The 4th Sunday of Advent & Christmas
Weekend Schedule
- Advent IV
- Sat 5:30p (Confessions from 5p)
- Sun 9:30a (Confessions from 9a)
- Christmas
- Sun 5:30p (No Confessions)
- Mon 8:00a Traditional Latin Mass (No Confessions)
- Mon 9:30a (No Confessions)
From The Font
“In the beginning was the Word...”
If I were to ask “where in the Bible is the story of creation,” it would be a bit of a trick question because there are at least three (and maybe as many as five) different passages about the creation of the world.
We all know the story of the seven days of creation in the first chapter of Genesis. But the very next chapter is a whole different story - literally! In Genesis 2, Adam is created before Eve and all the animals. Some scholars will point to the Book of Psalms and the Book of Job for other stories of creation.
But the most important story of creation is also the one that most Christians don’t even think of as a creation story at all... The first verses of St. John’s Gospel come from his mature and deep spirituality. By the time John was writing His Gospel, he had been a bishop for more than 60 years and had been the last living Apostle for nearly 20 years. He was the Beloved Disciple and had been entrusted with the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I can only imagine their shared conversations as Our Lady offered her insights into the glory of God.
When it came time for St. John to write His Gospel, he didn’t write it to convert non- Christians. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were already wide-spread. Rather, St. John wrote his Gospel to confirm the faith of Christians living in troubled times. That’s why his Gospel is so different from the other three.
St. John begins his Gospel with a profound meditation upon the nature of Jesus as the living Word of God and, in particular, about what that means for the relationship between the persons of the Most Holy Trinity. Jesus is God. God the Father is God. But the Father is not the Son... And the Holy Spirit is also God, but neither is the Holy Spirit just another name or form of the Father or the Son. This isn’t easy stuff to explain, and so John gives us a poetic, but shockingly precise explanation of deep theology! Honestly, it’s a more accurate and helpful explanation of the origin of creation than we find in Genesis.
All of us Christians would do well this Christmas to take a pause and think on the first few verses of St John’s Gospel!
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Merry Christmas!!
Or if you’re reading this on Saturday evening - happy last days of Advent... Advent was super short this year, which can make it challenging to feel ready for Christmas, no matter how much Pumpkin Spice you’ve consumed! One of my favorite things about Catholicism is the tension between sameness and difference.
Lots of our Faith is meant to be the same every time. Sunday Mass, for example, should be very consistent - it’s a ritual. Rituals that change are, by definition, not rituals. Our liturgical calendar is basically the same way. December 8 is always the Immaculate Conception. But even with all that sameness, there are also little variations. Advent can be long or short depending on what day of the week is the 25th. Carnivale is the same way. Ash Wednesday can be as early as February 4 or as late as March 10... That means that we can be well done with Lent, Holy Week and Easter before April or we can still be in the midst of it as we’re getting ready for Senior Graduation.
Of course, the big difference year to year isn’t the calendar or the prayers, it’s us. We change every year. In the last 12 months, we’ve had some ups and some downs. We may have lost loved ones. Hopefully, we’ve made some strides in prayer and virtue. Maybe we’ve identified and confronted some of our unvirtuous habits. Maybe because of stress or life-changes, we’ve picked up some new bad habits. Whatever the case, we’re different than we were and so there’s fresh value and purpose in doing the same things the same way every year. This can be really challenging in our modern world which wants to see everything change all the time... That’s part of the reason personal growth is so challenging in our society. When the standards keep changing, meeting them or surpassing them doesn’t mean anything! In the same way, if Advent or Christmas or Lent or Easter are different every year, then how can I get a sense of my personal growth?
In Advent, for instance, we’re thinking about waiting, patience, hope, and trust in God. At Christmas, we’re thinking about joy, peace, fulfillment, and God’s goodness. If we keep thinking about those same things at the same time, then next year, I can ask myself if I am more patient in December 2024 than I was in 2023... But if things randomly change up, how can we take stock of these big picture kinds of things?
Of course, there’s more to our Faith and to these feasts than just psychology, self-awareness, and personal growth! There’s a profound spiritual component that we need year after year. There’s an intellectual component that we need. There’s a family component and an emotional component and a dozen other pieces of ourselves that benefit from the holy-day season... But it speaks volumes to me that all of these components come together in the midst of this wonderful tension between same-ness and different-ness. It’s a very human tension and one that we shouldn’t shy away from. We need both parts to make the most of this blessed time!
Merry Christmas!!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of C. L. Keene/family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Sun 5:30p In memory of Kathleen Mills/Massey
- Mon 9:30a In memory of Eva Reynolds (birth)/Bullard
- Tue 9:00a In memory of May DiTomasso and Rosa and Gus Gremshell
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Joseph Testa (birth)/Magoun
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Paul VanderVieren(death)/family
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Thomas and Dealia Trichell and healing for Tommy Trichell
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/M Trichell.
- Sun 9:30a Populo for the Living Deceased Members of our Parish
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of MaryAnne Gilfoil
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lectors | EMHCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/23 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil | A Keene |
| 12/24 9:30a | Cooper and Maura | B Sullivan | None Scheduled |
| 12/30 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome | C VanderVieren |
| 12/31 9:30a | Kathleen and Evelyn | D Ellerbee | None Scheduled |
| 1/6 5:30p | None Scheduled | C VanderVieren | M Ernst |
| 1/7 9:30a | Chandler and Annie | D Ellerbee | 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 – Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Note: NOT A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION this year
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
CALENDARS…Our Catholic calendars for 2024 can be found on the table at the entrance of the church. We have enough copies available for families to have one for home and one for their office. All of the Holy Days of Obligation as well as other notations relating to special days of prayer are shown. Please take some copies for your use.
POINSETTIAS AND CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ENVELOPES…there are envelopes on the table at the entrance of church which you can use to make donations “In Memory of…” or “In Honor of…” family and friends and contribute to the poinsettias and decorations for the Advent and Christmas season. You can drop your envelope (or check with a notation that it is for flowers) in the collection basket, give it to Father Ryan, or leave it at the office.
CHRISTMAS EVE AND DAY SCHEDULE: Masses to meet the Holy Day of Obligation for Christmas will be an anticipated Mass on Christmas Eve (Sunday) at 5:30 p.m. and on Christmas Day (Monday) at 9:30 a.m. (Note: neither of these Masses will satisfy your obligation to attend Mass on Sunday).
- Altar servers for Christmas Eve is Kathleen Ellerbee and Evelyn Kivett.
- Lector for Christmas Eve is Libby Bullard.
- Any altar servers who would like to volunteer for Christmas Day are appreciated!
- Lector for Christmas Day is Ann Keene.
ANGEL TREE FOOD BASKETS……if you did not get to participate in Angel Tree Project earlier but would like to be a part of the program, we are accepting cash donations to provide food baskets for the families of the children who were “gifted” this Christmas season. To make a donation, you can leave a check in the collection basket made to St Edward with a notation that it is for the Angel Tree project or you can leave a check or cash with Father Ryan or the church office.
Stewardship In the first reading, God promises King David that his horse and his kingdom will endure forever. It is through Mary’s “Yes”--“I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say,” – that the promise finds fulfillment.
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 17 Collection | $ 2,595 |
| December Income To Date | $ 7,025 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Robbie Kivett (Dec 25), Thomas Myers Hamilton (Dec 25), Emmy Lou Marsh (Dec 27), Emory Dukes (Dec 30)
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
