The 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time
From The Font
“She said, ‘Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.’ Then Jesus said to her in reply, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’”
There is a temptation when reading scripture to read any given passage as if it were a complete narrative contained in itself. This is the approach taken by Luther, in particular, and those who believe that the Bible is meant to be the only source of Divine Revelation.
In reality, most of the Bible is written as a series of excerpts. With the exception of the psalms and the historical books of the Old Testament, the Bible has relatively few complete stories or sermons. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7), for example, is not a complete sermon, but a summary of the big catchy zingers that Jesus would have said. That’s not a problem for us! We don’t necessarily need to hear every single example or image involving sheep, water collecting, pita bread, or whatever that Jesus would have used. But often the Bible will explain that Jesus preached for hours at a time and give us two or maybe three lessons that came from that sermon. In the Old Testament, too, we find stories where some passage of the Law was read aloud wherein the speaker read from dawn until dusk - 15 or so hours. We certainly don’t have the complete text of that sermon.
So when we encounter these seven verses of the humble woman from Cana, we need to remember that the piece of the story we get is just a piece of the story. It comes across as shockingly jarring! In the moment, all those years ago, Jesus would likely have used the incident as part of a larger sermon explaining to the people why He tested the woman’s faith and how we should humble ourselves before the Lord and orient ourselves toward eternity.
Remember that, as Christians, the Bible is an invaluable resource! But it is NOT the one and ONLY word that we have from the Lord. Jesus, Himself, speaking to us through the Holy Spirit at work in our hearts and in the Church, is THE revelation of the Lord. The scriptures are a part of prayer lives and a part of our intellectual lives, but they aren’t the totality of them.
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
The evening of Thursday, 21 August 1879, was a very wet night in Knock, Ireland. At about 8p, Mary Byrne was walking home with her friend Mary McLoughlin. Byrne stopped suddenly when she saw at the gable of the church three life-size apparitions. She ran home to tell her parents and soon others from the village gathered. The witnesses saw an apparition of Our Lady, St Joseph and St John the Evangelist. Behind them and a little to the left of Saint John was an altar upon which a lamb was being adored by angels. A farmer, about half a mile away from the scene, later described what he saw as a large globe of golden light above and around the gable, circular in appearance. For nearly two hours a group of several dozen stood or knelt, gazing at the scene. The apparition never spoke aloud and, after about two hours, it faded and never returned.
The shrine at Knock is gearing up at the moment for its 150th anniversary in a few years time, but this year, in particular, it’s getting extra visitors because of the global call for Catholics to reinvigorate their devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Knock is a place strongly associated with Eucharistic adoration and devotion to the Mass and to the Holy Eucharist. It’s also a place that is strongly associated with another appearance of Our Lady, the apparitions at La Salette in France.
In 1846, Our Lady appeared in La Salette, France, and reminded the people that the Holy Mass celebrated on the Lord’s Day was no minor obligation, but was essential for holiness and salvation. Her words there implied a connection to Ireland and when She appeared at Knock, that connection was immediately understood.
Part of the reason the Church has called for a revival of Eucharistic devotion traces back to COVID-times. For better or worse, the rush to cooperate with lockdowns did a lot of damage to our understanding of the Holy Eucharist in the way in which clergy declared that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass wasn’t essential. Of course, they were obliged to obey the law and, of course, Church law allows them to temporarily lift the obligation. But rather than say “(1) this is really bad, (2) we should trust in the Lord and prioritize Heaven over Earthly health, and (3) we need to get back to Mass right away because live-streams are not the same as Mass,” lots of priests and bishops forgot to include holiness and salvation as part of their message. And so a lot of Catholics came to understand from all that bad messaging that Sunday Mass isn’t REALLY necessary - as long as we have a good reason to be away.
Y’all... That’s a great way of thinking if you plan to spend eternity in Hell!! It’s diabolical.
In an effort to be politically correct and whatever else, lots of Catholics came to believe that Sunday Mass is not a big deal. And so Mass attendance post-COVID is down by 40-50% in many places. (Not here thankfully!) Hence our need to refocus our attention on holiness, salvation, and, therefore, on Jesus’ true presence in the Most Holy Eucharist.
