The Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
From The Font
"Jesus asked, ‘Who has touched my clothes?’”
Jesus didn’t ask this to get new information. He knew all there was to know...
(In the same way, St Mark didn’t interrupt the larger story of the healing of the daughter of Jairus by accident. These stories are connected! But that’s for another article.)
When Jesus asks questions like this, He does so as a rhetorical device and to drive others into action. In the case of the woman in the story, she has every good intention and finds her situation impossible. She would like nothing more than to have a nice quiet conversation with Jesus as so many other people do in the Gospels. But she finds herself in the midst of a turbulent crowd and she finds Jesus rushing off on someone else’s business. Jesus’ question actually makes her encounter with Him possible. The circumstances are still less than ideal. She becomes fearful, but she still comes forward of her own choice and has her encounter with the Lord.
All too often, we feel just like the woman. Our lives are busy and crowded with activity. We feel a real and humble need for the Lord’s help and we reach out in prayer. For many of us, that prayer gets interrupted by the busyness of the world. Sometimes it’s literally interrupted in that our phone rings. But other times, our prayer is interrupted by thoughts and anxieties from our own minds.
Sometimes we can just power through, but the central lesson of this story is that if we are paying attention and reaching toward Jesus, He will turn to us... He may turn to us in such a way that we feel safe and sound... Or He may turn in a more challenging or confrontational way! Sometimes what we need is a pat on the back - other times, what we need is a kick in the pants!
The lesson, though, is persistence in the midst of busyness and chaos. Our world is as chaotic as almost any other moment in human history. For all our self-delusions that we are morally and technologically superior to people of the past, much of what we would call modern advancement has robbed us of our humanity and our sanity... The woman in the crowd is an apt metaphor for us and for what our prayer lives should look like.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Monday, July 1, is the feast of St. Junipero Serra, the Franciscan friar who evangelized what is now California. He established numerous missions and has become strongly associated with the Serra Club which works to encourage young men to consider their vocation to the Priesthood.
Junipero is Spanish for Juniper, like the berry. St. Junipero Serra was named after St. Junipero of Assisi who was St. Francis’ original number two man when he founded his order. The original St. Junipero was famously down to earth and good with organization and logistics - something St. Francis was really, really bad at. St. Junipero Serra was also very clever and organized. In many ways, he was a model of a modern priest.
Even as recently as 75 years ago, being a priest was pretty straight-forward. A parish priest needed to be holy and prayerful. He needed to have memorized a very fixed and surprisingly small number of catechetical and dogmatic formulas. He needed to be an ok preacher and to be ok with interpersonal communication. Sure, a good priest needed a certain fire and excitement and a love for God and the Church and a sense of pageantry and the ability to teach. But a young man could be a successful parish priest with a very reasonable number of skills and talents.
Nowadays, a parish priest is expected to be good at almost everything. Religiously, the people expect their priest to be spiritually adept and broadly experienced in all types of prayer, spiritual exercises, traditions, and devotions. They expect the priest to know his stuff on both Catholic and non-Catholic theological matters and to be personally devout and morally upstanding even in areas of profoundly gray morality. The modern priest is also expected to be an excellent pastor. He should be extroverted and outgoing and ready to strike up a conversation with anyone. He should be unflappable when confronted with questions, accusations, rudeness, or the unexpected. The priest should also be above the fray in matters of politics, pop culture, sports, etc. Beyond the personal, the priest is usually expected to be competent in all areas of finance, business, church politics, local politics, bureaucracy, and logistics. If there’s a school or an additional pastoral responsibility, the expectations continue to add up.
Now this may sound a bit like me whining!! And it may be just a little... It’s frustrating to be a modern priest because there are so many expectations and there’s also so much that is entirely out of my control. And then I look at someone like Junipero Serra whose life could have been a thousand times simpler, but he chose to go all in. He invested his monumental natural talent entirely and accomplished remarkable things which aren’t really possible in the modern Church. All of these skills I’ve just listed aren’t just me brainstorming, their talents Junipero Serra brought to his work converting non-Christian Native Americans to the Faith in what is now California. He really was a remarkable man... And in his honor, we should definitely take a moment to pray for vocations and for the Serra Club’s good work!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/family
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon NO MASS
- Tue 9:00a In memory of C. L. Keene/family
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Carroll Regan/family
- Thurs 9:00a In memory of Rosa and Gus Gremshell and May DiTomasso
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Marion Roy/Johnson
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Paul VanderVieren/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/29 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil | L Magoun |
| 6/30 9:30a | MaryKatherine and Courtland | D Hamilton | - |
| 7/6 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome | A Keene |
| 7/7 9:30a | Cooper and Maura | J Howington | - |
| 7/13 5:30p | None Scheduled | C VanderVieren | N Ernst |
| 7/14 9:30a | Kathleen and Evelyn | M Lancaster | - |
Stewardship Today’s reading from St. Paul explains the “divine economy” of stewardship – ”The relief of others ought not to impoverish you; there should be a certain equality. Your plenty at the present time should supply their need so that their surplus may in turn one day supply your need.”
THIS WEEKEND’S SECOND COLLECTION… will be for Peter’s Pence to support the works of the Pope.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| May Budget | $ 8,444 |
| May Income | $ 8,572 |
| May Expenses | $ 11,940 |
| June Budget | $ 10,555 |
| June 22-23 Collection | $ 1,863 |
| June Income To Date | $ 9,103 |
Upcoming Events
Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass and on Sunday from 9a until Mass
Pastoral Council meeting monthly on the third Wednesday at 6p
July 5 First Friday devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - 5:30 p.m.
July 6 First Saturday Devotions to our Blessed Mother-Mass and Holy Hour– 9 a.m.
July 7 First Sunday Benediction following weekend Masses
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. Father has more information. 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
THIRD QUARTER ALTAR ASSISTANTS SCHEDULE …. for July, August, and September can be found on the table at the entrance to church.
FIRST FRIDAY …. JULY 5...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.
FIRST SATURDAY … JULY 6… Mass and Holy Hour … 9 a.m. 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…JULY 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.
THE WORD AMONG US… a monthly publication serving as a daily devotional guide, can be found on the table at the entrance of church. Please feel free to take a copy to use in your daily prayer life. In addition to the daily scripture and meditation, there are interesting theme focused articles for study.
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Candler Hamilton (July 5), Jude Nadeau (July 7)
In Our Daily Prayers…
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
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; 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, Connie & Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Leslye Ellerbee, Susan & Johnny Gilfoil, Margaret & Pat Gilfoil, Terry Farlow Hall, C.W. & Alyce Keene, Frances & Bill Kennedy, Hannah McCarty, Ed Mills, Terry & Susie Murphy, Bobby Reynolds, Mike & Sue Rome
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), Kay Boolos (S Gilfoil), Dick & Sue Boyd (S Gilfoil), Chris Breard (Gilfoil), David Cagnolatti, Willetta and Mac Cagnolatti, Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Fran Castile (Keene), Jeannie & Donald Collins, Teresa Carney Condra, Jami Cook (Wilks), Bobbe & 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, Carla Leese (S Gilfoil), Emery and Kale Kirkland (Gilfoil), Calvin “Beans” & 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, family of Caryn Oliver, Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Bailey, Scott and Tiffney Rome, Dianne Roper (Murphy), Janie Saxon (Lancaster), Debbie Kedrick Sims, Gannon Sims, Robbie Sims, Keri Post, 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, Bruen Johnson, Matilda Johnson, Caroline Marsh, Emmy Lu Marsh, Charlize Richardson, Blake Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Chandler Wood
