The 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
From The Font
“The Kingdom of Heaven...” is one of the most complicated theological concepts in Scripture. Not because it’s necessarily hard to grasp, but because we often confuse the common meanings of words with the religious meanings of the same words...
Pope Benedict wrote “the Kingdom is not a thing, it is not a geographical dominion like worldly kingdoms. It is a person; it is He. On this interpretation, the term ‘Kingdom of God’ is itself a veiled Christology.” Christology is the theological understanding of Jesus, Himself. Pope Benedict continues, “By the way in which He speaks of the Kingdom of God, Jesus leads men to realize the overwhelming fact that in Him God, Himself, is present among them, that He is God’s presence.”
And so we see that The Kingdom of God resides in the heart of man. Origen (a Church Father but not a saint) wrote, “those who pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God pray without any doubt for the Kingdom of God that they contain in themselves, and they pray that this kingdom might bear fruit and attain its fullness.” So the kingdom is the living, perfect presence of Jesus, Himself... Writer Matt Fradd adds “The kingdom of God is in the here and now, present in and through the Church. Yet it is a mixed reality that will only be perfectly realized at the end of history. This current mixed state can be seen as the Church on earth which now grows in the field of the world with both weeds and wheat until the harvest when Christ says he will ‘tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned. But gather the wheat into my barn’ (Matt 13:30).”
And so, to repeat, when Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven, He’s speaking about HIS presence in the world, in human hearts, in the Church, in the Holy Eucharist, and in us. It might be easier if we use the slightly older word “the Kingship of Heaven” which is more closely associated in English with the person of the king rather than “kingdom” which is usually associated with the territory itself.
Of course, there’s more to say! If you’re interested, I can strongly recommend reading Pope Benedict XVI’s amazing book “Jesus of Nazareth, vol. 1!”
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Next Sunday, after a little more than 4 years, we go back to offering the Sunday Mass at 9:30a. As a little addition, I’ll plan to be in the Church around 9:00a to be available for Confession.
I have a sermon coming up on the practical side of Confession, but I feel like it’s worth saying more than once - we all need to go to confession more! So why don’t we?
Well, the scariest reason is that we as a people - as a culture - struggle to believe that sin has real consequences. So when we sin, we just don’t believe it’s necessary to do what the Church says we need to do when we’ve sinned.
Also, we live in a very Protestant area and so our perception of what we’re supposed to do when we sin is also skewed toward the Protestant notion of “why not just ask God for forgiveness?” We certainly should! But Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom for a reason...
Honestly, I think the biggest reason folks don’t go to confession more is that most of us learned how to go to confession when we were seven years old and we’ve not really given the “how” much thought since then... And, to be fair, the formula doesn’t change. You memorize the greeting (“Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been 6 months since my last confession...) and the Act of Contrition and you’re mostly done. And, when we’re little, we’re only taught to think about the sins we “commit.” Well Father, I lied and I stole and I used bad language and I missed Mass on Sunday. And “sins of commission” - things we do which are wrong - should be confessed! But as we get older, we should be committing fewer and fewer sins. As we age, we move from “sins of commission” - specifically doing things which are wrong - to “sins of omission” - failing to do the things we ought to do. And while it’s true that Confession is only required for serious sins of commission, it is helpful for sins of omission. AND the Church does require that we go to confession at least annually.
Still, a lot of folks come to confession and say something like “Father, I just can’t think of anything really wrong I did...” I usually reply with the explanation you just read. And suddenly, there’s a breath of fresh air! “Oh! Well, in that case, I haven’t prayed as much or as sincerely as I should. I’ve not fasted except during Lent. I didn’t really try to listen when my husband\wife started telling that same story for the 10th time...”
It’s freeing to know that confession isn’t just for those with a bunch of serious sins! All of us can and should bring our bad habits and our spiritual weaknesses to the Lord.
Of course, it’s also possible just to come to confession and say, “Father, I’m not aware of any serious sins but I’ve failed to be the Christian I should be. I’m sorry for this and for all my sins.” That’s perfectly fine too!
There’s really no better way of making a conscious improvement in the spiritual life than making a regular confession. Whether you have some sinful habits you’re trying to beat or you just want to be nearer to the Lord, it’s worth your time!
I’ll be there waiting for you from 9:00a until about 9:20a every Sunday.
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/family
- Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon No Mass
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Leon Humphries
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Joseph Testa/Magoun
- Thu 9:00a (Legacy Nursing & Rehab) In memory of Rosa & Gus Gremshell and May DiTomasso
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Becky Lancaster/family
- 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
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Blanche and Skeeter Wilks
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lectors | EMHCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/29 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil | Cathy VandeVieren |
| 7/30 9:00a | MaryKatherine and Courtland | A Oliver | None Scheduled |
| 8/5 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome | Marie Ernst |
| 8/6 9:30a | Cooper and Maura | B Sullivan | None Scheduled |
| 8/12 5:30p | None Scheduled | C VanderVieren | Louise Magoun |
| 8/13 9:30a | Kathleen and Evelyn | K Collins | None Scheduled |
Upcoming Events
- Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass and on Sunday from 9a until Mass
- Sunday Catechism and Donuts after Mass during the school year 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
August 4 First Friday….Mass at 5:30 p.m.
- August 5 First Saturday …. Mass at 9 a.m.
- August 6 Sunday Mass time changes to 9:30 a.m.
- August 6 First Sunday Benediction (at the conclusion of Holy Mass)
- August 13 Third Quarter Social for Back-to-School
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 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
THIRD QUARTER SOCIAL…. is scheduled for Sunday, August 13 following the 9:30 a.m. Mass as our children and their families get back into the routine of the school year. Plan on joining in this Potluck Brunch and bring your favorite brunch dish. Setting up the Hall, having the A/C going and cleaning up following the event will be handled by 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.
FIRST FRIDAY…AUGUST 4 ...Holy Hour and Mass....5:30 p.m. ...make a special devotion to the Sacred Heart and attend first Friday devotions for nine consecutive months.
FIRST SATURDAY …AUGUST 5 … Mass and Holy Hour … 9 a.m. Our Lady of Fatima called for special devotions to be offered on the first Saturday of each month. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend.
Stewardship “The law of Your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces,” says the Psalmist today. Does the amount of my offering suggest that I could honestly say the same?
NEXT WEEK’S SECOND COLLECTION… is our monthly Building Fund collection.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| June Budget | $ 8,444 |
| June Income | $ 14,015 |
| June Expenses | $ 14,718 |
| July Budget | $ 10,555 |
| July 22-23 Collection | $ 1,517 |
| July Income To Date | $ 8,759 |
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Enrique Paz (Aug 1), Louise Magoun (Aug 2), Philip Scurria (Aug 6)
Happy Anniversary Renee and Robert Wood (July 30), Blanche and Skeeter Wilks (August 1), Margaret and Pat Gilfoil (August 3)
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, 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), Josh and Kim Wallace (Gilfoil), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Michelle McGuire(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), Joe Yerger,
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Preston Collins, Callie Ezell, Lilly Falgout, Jag Gilfoil, Chris Hall (USMC), Nick Hall, Bruen Johnson, Caroline Marsh, Emmy Lu Marsh, Blake Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Marsh Wood
