The First Sunday of Lent

Written By Fr. Ryan Humphries

From The Font

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent!, and believe in the gospel."

In modern English, we think of a kingdom as a place or a locale. We might think of the Kingdom of England or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - which is just a place which is presided over by a king or queen. In Koine Greek, though, the word βασιλεία, which gets translated as kingdom, isn’t so much a place as a state of being... It is more like the “reigning authority” of God or the “kingSHIP” of God. Which is something like the way a modern Embassy works. The British Embassy in Washington DC is legally operated by the King of England. On that plot of ground, the US isn’t in charge, King Charles III is... His power and his rules are absolute law in that place just as they are throughout Great Britain.

And so what Jesus is getting at is that the authority of God and the power of God and the majesty of God are HERE RIGHT NOW in this patch of desert as He speaks these words.

It’s really essential that we understand the image of “the Kingdom of God” if we want to understand Jesus’ sermons in St. Mark’s Gospel. Remember that Mark, the Gospel writer, is actually John Mark, St. Peter’s secretary because Peter couldn’t read or write. So the Gospel of St Mark is also the Gospel according to St Peter. And, Mark wrote most of his Gospel from the sermons of Peter as he evangelized the pagan Romans as he made his way north into modern-day Turkey, Croatia, and Greece. As Roman provinces, those places had a very strong sense of the kingship of the Roman emperor. And so Peter chose teachings from the life of Jesus which would have been helpful for them. The Gospel of St Mark leans heavily on images of Kingship and so we always want to pay special attention when Jesus speaks about the Kingdom of God.

We might even substitute in the back of our minds phrases like “the kingSHIP” of God or the “authority and power of God” or, perhaps, the “reign of God” when we see the phrase “the kingdom of God is at hand.” We want to get the idea that Jesus is God and His authority is not stuck to a plot of land, but to every situation in which He finds Himself.

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

The “ascetical” parts of Christianity fell out of favor about 60 years ago. As I discussed last week, the “ascetical” parts of Christianity are those associated with the Cross of Jesus. So we’re talking about fasting, doing penances, meditating upon the suffering and death of Jesus, considering our own faults, and consciously choosing to see our daily sufferings as gifts from God rather than random annoyances. The classic phrase was “offer it up!”

Priests and pop-psychologists have spent the last 60 years telling us to be “spiritual adults” and that personal self-esteem is what Jesus wants for us. Of course that well-meaning trip has left us, as Catholics, missing one of the most important and spiritually powerful components of our Faith! The Cross of Jesus Christ is the spiritual centerpoint of our personal spiritual lives! The Blessed Virgin appeared at Fatimá (1917) and she explained specifically that penance would be ESSENTIAL for us in the coming years! Sr. Faustina got the same message of Divine Mercy around the same time… and yet 50 years later, we started to get uncritical and unconsidered messages about positivity and, perhaps unintentionally, rejecting these miraculous messages from the Lord!

Every time a priest has said “don’t give something up, do something extra” or “God wants us to be happy,” he is accidentally undermining the way God actually makes us happy.

Lent is not a time for “doing something extra.” Lent is a time for repentance and soberly considering that Jesus has told us that the only way to Heaven is to “take up our cross and follow Him.” Fasting needs to be a regular part of our lives, not just during Lent. We need to be fasting at least once per week! That could be something as simple as not eating meat on Fridays or it could be skipping lunch on Tuesday or it could be only eating desserts on Sundays. But it should be part of our regular spiritual lives. So should “offering up” the little frustrations and sufferings in our day. If we get caught by a train or there’s no more hot water or the cable is out, we should say a little prayer like “Jesus, thank you for this little suffering that reminds me that this world will never satisfy me! I offer up this suffering to you for my sins and the sins of the whole world.” Easy enough!

Even the non-religious world is recognizing how important it is NOT to get everything we want when we want it. Psychologists are finally speaking up about the downsides of “toxic positivity.” We can see how having all the food we want all the time quickly becomes diabetes and obesity. Doctors are praising “intermittent fasting” as a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle. Life-coaches and self-help gurus are falling all over themselves to adopt the wisdom and practices of Medieval Monks and Nuns into their books and teachings…

Bizarrely the only group who seems blind to these great ideas are Catholics! So, don’t just “do something extra,” give something up. And make it something hard! Give up meat on weekdays or tv on the weekend or social media or youtube. Just like in the gym: no pain, no gain…. you can’t get out what you don’t put in.

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.

Mass Intentions for the Coming Week

  • Sat 5:30p In memory of Payton Trichell/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 John Johnson/family
  • Wed 9:00a For the special intention of Matthew Schrum
  • Thu 9:00a In memory of Rosa and Gus Gremshell and May DiTomasso
  • Fri 5:30p In memory of Leonie and Harvey Howington/family
  • Sat 5:30p In memory of Kathleen Mills/Massey
  • 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 2/17 5:30p None Scheduled L Bullard M Ernst 2/18 9:30a Cooper and Maura Youth-Chandler None Scheduled 2/24 5:30p None Scheduled C VanderVieren L Magoun 2/25 9:30a Kathleen and Evelyn A Oliver None Scheduled 3/2 5:30p None Scheduled P Wilks M Rome 3/3 9:30a Chandler and Annie B Sullivan 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.

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 10-11 Collection $ 1,791 February Income To Date $ 4,795

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
  • Feb 21 Pastoral Council meeting - 6 p.m. - Parish Hall
  • Feb 23 Friday in Lent – Stations of the Cross at 5:30 p.m. followed by Mass
  • 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

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.

GROUP.ME... is an app on your phone or PC from the makers of Skype. It allows for private discussions and notifications. It’s free and considered very secure. Fr Ryan has set up three groups which are open to anyone associated with our parish.

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

Fr. Ryan Humphries
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The Second Sunday of Lent
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The 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time