The 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time
From The Font
"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?"
This is likely the most uncomfortable question in the Bible for Americans of our time. Other questions of sexual morality are tough, but the general mindset of Americans and American Catholics, in particular, is that divorce is ok as long as you have your paperwork in order. The commonality of marital annulments are, without question, makes them the least understood aspect of Catholic law and teaching by far.
As a very quick overview, Catholics believe, as a matter of infallible dogma, that a marriage which is “lawful” (AKA “valid”) is indivisible except by the death of one of the spouses. No amount of infidelity, dishonesty, abuse, etc. dissolves the marital bond. That’s a hard teaching but it is the clear teaching of Jesus.
When a Catholic finds him- or herself in a failed marriage, for whatever reason, they may well opt to separate from their legal spouse. They may opt to seek a legal writ of separation or divorce and, in the eyes of the civil state, they may be legally unattached to their “former” spouse. From the perspective of the Church, the perspective of the civil state doesn’t matter.
An “annulment” (aka “decree of nullity”) is a judgment from the bishop’s appointed vicar that a marriage contract was never validly entered into by two individuals. All marriages are presumed to be entered into in good faith by the spouses. This is true from the civil and the religious perspective. When a marriage fails, the civil court may rule the marriage dissolved.
The Church court doesn’t have that option, because the Church can’t overrule the teaching of Jesus... But Jesus does specifically note that the marriage must be “lawful.” And so the Church can investigate a marriage which was presumed to be lawful but has since “failed.” After this investigation, if it’s found that one of the spouses made their vows in a way contrary to the laws of the Church or without adequate understanding, the marriage may be found to have been invalid from the beginning. That’s what an annulment is. Those who have received one may have been surprised that the events at the end of the marriage weren’t considered all that important in comparison to the wedding ceremony... This is just one example of the kind of nuance and detail which follows from even a single word of scripture.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
This Monday is the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, aka Our Lady of the Rosary. It commemorates the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
The Battle was the end of militant Islam’s thousand-year-long effort to conquer Europe. Modern revisionist history tries to paint the picture of Islam as a “religion of peace.” In reality, from the days of Muhammad, Islam was a violently expansionist religion with a theology built almost entirely on the premise that everyone must “convert or die.” Islam arose just as the Roman empire was collapsing and it spread like wildfire across the Roman cities of North Africa and what we call the Middle East which we left suddenly without Roman armies to protect them and without a Roman government to manage them. When the Romans conquered an area, very little changed. The local coinage would be replaced with Roman coins and the tax structure would differ, but for most of the world, being conquered was relatively straight-forward. But when Islam conquered, everything changed. Anyone who resisted would be murdered or worse (gross sexual violence regardless of age or gender is literally part of the religious books and is the moral right of the conquerors). The spread of Islam was accompanied by fear and despair.
It wasn’t until the 1100s that Europe began to recover a sense of shared identity under the banner of Christendom (Christ’s Kingdom). That banner united the Europeans into a vast, but poorly organized army. And that army then went to work casting the Muslems off the Iberian Peninsula and out modern day Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine. The final great effort of the Ottoman empire to gain a foothold in what we call Europe was a naval incursion set to land at the Bay of Lepanto in modern-day Greece.
The army was organized by Pope Pius V and funded by Phillip II of Spain and commanded by Don John of Austria. In short, the battle started badly for the Christians. As the day progressed the wind was against them and most of the ships in flames or taking on water flew the Christian banner. Three separate groups were invoking the intercession of Our Lady during the Battle. When the wind suddenly changed and the Christians suddenly surged to victory, the Pope credited the victory to the Rosary. Many of the sea captains had installed images of Our Lady of Guadalupe on their ships and so they gave her credit. Others saw a miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin just before the winds changed and they claimed Our Lady had appeared. The Pope, being the Pope, got the final say and so he established a new Feast for Our Lady of Victory aka Our Lady of the Rosary to commemorate the battle. Of course there are myriad poems, plays, books and songs which also commemorate this important battle.
