The 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time
From The Font
“Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or the church of God...”
The Canon Law of the Catholic Church lists “scandal” as a “crime.” It’s a big deal! We only need to look to the past 20 years to see it. The crimes against the young committed by priests and bishops were horrific... And many, many people lost Faith in Jesus because of the sins committed against them... And that can’t be overstated.
But even more people lost their faith in Jesus over the fallout and publicity of those sins. That’s not to say that the sins didn’t need the healing light of day... Our bishops utterly failed to deal with the crisis of sexual morality within the priesthood and so it was necessary that they be forced to take action. The sins of the abusive clergy were amplified and worsened by the sins of leaders charged with hard jobs. And those sins were amplified and worsened by the scandal that came from the necessary work of shedding light on the crisis.
Which brings us to our second reading today from St Paul to the Corinthians... St Paul’s commission that we avoid giving offense is not absolute. He, Himself, is confrontational when the situation requires it. Rather, he’s calling the people of the Church in Corinth to realize the consequence of publicity... It’s not about hiding or obfuscating or keeping people out of trouble, it’s about protecting the Faith of the Faithful and the credibility of the teacher. Certainly we shouldn’t do this at the expense of justice or truth! After all, I find myself frequently writing about and speaking about the failures of our leaders (as I have in this article).
Still, there’s a place for criticism and a place for “avoiding giving offense” and avoiding scandal. The negative consequences of the lack of credibility of the clergy at the moment is impossible to overstate! Souls are being lost because of it! It’s very similar to the loss of credibility of the medical establishment during COVID. Half the nation came to believe that doctors and the AMA/APA/ADA/etc are just making it up... Lives were lost and are being lost because those with necessary knowledge are judged unworthy of attention. It’s the same with the clergy. There’s not a simple solution, of course, which is why St Paul warned us not to get into this situation!
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
Happy Mardi Gras!!
We have finally reached the end of Carnivale (“carne”=meat + “vale”=farewell) and so we’re ready to eat up all the sweets and treats in the house so as not to be tempted by them during the 40 days of fasting that lie ahead.
One of the counterintuitive things about Lent is that the harder I make my penance, the easier it will be to keep it and to benefit from it. If I choose something relatively easy (like soda), then I only really think about it a few times a day. I may even finish a soda or two before I even realize Lent is happening and I’ve botched it up for the day... If I give up meat or TV or games on my phone, though... That’s going to require me to restructure whole aspects of my life for six weeks.
And that restructuring is actually good for me... It causes me to look at parts of my life that are on auto-pilot and to ask whether I want or need to continue to have them in my life at all...
This is why we do a spring cleaning or why a new doctor reevaluates our prescriptions. It’s why any good weight loss program begins with several weeks of intentional eating and a food diary. It’s why we do an examination of conscience before confession. Life is busy! A shocking amount of what we do is on auto-pilot. And that’s necessary to keep us sane when we’re in busy phases of life... but it’s not mentally healthy as a long-term strategy. Both our spiritual and our mental health demand we go off auto-pilot on a regular basis and make sure that we’re moving at a sustainable speed and along a good heading... A tough Lent is a profoundly good and healthy way to do that for me individually and within my relationships...
For that reason, it’s not really ok to say “I’m going to do something extra instead of giving something up.” Giving something up is a different kind of spiritual exercise. It works different “spiritual muscles.” You can’t work your arm muscles by jogging and you can’t improve your cardio health by lifting weights. Sure, ANY exercise is better than none, but all exercises are not the same.
Giving something up is an “ascetic” or “apophatic” spiritual exercise. It works those parts of ourselves that need to be reigned in and disciplined. It taps into the self-sacrificial aspects of love and focuses within. It specifically disrupts patterns of behavior which reinforce our excuses and our self-justifications for habits.
Doing something extra is a “kataphatic” spiritual exercise. It works those parts of ourselves that want to express virtue from the inside outward. It taps into the more intellectual and builds up patterns of behavior which reinforce new habits.
Both are good and just like physical exercise, any exercise is better than no exercise - but they’re not the same. The Church specifically tells us to fast and to give something up during Lent. We’re asked to engage those “muscles” that correspond to “ascetic” and “apophatic” spiritual exercises.
