The Third Sunday of Lent
From The Font
Jesus “did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.”
Often we slide into thinking that the rules Jesus sets down for us - moral, religious, and other - are arbitrary. It’s easy to think that God’s commandment to keep Holy the Lord’s Day is just a hoop to jump through. The idea that we should forgive our enemies is a great ideal, but it’s not practical.
It’s not as if this attitude begins with our generation. People have felt this way since the 10 Commandments were given to Moses on Mount Sinai.
But Jesus’ words following His fit in the temple are telling. God gave us the Commandments not as hoops to jump through, but because He understands our human nature “well.”
Take the First Commandment: We shall not have other gods before the Lord God... The spiritual masters of Christianity have long interpreted those words to mean that we mustn’t obsess over anything good or bad or we risk making an idol of it. Think about alcohol or money... Both of those are highly addictive! How many people have well and truly ruined their lives by making an idol of booze or cash? Substance addiction is well understood. But the obsessiveness around wealth and its associations with financial success and self-perception are also easy to see for anyone who understands human nature “well.” For the poor, wealth becomes a totem of desire or hatred and for the rich, it becomes a divisor of human value or self-worth. It’s not by accident that I Tim 6:10 has become a proverb in all Christian cultures: “the love of money is the root of all evil.”
God’s injunctions against false idols aren’t about merely religious concerns - although any active Catholic exorcist will assure you those are real - but they derive from God’s deep understanding of our human nature and its fragility. Unlike modern society, we as Catholics believe that Human Nature has not evolved or changed since Adam and Eve. Why? Because we are made in the Image and Likeness of God who does not change. Our faults express themselves differently from age to age, but our human nature stays the same. And to God’s Word and His Commands remain valuable and necessary in every generation.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Well this was the week of Parish missions for me. Without realizing it, I scheduled myself to give a three day parish Mission in Monroe at Our Lady of Fatima on the topic of the way in which God forms and shapes us through suffering, worship and daily life.
Then, the very next day, I welcomed Fr Daniel Hart who led a lovely mission for our parish over the course of two nights.
Then, after a busy Friday, I led an all day retreat for the Confirmation students of St Paul’s in Vicksburg.
It never rains but it pours!
Next week will be, thankfully, quieter, but I have an even larger obligation on the horizon and it’s coming at me quickly! Many of you know that I took a short sabbatical in 2019 in order to walk the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain. It was a life goal and a needed moment of reflection on my time as a priest. The experience was amazing and I came back excited to live the good life as the pastor of Tallulah!
In November, I was contacted by a small group from Baton Rouge who are planning to walk the Camino this April and May. They are planning to take two full months to do so. They very much wanted to have a priest make this pilgrimage with them, but they were unable to find anyone with the free time and the physical capacity. They called me after one of the several priests they had invited mentioned my name. As the other priests had said, “I’m not able to pick up and leave the parish for two months.” But, as I always try to do, I added “but whatever I can do, I will.” In an offhand way, I offered to go with them for the first two weeks of the trip to get them started, fly home, fly back, and walk the last two weeks to get them to the finish. I have four weeks of vacation and I’m willing to offer that to these folks.
I also said that they could try to find another priest to meet them for the middle section and gave them some names.
And so it is that I find myself less than a month away from leading a mission / pilgrimage from another diocese across the Pyrenees mountains. If I’m honest with you, I’m more than a bit nervous. I had an injury last time I did this trek and that was 5 years and about 20 pounds ago.
My reasoning, and the purpose of my sharing this with you, my parishioners, is that I am, indeed, living the good life in Tallulah. It’s a wonderful, peaceful place where I have grown as a disciple and as a priest. I love it here. Part of that is free time. I have a lot of down time. That’s why I’ve said yes to preaching missions in Monroe and to helping with the school Masses at St Al in Vicksburg. I feel that part of any priestly assignment is generosity. And so, despite some very real trepidation, I’ll be gone for a few weeks in early April and at the end of May to hike over some mountains and hopefully help some good Catholics from the South find Jesus in the pilgrim journey to Northwest Spain.
Let me solemnly assure you that with every sore footfall, I will be thinking of my good life here in Tallulah and of being back with you soon!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of deceased members of Regan, Adams, and Weimer families/family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon 5:30p No Mass
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Racer Holstead (death anni)/familly
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Leon Humphries
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Rosa and Gus Gremshell and May DiTomasso
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Mary Agnes York/P Gilfoil
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Pat Bullard, Patrick Thomas, and Eva and R.L. Reynolds/L Bullard
- Sun 9:30a 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(s) | EMHCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/2 5:30p | None Scheduled | P Wilks | M Rome |
| 3/3 9:30a | Chandler and Annie | B Sullivan | None Scheduled |
| 3/9 5:30p | None Scheduled | MK Book | N Ernst |
| 3/10 9:30a | MaryKatherine & Courtland | K Collins | None Scheduled |
| 3/16 5:30p | None Scheduled | L Bullard | C VanderVieren |
| 3/17 9:30a | Cooper and Maura | Youth | None Scheduled |
Stewardship "You shall not covet” is perhaps a difficult commandment to keep in our consumer society. But, as Christian stewards, we know that we are the recipients and caretakers of God’s many gifts. May this understanding that ALL is gift help us be less resentful of the gifts of others.
