Divine Mercy Sunday
From The Font
"Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel."
The Lutheran theologian and Martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about "cheap grace" to describe those easy parts of Christianity. When everyone around us is a devoted Christian, it's not challenging to stand up for Jesus. If I'm not a drinker or a gambler, it's not hard to "resist the temptation" to those vices. But "costly grace," he says, is that part of our Faith that demands a lot from us. It's hard. It costs.
Many modern definitions of mercy are cheap. Many people say that being merciful means being cowardly when it comes to challenging someone to believe or behave rightly. Ic can be hard to challenge people! It may not even be the right thing to do in the moment! But it's not "mercy" when we don't do the hard thing…
Mercy is when someone deserves the consequence of their actions and they receive a blessing they don't deserve.
In the same breath, many people who preach this fake mercy will tout "ecumenism" as part of it… They say we should focus on what unites us as Christians rather than "focusing on our divisions." Of course, that's just chickening out too… Either we believe that Jesus established the Church as the way for people to be saved or He didn't. If He did, then we're awful people not to share that saving truth with others. If He didn't, then why are we Catholic?
This isn't just an academic question - it's today's Gospel. Jesus instructed the disciples to go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel. And what were they preaching? They were preaching the establishment of a visible Church under the authority of a Bishop who offered a primitive, but recognizable form of the Mass weekly. Holy Communion was not open to just anyone. In fact, no one who wasn't already Catholic could even witness the consecration of the Eucharist. Catechumens who were becoming Catholic and non-Catholics were only allowed to stay through the Sermon. Then they were ousted from the building. The first time Catechumens witnessed the whole Mass was after they were baptized!!!
Divine Mercy Sunday isn't about cheap grace. It's about costly grace that demands our total trust in God and in the Church He established.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
The devotion to Divine Mercy had a rocky start. But that's actually a good sign. Most of the modern devotions in the Church also had a rocky start. The pattern for a devotion like the Miraculous Medal in France or Our Lady in Guadalupe was that Jesus or Mary would visit a humble person. The humble person would receive the devotion humbly (imagine that) and would have to be encouraged specifically to approach the bishop or the religious superior about making it public. The superior would push back. They would repeat this step a few times. Then there would be some miracle or at least a bizarre coincidence, and then the superior comes around. Then, like a lightning bolt, the devotion spreads.
With the Divine Mercy, Sr. Faustina was given a lengthy series of visions and locutions from Our Lady about her vocation to the convent and His plans for the world. Of special importance is the timing of this, just a few years after the Fatima miracle, and the political experience of Poland in and around the two World Wars. Once the image of Divine Mercy was specifically given to Faustina there were two crazy coincidences that followed. First, Faustina couldn't paint, but her spiritual director found himself on a faculty with someone who could and who was willing to help. Second, and more important, Faustina made a heck of an impression upon a young priest who would go on to become the Bishop of the Diocese in which she lived and then went on to become the Pope. John Paul II was deeply devoted to our Lady of Fatima and to the Divine Mercy. He made both essential parts of his Papal ministry. And with that kind of support, the devotion to Divine Mercy was ready to enter its last stage: publication and spreading out to the world.
The only caveat that I always want to make very clear when I mention Divine Mercy is more about an error that gets made by people preaching it than it is an error or problem in Sr. Faustina's writing… Divine Mercy is NOT about excusing sin! Too often preachers will claim that it's merciful to accept people wherever they are… They'll say that it's opposed to mercy to preach about sin and hell. Those people are wrong. Nowhere does Sr. Faustina write that Jesus said that the moral law doesn't matter or that sin doesn't matter. Quite the opposite! Jesus says that we should weep for the sins that are committed without repentance and that those sins wound the hearts of Jesus and Mary. There's nothing merciful about pretending that sin won't condemn a soul to Hell. There's nothing merciful about looking the other way. In fact, that's callous, cowardly, and it's a sin every time we do it.
Rather, Divine Mercy is about calling back to God's love those who sin. It's about the fact that God will forgive any sin - no matter how horrific - if the sinner humbles himself and asks God for forgiveness. But if the sinner doesn't repent, no amount of niceness, acceptance, or whatever is going to get them into Heaven. The freeing truth of Divine Mercy is that Jesus wants us back! He can and will forgive any sin of which we repent. The only sin He will not and cannot forgive is the pride of thinking that I don't need to repent.
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of SeSe Holstead (birth anni) and Father Ferre (death anni)/Jumonville family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living Deceased Members of our Parish
- NO WEEKDAY MASSES THIS WEEK AS FATHER RYAN IS AWAY FROM THE PARISH
- Sat 5:30p
- Sun 9:30a 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(s) | EMHCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/6 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome | L Magoun |
| 4/7 9:30a | MaryKatherine & Courtland | Dana Hamilton | - |
| 4/13 5:30p | None Scheduled | C VanderVieren | M Rome |
| 4/14 9:30a | Cooper & Maura | J Howington | - |
| 4/20 5:30p | None Scheduled | P Wilks | N Ernst |
| 4/21 9:30a | Kathleen & Evelyn | Youth | - |
Stewardship The Christian community described in Acts understood and practiced TOTAL stewardship. St. Paul reports that the believers did not claim anything as their own; but, held everything in common, and distributed to each whatever was needed.
INFIRM PRIESTS COLLECTION…THANK YOU for your generosity last weekend in supporting the Infirm Priests collection which totaled $6,038.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| February Budget | $ 8,444 |
| February Income | $ 10,106 |
| February Expenses | $ 10,328 |
| March Budget | $ 10,555 |
| March 31 Collection | $ 770 |
| March Income To Date | $ 9,625 |
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
SECOND QUARTER SOCIAL …. will be held on April 28 following the Sunday Mass and will be our usual Potluck Brunch in the Church Hall. EVERYONE is encouraged to attend and join in the festivities as Father Ryan will have returned from his trip to Spain and will share his experiences. Giving leadership to the event will be the members of the Second Quarter group (April, May, June) group - Libby Bullard, Angel Farlow, Margaret and Pat Gilfoil, MaryAnne Gilfoil, Terry and Andy Hall, Isabell Hernandez, Cindy and Jamie Howington, Ann Keene, Alyce and C.W. Keene, Elizabeth and Paul Naya, Bobby Reynolds, and Cathy VanderVieren who will serve as chairperson.
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Henry Ellerbee (April 7), Ann Marie Marsh (April 8), Gertrude Roy (April 11), Michael Lancaster (April 13)
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, Teresa Carney Condra, 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, 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, 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), Tuleta Sasser(Wilks), Debbie Kedrick Sims, 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, Chris Hall (USMC), Nick Hall, Bruen Johnson, Matilda Johnson, Caroline Marsh, Emmy Lu Marsh, Blake Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Marsh Wood
