The 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time
From The Font
“...to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.”
Modern American culture is diverse. We are all ok with not being the same. Despite ranting about how racist or whatever-ist we are, the US is probably THE most comfortably diverse culture in the world. None of us would really look at a Baptist or a native Dutchman and think “I hate them because they don’t think like I do.” There may be some people with specific opinions that we despise (which is a matter for another article), but generally different does not equal hatred. Also, because of religious indifferentism, we don’t generally see someone else’s failure to be a good Christian as a real threat to me and my family and our safety… Maybe we should, but we don’t.
But many, many cultures past and present are homogeneous. In many places, there isn’t any real diversity in physical traits, religion, or political ideology. And when they take their religion seriously, as they should, those cultures tend to feel threatened when someone doesn’t practice the Faith. That failure to be Faithful is a real, practical threat to all of us and so it becomes understandable that a person in ancient Israel would look at anyone taking the Faith less seriously than them as a lesser person and a real threat.
Just look at the insanity of face masks last year. People who will never ever meet me were accusing me of endangering them because I didn’t wear a mask around other people they’d never meet in person. It was all theoretical virtue signaling. Sure, if one of my parishioners wanted or needed me to mask up, then I would! But why does some rando on twitter feel compelled to judge me? It’s human nature, but it’s still disordered and unvirtuous.
And so Jesus is not criticizing those who merely are aware of their own righteousness. Humility isn’t about pretending I’m a bad person and pride isn’t about acknowledging God’s goodness in giving me this or that gift. Jesus is criticizing the arrogance that comes with dwelling too much on my own excellence and comparing myself to others, especially in a judgmental way. There’s nothing wrong with an honest judgment of self or others, but it can go bad so quickly if we’re not careful of it!
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
This week I’m out of town for our annual retreat. Priests are required, by Church law, to attend at least one retreat annually.
Those in our parish who have recently attended an ACTS retreat are happy to explain why. The modern world is all inclusive. It’s desperately trying to sell us everything that we need and to hide from us everything that might distract us from that sales program. Lily Tomlin explained it best in a joke from the 80s: “the problem with the rat race is that whether you win or list, you’re still a rat!” Retreats yank us out of our familiar patterns - the good ones and the bad ones - and force us to ask important questions about what really matters and why we’re doing what we do.
We may not realize it, but it’s exactly this kind of thing that happens when someone close to us dies or gets bad news from the doctor. We get yanked out of our usual pattern and we rethink our priorities…
The type of retreat doesn’t matter all that much. It could be a completely solitary silent retreat or a big busy ACTS retreat. It could be theologically dense or spiritually simple. Certainly the content matters, but for most of us modern people, the first value of the retreat is the jarring effect of being “de-patterned.”
Many of the great spiritual masters recommended that retreatants should start their retreat by sleeping as much as possible… It’s prescient for us as we’re a culture that doesn’t get enough sleep and that doesn’t get even close to enough quiet in our days.
Many of the great psychological researchers and theorists of the past hundred years have echoed the ideas of the great spiritual masters like Ignatius of Loyola and Teresa of Avila. They, too, call for sleep, quiet, and honest interior reflection.
Personally, when I go on retreat, I like to journal. I don’t journal in my ordinary life. I’ve tried, but I just don’t get anything out of it. But when I’m on retreat, I love to journal. I find I’m more creative and I’m willing to think in a less practical way. It’s not that I can’t do those things in my daily life… But there’s something about setting aside the responsibilities I have for the service of others that reframes my entire sense of self, at least for a little while.
You don’t necessarily have to go on retreat to take time for yourself and to look within and to up your prayer and spiritual efforts. But getting away from the normal routine for a while is more valuable than most of us realize. It’s not just a vacation… It’s an opportunity to engage some of our human faculties that get suppressed in our modern world.