SECOND COLLECTION …. is our once monthly Building Fund Collection.
ENVELOPES FOR EASTER LILIES are on the table at the entrance of church.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| January Budget | $ 8,444 |
| January Income | $ 9,710 |
| January Expenses | $ 11,821 |
| February Budget | $ 8,444 |
| February 24-25 Collection | $ 1,849 |
| February Income To Date | $ 9,706 |
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
March 2-3 First Sunday Benediction following Mass
March 17 St Joseph Altar celebrated on Sunday following Mass
March 20 Pastoral Council meeting … 6 p.m.
March 30 Easter Egg Hunt on the Church Grounds at 10 a.m. (see notes elsewhere)
For Your Information:
LENTEN REGULATIONS. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence. This means that we do not eat meat and we have only one full meal. The other Fridays of the season of Lent are days of abstinence from meat. The obligation to abstain from meat binds Catholics 14 years of age and older. The obligation to fast, limiting oneself to one full meal and two lighter meals in the course of the day, binds Catholics from the age of 18 to 59. Those who are younger or older may freely embrace these disciplines. But Lenten disciplines should never endanger your health. It is obvious that abstaining from meat is meaningless for vegetarians, who must choose some other form of abstinence. It is equally obvious that replacing meat with a gourmet seafood meal is not in keeping with the spirit of Lent.
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
GROUP.ME... is an app on your phone or PC from the makers of Skype. It allows for private discussions and notifications. It’s free and considered very secure. Fr Ryan has set up three groups which are open to anyone associated with our parish.
StEdward Group https://bit.ly/groupme_stedward An open discussion group which allows for Q&A with Fr Ryan, as well as the ability to report issues and concerns at our Church or on our property.
Daily Mass at St Edward https://bit.ly/groupme_dailymass A notification group for Fr Ryan to post updates and schedule changes to our Daily Masses at St Edward.
TLM at St Edward https://bit.ly/groupme_tlm A notification group for Fr Ryan to post schedule updates and get feedback about our Saturday morning Traditional Latin Mass here at St Edward.
EMPOWERING GOD’S CHILDREN… parish volunteers must be VIRTUS trained and go online regularly at www.virtus.org for the latest training bulletins. Any questions or issues can be reported to the office. Printed resources are available on the table at the entrance to the Church.
- “Protecting our Children, Understanding and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse” includes Resources and Contact Numbers for reporting abuse.
- “Protecting God’s Children, Teaching Touching Safety Quick Reference Guide”
The Diocesan Policy for the Protection of Minors and The Diocesan Code of Pastoral Conduct for Priests, Deacons, Pastoral Ministers, Administrators, Staff, and Volunteers are available in the Safe Environment section of the diocesan website at DioceseAlex.org or a copy may be requested from the Safe Environment Office (318) 445-2401.
PLEDGE TO HEAL...If you or a family member has been abused or victimized by a representative of the Catholic church or a member of the clergy, please believe in the possibility for hope and help and healing. Dr. Lee Kneipp, Clinical Psychologist, Victim Assistance Coordinator, Diocese of Alexandria encourages those persons to come forward and speak out. Dr. Kneipp is establishing support groups in the central Louisiana area for victims and family members. The focus of these groups is to further emotional and spiritual healing as an adjunct to therapy, in an atmosphere of others who understand the pain, betrayal, and fear associated with abuse. Dr. Kneipp can be reached at 318-542-9805. All calls are confidential.
FIRST SUNDAY BENEDICTION…MARCH 3 …. 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.
EASTER EGG HUNT...on the church grounds on Saturday, March 30, at 10 a.m. Stephenie Marsh will give leadership to the event so please check with her to offer your assistance. We will need hard-boiled eggs that are dyed or plastic eggs with treats so your help is appreciated.
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Levi Washington (March 10)
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, 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, Charlotte Green, Theresa Gunter, Rita Hargrave, Ralph Harris (Gilfoil), Arlice Evans Headley, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Charles Howington, Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Diane Johnson, Dee Jones (Keene), Chelsea Keene & Andrew Lewis, Emery and Kale Kirkland (Gilfoil), Calvin “Beans” and Lynn Lisonbee, LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), James Albert Martin, Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), 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