Our Lady of Knock, pray for us!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Thomas Trichell (death anni)/B Hayes
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon No Mass
- Tue No Mass as Father Ryan away for the day
- Wed 9:00a In memory of “Mame” Jumonvillle (death anni)/family
- Thu 9:00a (Legacy Nursing & Rehab) In memory of Rosa & Gus Gremshell and May DiTomasso
- Fri 5:30p For a special anniversary/Magoun
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living Deceased Members of our Parish
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Blanche and Skeeter Wilks
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lectors | EMHCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/19 5:30p | None Scheduled | P Wilks | M Rome |
| 8/20 9:30a | Chandler and Annie | Youth | None Scheduled |
| 8/26 5:30p | None Scheduled | MK Book | C VanderVieren |
| 8/27 9:30a | MaryKatherine and Courtland | A Keene | None Scheduled |
| 9/2 5:30p | None Scheduled | L Bullard | N Ernst |
| 9/3 9:30a | Cooper and Maura | S Guizerix | 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
September 10 Sunday Catechism begins following the 9:30 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.
PILGRIMAGE!... Fr Ryan is leading a Pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome in Italy in September of 2024. There will be an informational (no obligation) meeting on August 30 in the Parish Hall. Fr Ryan can also answer any questions you have. A flyer is available at the back of the Church or via email from Fr Ryan. 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
SAINTS ALIVE…ANGELS AT WORK…. THANKS to the Third Quarter (July, Aug, Sept) Social Committee - Betty and Kenny Smith and Shannon and Bart Wood, co-chairs, MaryKathryn Book, Kendra and Dave Collins, Connie and Dan Copes, Dana and Randy Dukes, Kaci and Norman Ernst, Lance and Stephenie Marsh, Susie and Terry Murphy, Peggy and Phil Scurria, Beth and Chip Sullivan.
ALTAR CANDLES… Anyone wishing to provide candles for the altar in honor of their loved one or in prayer for some intention may do so simply by asking. A small donation is recommended, but not required. A list of dates is in the sacristy and a date can be reserved up to one year in advance.
FUNDRAISING WITH GROCERY TICKETS... If you shop at Doug’s and do not already do so, you may want to save your grocery tickets and place them in the bag on the table at the entrance to church. The church will be given 1% of the total of combined purchases (excluding milk, cigarettes, and alcohol). Our thanks to the ANGEL who collects the tickets and prepares them to submit to Doug’s
Stewardship “In today’s reading, St. Paul tells the Romans, “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” To what is God calling me today? What gifts are mine to share?
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| July Budget | $ 10,555 |
| July Income | $ 10,792 |
| July Expenses | $ 11,769 |
| August Budget | $ 8,444 |
| August 12-13 Collection | $ 2,441 |
| August Income To Date | $ 4,897 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Elizabeth Crothers (Aug 21)
Happy Anniversary Sue and Mike Rome (Aug 19), Susan and Johnny Gilfoil (Aug 22), Mary Jane and Sidney Johnson (Aug 26)
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: Connie and Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Leslye Ellerbee, Susan and Johnny Gilfoil, Margaret and Pat Gilfoil, Bill Kennedy, Hannah Wood McCarty, Ed Mills, Terry and Susie Murphy, Sue & Mike Rome
Those under full-time care: Frances Kennedy, Carol Dunning, Keith Capdepon
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), Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Fran Castile (Keene), Jami Cook (Wilks), Bobbe and Gene Cox, Marla Evans Cummings, Susan Ward Daigle (Gilfoil & Keene), Don Deweese, Carol Dipert (Rome), 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), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Cindy Mathieu (Wilks), Boyce Miller, John Neill, Caryn Oliver, Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Bailey, Scott and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Janie Saxon (Lancaster), George and Ann Shepherd, Debbie Kedrick Sims, Tommy Trichell, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome),
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Preston Collins, 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
PRAYERS FOR OUR FARMERS! O God, Source and Giver of all things, Who manifests Your infinite majesty, power and goodness in the earth about us, we giveYou honor and glory. For the sun and rain, for the manifold fruits of our fields,for the increase of our herds and flocks we thank You. For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace, we are grateful. Supreme Lord of the harvest, graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil, in union with Christ Your Son, as atonement for our sins, for the growth of Your Church, for peace and charity in our homes, for salvation to all. Amen.
