Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection
From The Font
“For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.”
God’s will for us is remarkably straightforward. The worship God asks from us is beautiful. The moral law is simple. The list of things we need to do in order to be holy and to spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven is short... But our human nature is really, really, I mean really!, good at mucking up God’s simple and wondrous love.
The Bible is one long story of how hard God has had to work to get His love into our tiny, hard heads. We can see the roots of Jesus and His teaching all the way back in the very beginning of the Old Testament. Exodus paints a primitive picture of what the worship of God should look like. Deuteronomy tells the story of how the Jews - our spiritual ancestors - had to be corrected over and over again by the Lord. the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and Daniel explain how the Messiah - Jesus - would save us and yet so many of the Jews were surprised by Jesus. And even though we have almost four thousand years of Judeo-Christian history to look back on, we as modern Christians still need to be humbled by the reminder of St John that we, today, just like His closest apostles don’t yet understand the Scriptures...
Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote an amazing book in which he pointed out modern Christian errors and mistakes that could be traced all the way back to the first Christian century. He called the book “Old Errors and New Labels.” It’s a good reminder to us that, as Ecclesiastes 1:9 says “there is nothing new under the sun.” Seemingly-modern human foibles like Gender Ideology, Eco-consciousness, so-called New Age spiritualities, and even the social media mindset are all just the same human faults which prevailed in certain places in the past. As English author JRR Tolkien might say to us “for all [our] subtleties, [we] have not wisdom.”
Genuine Christian holiness begins with the acknowledgement that God is God and that I am not... Our humanity is an incredible blessing! But it’s also a necessary limitation. Adam and Eve fell into sin and so Divine Justice demands of us this short life with its trials. But, on this Easter Day, let us rejoice together that Divine Mercy frees us of worse trial and makes far greater joy possible!
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Happy Easter!!
I hope and pray that the joy of the Risen Lord is flooding your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Sometimes it’s hard to tell, especially if you gave up something sugary, that feeling may be a minor diabetic incident! But we’ll hope it’s the Lord!
Holiness is different for each of us... That’s part of the reason that the lives of the saints are such an important part of our faith. I may be a relatively introverted person who has an affinity for intellect and art, while you may be a relatively extroverted person who has an affinity for sports and games. Holiness for me is going to look very different than it is for you. What may be virtuous for me may not be for you. What may be prideful for me may not be for you. What may be encouraging and fulfilling spiritually for me may not be for you.
That’s by design! Before us, the Lord created Angels, every single one of whom was as different from every other as a cabbage is from a question mark! The Lord likes different. And so it is that we each have to seek the Lord in our own way... not because He doesn’t want to be found, but because no one else has ever been just like you or me. If you really want to get your inner philosopher worked up - how does any of us know what the other actually sees or thinks? What is green to you, may be purple to me. There’s literally no way we can tell! And so I have to seek the Lord because my eyes are the only eyes I have. I have to work to hear His voice, because my ears are often trained not on Him but on my own interests. I have to refocus my mind on Him because my mind is often overly focused on my own stuff.
That can seem daunting if we let it... It can be heavy to think that I have to figure out how to seek the Lord on my own. And it’s not entirely true. The Lord knows us better than we know ourselves and so He given us teachings and rules and images and ideas which are universal to all of us. In particular, He’s given us worship which brings together our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls in a way that is both uniquely human and profoundly divine. We’re not in this alone and the Lord is not asking us to start from scratch. Still, we can’t just copy one another and we shouldn’t be concerned if my prayer life doesn’t look like yours.
St Francis of Assisi’s spiritual life couldn’t be more different than St. Ignatius of Loyola’s. St. Andre Bassett’s intellectual life couldn’t be more different than Pope Benedict’s. Fr. Ferre’s style of being a priest was pretty different from my own and both of us are totally different from Fr. Pat Murphy or Bp. Greco. And I expect all four of us were totally different from Pope John Paul or St. Augustine. Some Christians feel strongly, while others don’t. Some Christians thrive in silence, others don’t. Some Christians pray with brilliant and sophisticated words, others are simple. Some Christians experience Easter as a relief, others as a joy, others in an intellectual way, and others still as first and foremost a family event.