Ashes will be offered at Mass this Wednesday at 9a and 5:30p. I’ll hear confessions before both Masses and I am available to bring ashes to anyone who is homebound this week. Remember that Ash Wednesday is NOT a Holy Day of Obligation, but it is a great way to start Lent!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Becky Lancaster (birth ann is 11th)/family
- Sun 9:30a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased Members of our Parish
- Mon 5:30p No Mass
- Tue 9:00a In memory of Alex Roy/Johnson
- Wed 9:00a In memory of Rosa and Gus Gremshell and May DiTomasso
- Wed 5:30p In memory of Leon Humphries
- Thu 9:00a In memory of Pat Bullard and Patrick Thomas/Bullard
- Fri 5:30p In memory of Delia and Thomas Trichell and healing for Tommy/B Hayes
- Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/family
- Sun 9:30a 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/10 5:30p | None Scheduled | MA Gilfoil | C VanderVien |
| 2/11 9:30a | MaryKathrine & Courtland | S Marsh | None Scheduled |
| 2/17 5:30p | None Scheduled | M Rome | M Ernst |
| 2/18 9:30a | Cooper and Maura | Youth | None Scheduled |
| 2/24 5:30p | None Scheduled | C VanderVieren | L Magoun |
| 2/25 9:30a | Kathleen and Evelyn | A Oliver | None Scheduled |
Stewardship The waters of Baptism make us part of the new covenant in Christ. But the bishops’ pastoral letter on stewardship reminds us that “there is a fundamental obligation arising from the sacrament of baptism…that people place their gifts, their resources–their selves–at God’s service in and through the church.
NEXT WEEKEND SECOND COLLECTION…to support the Black and Indian Missions in the United States.
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2022-23 | $ 2,111 |
| January Budget | $ 8,444 |
| January Income | $ 9,710 |
| January Expenses | $ 11,821 |
| February Budget | $ 8,444 |
| February Collection | $ 3,004 |
| February Income To Date | $ 3,004 |
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
Feb 11 First Quarter Social — Mardi Gras potluck brunch – following Sunday Mass
- Feb 14 Ash Wednesday - NOT a Holy Day of Obligation; however, Masses will be at 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. as a good way to begin your Lenten devotion and Ashes will be distributed.
- Feb 16 Friday in Lent – Stations of the Cross at 5:30 p.m. followed by Mass
- Feb 21 Pastoral Council meeting - 6 p.m. - Parish Hall
- Feb 28-29 Lenten Mission at St Edward - with Father Daniel Hart
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
FIRST QUARTER SOCIAL …. Mark your calendars to join this weekend, Sunday, February 11, in the Church Hall following Mass for Potluck Brunch. The First Quarter (Jan, Feb, March) committee to decorate and clean up consists of Margo Corulla and Darryl and Abby Ellerbee (co-chairs), Norman and Marie Ernst, Katherine Ernst, Brian Johnson, Sidney and Mary Jane Johnson, Robbie and Tori Kivett, Ed Mills, Billy and Courtney Nadeau, Teddy and Alyssa Oliver, Mike and Sue Rome, Jason Trichell, Mary Trichell, Levi Washington
VICKSBURG CATHOLIC MOMS GROUP… Calling all Moms!! Whether you have toddlers or your chicks have flown the coop, Catholic Moms Group is for you! We will be having our next meeting celebrating our 2nd Annual Anniversary Monday February 12th at 6 pm in Glynn Hall. We hope to see you there, even if it's for the first time!! More information contact Brittany McFall or Kathleen Harris at vicksburgcatholicmomsgroup@gmail.com, or visit our BRAND NEW Facebook page: Vicksburg Catholic Moms Group.
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.
LENTEN REGULATIONS. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence. This means that we do not eat meat and we have only one full meal. The other Fridays of the season of Lent are days of abstinence from meat. The obligation to abstain from meat binds Catholics 14 years of age and older. The obligation to fast, limiting oneself to one full meal and two lighter meals in the course of the day, binds Catholics from the age of 18 to 59. Those who are younger or older may freely embrace these disciplines. But Lenten disciplines should never endanger your health. It is obvious that abstaining from meat is meaningless for vegetarians, who must choose some other form of abstinence. It is equally obvious that replacing meat with a gourmet seafood meal is not in keeping with the spirit of Lent.
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Mike Rome (Feb 14), Tim Harris (Feb 15)
Happy Anniversary Susie and Terry Murphy (Feb 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, 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, Charlotte Green, Theresa Gunter, Rita Hargrave, Ralph Harris (Gilfoil), Arlice Evans Headley, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Charles Howington, Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Diane Johnson, Dee Jones (Keene), 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), Walter and Vivian Scott, Debbie Kedrick Sims, Tommy Trichell, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), Mary Claire Warner and her parents, MaryBeth and Steve
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
