such as toothbrushes, combs and brushes, and other personal needs and five families received food baskets to complete the special Christmas treats. Dana Dukes, who gave leadership to the activity, reports that she has been inundated by “thank you’s” from the adults responsible for the recipients.
FIRST FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 5:30 p.m. Holy Hour and Mass... make a special devotion to the Sacred Heart and attend first Friday devotions for nine consecutive months.
FIRST SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 9:00 a.m. Mass and Holy Hour... Our Lady of Fatima called for special devotions to be offered on the first Saturday of each month. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend.
FIRST SUNDAY BENEDICTION, JANUARY 7... 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.
SAINTS ALIVE–ANGELS AT WORK... Thank you seems inadequate to convey the appreciation for all of the folks who made “Advent and Christmas at St. Edward” such a memorable time. Everyone gave so generously to the very successful Angel Tree effort! The Birthday Party for Jesus and the Adult Christmas Fete were each delightful with beautiful decorations and food! The flowers and altar settings, the Chrismon Tree and the creche enhanced our already beautiful church!!! Many hours of music preparation as well as practice by lectors and altar servers ensured that our services were smooth flowing!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Stewardship “Whatever you do,“ says St. Paul to the Colossians,” do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through him.” And so it is that we offer our gifts in the Eucharist “through Him, with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.”
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $2,111 |
| November Budget | $8,444 |
| November income | $8,917 |
| November Expenses | $11,704 |
| December Budget | $10,555 |
| December 24 & Christmas | $2,609 |
| December Income To Date | $9,634 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Emory Dukes (Dec 30), Jamie Howington (Jan 1), Beth Sullivan (Jan 4)
Happy Anniversary Elizabeth and Paul Naya (Jan 4), Abby and Darryl Ellerbee (Jan 5)
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), Willetta and Mac Cagnolatti, Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Fran Castile (Keene), Jeannie and Donald Collins, Jami Cook (Wilks), Bobbe and Gene Cox, Marla Evans Cummings, Susan Ward Daigle (Gilfoil & Keene), 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), Charlotte Green, Rita Hargrave, Ralph Harris (Gilfoil), Arlice Evans Headley, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Charles Howington, Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Dee Jones (Keene), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Cindy Mathieu (Wilks), Boyce Miller, Vickie Morelli (Ernst), John Neill, Caryn Oliver, Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Bailey, Scott and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Janie Saxon (Lancaster), Walter and Vivian Scott, Debbie Kedrick Sims, Tommy Trichell, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), Mary Claire Warner and her parents, MaryBeth and Steve
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