It marked the functional end of serious hostilities between Christians and Muslims until the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran. While it’s reasonable to blame that on ineffectual western leadership, especially a weak US President and the Oil-hungry Brits, the fall of the Ottomans after WWII made it all but inevitable. The future of Islam isn’t clear, but what’s certain is that Our Lady will be our greatest ally, come what may!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Pat Bullard, Patrick Thomas, and Eva and R.L. Reynolds/family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon NO MASS
- Tue 9:00a In memory of J C B “Skeezix” Jumonville (death)/family
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Carol Folk LaHitte (birth)/ P Lancaster
- Thurs 9:00a In memory of J C B “Skeezix” Jumonville/family Legacy Senior Care Center
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Mary Agnes Gilfoil York/P Gilfoil
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Edgar Lancaster (death)/family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living & Dead members of our Parish Family
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Blanche and Prentiss Wilks
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/5 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil | C Vandervieren |
| 10/6 9:30a | Kathleen & Evelyn | M Lancaster | - |
| 10/12 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome | M Ernst |
| 10/13 9:30a | Annie & Thomas Meyers | S Marsh | - |
| 10/19 5:30p | None Scheduled | C VanderVieren | N Ernst |
| 10/20 9:30a | MaryKatherine & Courtland | Youth | - |
Stewardship The phrase in today’s Psalm, “May you see your children's children,” is really a prayer for a long life. The good steward knows that every day is a gift from God, to be lived with joy and thanksgiving. ”May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives!”
SECOND COLLECTION this weekend (Oct 5-6) for our monthly Building Fund.
Next weekend (Oct 13) for Catholic Charities. See notes elsewhere in the bulletin.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| August Budget | $ 8,444 |
| August Income | $ 11,285 |
| August Expenses | $ 11,553 |
| Sept Budget | $ 10,555 |
| Sept 29 Collection | $ 1,528 |
| Sept Income To Date | $ 15,702 |
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
Oct 12/13 Feast day of St Edward the Confessor
Oct 12 Potluck Supper following Saturday Mass…all are invited to participate in the Feast Day celebrations
For Your Information:
THE SHREVEPORT MARTYRS are five priests who willingly died of Yellow Fever in Shreveport in the 1870s. In the last ten years, their cause for canonization has been advanced and now we’re pleased to announce that EWTN will be airing a well-made documentary on them EWTN entitled “THE FIVE PRESTS” on Tuesday, October 8 at 9:30 am. The film took top awards at the Cannes World Film Festival for independent Filmmakers, the New York Film Awards, the Los Angeles Film Awards, the Europe Film Festival, and the Christian Film Festival, among nearly three dozen others. For more information on the film or the priests, you can visit shreveportmartyrs.org.
THE WORD AMONG US…. for October. You will want to pick up your copy at the entrance of church for your daily meditation.
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
SPECIAL COLLECTION… October 13…. next weekend, we will take up a collection for Catholic Charities of Central Louisiana. Catholic Charities of Central Louisiana has helped hundreds of people in need by providing Mental Health Services, Disaster Response, and Basic Needs Assistance. Their efforts have impacted hundreds of individuals and families across the four deaneries of the diocese. Interns and volunteers give their time and talent; however, this work requires funds to address the physical needs of residents. The Sunday, Oct. 13, second collection is for Catholic Charities; thank you for blessing them with the means to bring the corporal works of mercy to our communities.
THANK YOU FROM THE MURPHY FAMILY……Dear Friends of St. Edward Catholic Church, In times of illness and grief, one realizes anew the importance and meaning of friends. Your many expressions of love and care have been greatly appreciated. We are truly thankful for your many acts of comfort. Please continue to pray for us as we seek to adjust to the loss of our loved one. Sincerely, Susie, Chris, and Katie
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Sharyn Marsh (Oct 8), Marsh Wood (Oct 11), Sidney Johnson (Oct 13), Kenny Smith (Oct 14)
Happy Anniversary Sharyn and William Marsh (Oct 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; 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, 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), 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, 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), 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, 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, Charlize Richardson, Blake Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Chandler Wood, Marsh Wood
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... through Christ our Lord. Amen