I’m just getting into a fitness regime with a barbell coach. (Purgatory may be just one long set of low-bar squats…) My coach tells me over and over: we’re just trying to get your muscles to work in the way they were designed to work. If you hold the bar right and put your feet at the right angle, everything will just work… In many ways, a retreat is about activating the natural spiritual and emotional and mental mechanisms that exist in every one of us, but which become atrophied by the busyness of our modern lives…
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Curley Mills/Mills-Thompson
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon - Thu NO MASS
- Fri 5:30p In honor of St Jude/Magoun
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Thomas Trichell
- 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 10/22 5:30p | None Scheduled | A Farlow |
| 10/23 9:00a | Kathleen and Evelyn | J Howington |
| 10/29 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil |
| 10/30 9:00a | Henry, MaryKatherine, & Maura | M Lancaster |
| 11/5 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome |
| 11/6 9:00a | Chandler and Annie | S Marsh |
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
Oct 30 Parade of Saints presented by children in Church Hall following 9 a.m. Mass
- Nov 1 All Saints Day… Holy Day of Obligation… Mass on Monday, Oct 31 at 5:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, November 1 at 9 a.m.
- Nov 2 All Souls Day … Blessing of Graves at 10 a.m. following 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.
FR RYAN’S RECOMMENDATION AT FORMED.ORG… If you haven’t had a chance to watch The Chosen (https://watch.formed.org/the-chosen) yet, don’t wait another second!!! It’s amazing! Remember to sign in using our parish’s zip code (71282) at http://signup.formed.org
WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE!! St. Edward has a new Website at http://www.SaintEdwardTallulah.church You can find the bulletin there (and subscribe to our emails). In the coming months, Fr Ryan will be putting videos of talks and presentations up there as well as links to info at FORMED.ORG.
WE HAVE BEEN MOVED BY HURRICANE IAN... and by the stories of death and loss in Florida and the Carolinas. In this state, we know all too well how devastating a hurricane can be. Thank you to those parishes and communities who have already responded – helping our new Catholic Charities of Central Louisiana in their response or through financial contributions to Catholic Charities, or other agencies. We are asking you to further assist in this effort and to provide resources to respond to other natural disasters in the future. This special collection on the weekend of October 29-30 will be sent to the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund to benefit Hurricane Ian relief. Please be generous.
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. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2020-21 | $ 2,111 |
| September Budget | $ 8,444 |
| September Income (including Retired Priests Fund) | $ 20,892 |
| September Expenses | $ 9,966 |
| October Budget | $ 8,444 |
| October 15/16 Collection | $ 1,884 |
| October Income To Date | $ 5,773 |
Stewardship Both the first reading and today’s Psalm say clearly that the Lord hears the cry of the poor. Have I been given the gifts–of time or money or abilities–to be the means by which God answers their need?
SECOND COLLECTION for World Mission Sunday. It supports mission dioceses in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, Latin America and Europe, where priests, religious and lay leaders serve vulnerable communities. Please keep the Pope's missions in your prayers.
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Tori Kivett (Oct 25), Elizabeth Naya (Oct 28), Hannah McCarty (Oct 31)
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 and Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI; 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, Mary Ernst, Susan and Johnny Gilfoil, Bill Kennedy, Ed Mills, Kathleen Mills, Terry and Susie Murphy, Sue & Mike Rome, Delia Trichell, and Don Wood
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), Jenna Faye Allen (Florence), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), James Arceneaux (Book), Marie Farlow Bellard, Chris Breard (Gilfoil), Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Ruthie Coenen (Wilks), Kevin and AnnaBeth Collins (Book), Diane Collins, Jami Cook (Wilks), Susan Ward Daigle (Gilfoil & Keene), Don Deweese, Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Ashley and Chuck Edwards (Keene), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, Monique Florence, Judy Fortenberry, April Franklin (Wilks), Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Carol Drawe Guidry (Gilfoil & Keene), Rita Hargrave, Arlice Evans Headley, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), John and Carlyle Ashly Hoogland, Melissa Jennings (Gilfoil & Keene), Dee Jones (Keene), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Caryn Oliver, Sue Perrilloux (D Wood), Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Frances Robinson (Wilks), Bailey, Scott and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Albert Thom (Rome), Meg Keene Thomas, Gabby Trejos (Wilks), 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, Brice Wood, Marsh Wood