However this Easter finds you and yours, I hope and pray that the joy of the Risen Lord is central and fulfilling and wonderful!
Happy Easter!!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Pat Bullard (death) and R.L. Reynolds (birth)/family
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon-Fri No Mass (Fr Ryan on Pilgrimage)
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/family
- Sun 9:00a 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 4/8 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil, B Sullivan, M Rome |
| 4/9 9:00a | MaryKatherine and Courtland | C Guizeriz |
| 4/15 5:30p | Non Scheduled | A Farlow |
| 4/16 9:00a | Cooper and Maura | Youth |
| 4/22 5:30p | None Scheduled | L Bullard |
| 4/23 9:00a | Kathleen and Evelyn | D Ellerbee |
Upcoming Events
- Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass at 5:30p
- Sunday Morning Catechism in the Hall after the 9:00a Mass unless otherwise indicated
- Pastoral Council meeting monthly on the third Tuesday at 6p unless otherwise indicated
- First Communion … May 7, 2023 at the 9 a.m. Mass
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.
FORMED.ORG… FORMED has a collection of videos for Easter season that are worth checking out at https://watch.formed.org/easter. Remember to sign in using our parish’s zip code (71282) at http://signup.formed.org
EASTER FLOWER CONTRIBUTIONS… there are envelopes on the table at the entrance of church if you would like to contribute to the Holy Week and Easter Sunday decorations and lilies. Please be sure to include if your gift is In Honor or In Memory of someone.
NO DAILY MASS FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS… as Father Ryan is away from the parish. Saturday and Sunday Mass for the weekend of April 15 - 16 will be provided by a visiting priest, Father Rob Johnson, Alexandria
INFIRM PRIESTS COLLECTION….Our second collection this weekend Is for the Infirmed Priests fund. As we contribute monthly to this fund as a church body, this collection remains with us to offset that monthly contribution. Additionally, that collection is untaxed by the Diocese. Please be generous!
Stewardship Very early in the morning after the sabbath, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with precious oils. The reward of this good and conscientious steward was to be the first to know that Jesus had been raised from the dead! Alleluia!!
SECOND COLLECTION Is for the Infirmed Priests fund. As we contribute monthly to this fund as a church body, this collection remains with us to offset that monthly contribution. Additionally, that collection is untaxed by the Diocese. Please be generous!
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| March Budget | $ 8,444 |
| March Income | $ 9,529 |
| March Expenses | $ 10,108 |
| April Budget | $ 10,555 |
| April 1-2 Collection | $ 1,735 |
| April Income To Date | $ 1,735 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Ann Marie Marsh (April 8, 2013), Michael Lancaster (April 13), Joe Storey (April 14)
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 Holy Father 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: Connie and Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Leslye Ellerbee, Susan and Johnny Gilfoil, MaryJane Johnson, Bill Kennedy, Ed Mills, Terry and Susie Murphy, Sue & Mike Rome, Delia Trichell
Those under full-time care: Frances Kennedy, Carol Dunning
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 and Carolyn Arceneaux (Book), Marie Farlow Bellard, Tommy Bickham (C Copes), Chris Breard (Gilfoil), Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Ruthie Coenen (Wilks), Jami Cook (Wilks), Susan Ward Daigle (Gilfoil & Keene), Don Deweese, Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, Monique Florence, Judy Fortenberry, April Franklin (Wilks), Thom Gilfoil, Wyly Gilfoil (Gilfoil), Charlotte Green, Rita Hargrave, Arlice Evans Headley, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Charles Howington, Dee Jones (Keene), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Boyce Miller, John Neill, Caryn Oliver, Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Frances Robinson (Wilks), Janie Saxon (Lancaster), Bailey, Scott and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy),Tuleta Sasser (Wilks), Albert Thom (Rome), Barbara Thomas (Gilfoil), Tommy Trichell, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), Joe Yerger,
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Callie Ezell, Lilly Falgout, Chris Hall (USMC), Nick Hall, Bruen Johnson, Caroline Marsh, Emmy Lu Marsh, Blake Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Marsh Wood
