The 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time
From The Font
Fear no one.
Fear is a fundamental human experience. In the modern world, we have FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) which correlates vaguely to fears identified in medieval guilds and ancient cults. We have specific fears (e.g. heights, spiders) and broader fears (e.g. the future, potential health issues). We even have types of fear that we can’t differentiate that we associate with anxiety.
As is so often the case, Jesus says something bold and powerful. But to understand it, we have to understand that this short instruction to “Fear no one!” is part of a larger sermon in which Jesus tells us that He cannot be deceived, that He knows what people need to hear, and that He considers us worthy of both care and of love.
Of course, Christians who deeply love the Lord and who are deeply loved by Him can be harmed! But we need not live our lives in fear of that. Rather, we need to know and live the truth that Jesus is Lord and that He allows us to experience and to endure just what is good and necessary... BUT necessary for what?
Again, the context is everything! The Lord allows us to experience and endure what is necessary for our salvation and eternal life. Jesus explains that His knowledge of us and His concern for us - extending even to the number of hairs on our heads - is specifically extended to our eternal judgment before God the Father. Further, He specifies that our responsibility to Him extends to that same limit.
Jesus will acknowledge before His heavenly Father if and only if we acknowledge Him before others. If we fail to do so in this life, then we exclude ourselves from His gift and the Lord will, ultimately, deny us before His Father.
Again, this doesn’t mean we have no cause for concern! Have any of us failed to be Christian in public? Of course we have! But we can repent and we can begin from this point to do what the Lord asks and because of that, we have every hope of the Mercy of Jesus and so we have remedy for our fear.
So, as with many of the short, bold teachings of Jesus, we need to keep the context in mind. It is our human nature to feel fear, but as Christians, we have the tools to conquer it.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
This coming weekend is a big one for our neighbors along I-20 toward Monroe. Every Catholic between here and Monroe is getting a new priest. Fr. Joe (St Matthew, Monroe) and Fr. John Paul (Our Lady of Fatima, Monroe) are staying put, but even they are going to be having new responsibilities.
All of us here know how hard that can be on the people and on the priest. Fr. Peter Mangum, who has been the Rector of the Cathedral, will be the new pastor of JGS. He’ll continue his excellent work on the cause for the canonization of the Shreveport Martyrs from this side of the Diocese of Shreveport. All of the other parishes will be welcoming new pastors from the Franciscan Missionaries of Hope. That order was founded by a friend of mine in Kenya. The order is, of course, based on the rule and teaching of St. Francis of Assisi and grounded strongly in the virtue of Hope. They’re a new order with only fifty brothers so far. Fr. Francis and Fr. Peter will be the new priests serving Rayville, Delhi, and Bastrop as a cluster of parishes. Fr. Tobias will be helping Fr. John Paul at Our Lady of Fatima and all serving the students at ULM. Fr. Mike, who has been the pastor of JGS for several years, will be moving down the road to St. Paschal. As far as I know, Fr. Bosco will remain in Lake Providence and its mission Church in Oak Grove.
All of the brothers are originally from Africa with the exception of Fr. John Paul who is originally from India.
This weekend is also my swan song at Delhi. I’ve been offering Sunday Mass there for four years!
While that service has caused some limited problems here in Tallulah, especially when it comes to our quarterly socials and other events that would require me to be here later on Sunday Morning than usual. Still, it’s been an incredible blessing! I’ve gotten a broader sense of the cultural landscape... I’ve gotten to connect with some of the priests of the Diocese of Shreveport and to be privy to the inner workings of the diocese that is very much around us here in Tallulah. It’s been very helpful to understand some of Bishop Malone’s directives and plans as I’ve been programming events for us.
Honestly, the only thing I’ve really regretted about my work there is that I had to cancel our newly established Sunday Benediction. Back in 2019, literally three months before I started in Delhi, I began ending the weekend Masses on one Sunday each month with the Rite of Benediction of the Holy Eucharist. We did it twice and then had to stop.
I’m excited to be able to re-establish that devotion beginning in August which will, providentially, coincide with the beginning of the “Eucharistic Revival” which the Bishops of the US are working on in the coming year. This incredible devotion will fit in very smoothly with our ordinary Mass schedule and it will give us all a moment of profound connection with the Lord. Pope St. John Paul II believed that Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament was the single best tool for personal holiness, vocations, overcoming anxiety, and freeing oneself of serious sin that we have in the Church. I’ll have more to say on that later!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/M Trichell
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon No Mass
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Kathleen Mills/E Crothers
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Kathleen Mill/D Ervin
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Rosa and Gus Gremshell and May DiTomasso
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Lee Rome/Lancaster
- Sat 5:30p In memory of C. L. Keene/family
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living Deceased Members of our Parish
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Margo Corulla
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector | EMHCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/24 5:30p | None Scheduled | C VanderVieren | Norman & Mike |
| 6/25 9:00a | Chandler and Annie | C Guizerix | Louise & |
| 7/1 5:30p | None Scheduled | P Wilks | TBD |
| 7/2 9:00a | MaryKatherine and Courtland | J Howington | TBD |
| 7/8 5:30p | None Scheduled | MK Book | TBD |
| 7/9 9:00a | Cooper and Maura | M Lancaster | TBD |
Upcoming Events
- Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass and on Sunday from 9a until Mass
- Sunday Catechism and Donuts after Mass during the school year 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
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.
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
Stewardship The psalmist assures us that “the Lord hears the poor.: Often, however, He answers their need through the generous gifts of good stewards.
This weekend the second collection will be the Peter’s Pence collection to support the charitable works of Pope Francis and the Holy See.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| May Budget | $ 8,444 |
| May Income | $ 10,689 |
| May Expenses | $ 10.690 |
| June Budget | $ 8,444 |
| June 17-18 Collection | $ 1,725 |
| June Income To Date | $ 4,238 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Cindy Howington (June 23), Margo Corulla (June 26), Sally Reynolds (June 26)
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; 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: Connie and Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Leslye Ellerbee, Susan and Johnny Gilfoil, MaryJane Johnson, Bill Kennedy, Ed Mills, Terry and Susie Murphy, Sue & Mike Rome
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), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), the family of Carolyn Arceneaux (Book), Marie Farlow Bellard, Tommy Bickham (C Copes), Chris Breard (Gilfoil), Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Fran Castile (Keene), Ruthie Coenen (Wilks), Jami Cook (Wilks), Marla Evans Cummings, Susan Ward Daigle (Gilfoil & Keene), Don Deweese, Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, Monique Florence, Judy Fortenberry, April Franklin (Wilks), Thom Gilfoil, Wyly Gilfoil (Gilfoil), Charlotte Green, Rita Hargrave, Arlice Evans Headley, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Charles Howington, Dee Jones (Keene), Josh and Kim Wallace (Gilfoil), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Boyce Miller, John Neill, Caryn Oliver, Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Levi and Kristin Reagan and their infant twins, Mary Anne and Adam Todd (Gilfoil/Ginn), Janie Saxon (Lancaster), Bailey, Scott and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy),Tuleta Sasser (Wilks), Tommy Trichell, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), Joe Yerger,
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Callie Ezell, Lilly Falgout, Chris Hall (USMC), Nick Hall, Bruen Johnson, Caroline Marsh, Emmy Lu Marsh, Blake Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Marsh Wood
