MESSENGERTHE GREAT RIVER ROAD

SAINT JAMES CHURCH 6613 Highway 18St. James, LA 70086225.265.4210 : phone225.265.4225 : fax225.265.9549 : religious ed.SAINT PHILIP CHURCH 1175 Highway 18Vacherie, LA 70090225-254-4085: phone225.265.9348 : fax phone225.265.1013 : religious ed.

CLERGYRev. Matthew McCaugheyPastor

Rev. Brad Doyle Parochial Vicar

COMBINED STAFF Stephen CastilleDirector of Administration

Stephenie AubertCoordinator of Rel. Eduction for St. James and St. Philip

ST. JAMES Mrs. Gretchen Ketchens Secretary/Bookkeeper

Ms. Jeanie HymelSecretary

Miss Lucretia NicholasHousekeeper/Nutritionist

Mr. Larry MalanconMaintenance

ST. PHILIP Ms. Claire AmedeeSecretary/Bookkeeper

Mrs. Carol Ann HymelSecretary

Mr. Glenn WilliamsMaintenance & Groundskeeper

www.canecatholics.com

CHRIST, KING OF ALL On this, the final Sunday of the liturgical year, we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. By concluding the year with this feast we are proclaiming our faith that Jesus Christ is the one and only king over all seasons, all peoples, and all of creation.At the end of time as we know it, Christ's work of restoring all things to unity and harmony with their Creator God will be completed. This Sunday, when we claim Christ as both our Shepherd and our King, we recognize our own calling to participate in Christ's saving work by caring for those whom Jesus calls "the least ones" (Matthew 25:45).Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

COLLECTION AMOUNT

Offertory

The second collection next weekend will be for the building and maintenance fund.

Second Collections

COLLECTION Offertory

Building

ST. JAMES ST. PHILIP

Giving Thanks Rev. Matthew McCaughey I’ve heard more than one priest say that Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday, even if it isn’t a Holy Day. The reason is there isn’t a multitude of Masses like other holidays. Additionally, there isn’t an overbearing emphasis on buying gifts or chocolate bunny rabbits. While I do appreciate the more relaxed pace of Thanksgiving Day, I enjoy Thanksgiving particularly because I like to give thanks.

I believe that gratitude is a gift, a gift that some come by it naturally and others have to work at. The gift of giving thanks goes beyond the personality traits of optimism or pessimism. For example, one practice I have attempted with varying success is finding something to thank God for when I feel a minor ache or pain. This sounds like, “Thank you, Lord, for all the times my back has worked without aching” or “Thank God I have a toe to stub.” I’m no expert, though, because prayers do not come naturally in moments of pain.

I’m reminded of a story about a priest’s prayer life being transformed by gratitude for the goodness of God. I got this story from the book, Discovering Your Personal Vocation, by Herbert Alphonso, SJ. A priest was talking with a spiritual director about his prayer life that seemed dry and lifeless. The spiritual director asked, “Have you at any time in your life felt spontaneously close to God… your heart uplifted and yourself in touch with God, in union with God?” The priest responded, “Of course, whenever I look back at my past life and see how good God has been to me, I feel immediately close to God, in touch with God, united with Him.” Seeing the opportunity, the spiritual director challenged the priest to pray on the goodness of God. The priest got defensive (“How long can I pray on the goodness of God?”) but agreed to try.

The prayer of thanking God for His goodness was transformative for the priest. He went back three weeks later and gushed to the spiritual director, “You know, I can pray always on the goodness of God!” He talked on and on about the goodness of God in his personal life, in his ministry, and what the prayer had meant for him. The spiritual director was moved by the testimony and replied, “My dear friend, you have discerned your personal vocation: the goodness of God!”

While some of us may have a gift for giving thanks – or in the above example, a vocation (calling) to give thanks –, all of us can grow in thanksgiving. One practice I recommend for those at the beginning stages of prayer is the Litany of Thanks. Pick up your Rosary beads and start with a decade: what are 10 things or people you are thankful for? If you don’t have a daily prayer life, this is a great place to start. It will help you grow in thanks for the obvious blessings and for the blessings in disguise.

Peace,Fr. Matthew

Unavailable at press time.

Vocations View Tending the needs of others is a gift of service to God as well as those in need. Choose to serve in every instance. Listen for a call to service as a priest, brother or sister. Then, call Fr. Andrew Merrick at 225-336-8778, americk@diobr.org.

♢ EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA! MONDAY Dn 1:1-6, 8-20; Dn 3:52-56; Lk 21:1-4

TUESDAY Dn 2:31-45; Dn 3:57-61; Lk 21:5-11

WEDNESDAY Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28; Dn 3:62-67; Lk 21:12-19

THURSDAY - St. St. Andrew Rom 10:9-18; Ps 19:8-11; Mt 4:18-22

FRIDAY Dn 7:2-14; Dn 3:75-81; Lk 21:29-33

SATURDAY Dn 7:15-27; Dn 3:82-87; Lk 21:34-36;

SUNDAY - First Sunday in Advent Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; 1 Cor 1:3-9; Mk 13:33-37M

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THE SANCTUARY LAMP at St. James burns this week for Mrs. Daisy C. Allen and for Eloise Falgoust at St. Philip.

FYI: OFFICE HOURS St. James MON, WED 7:30am – 2pmTUE, THU 8am –3pm FRI 8am - 11am

St. Philip MON – FRI 9:00am –noon

Sanctuary candles & flowers Sanctuary candles and flowers may be offered in memory of loved ones or friends or in honor of a life event. Please call the parish office to place your order reserve your candle.

WHAT’S GOING ON

Dec. 4 - KPC @ St. James - Ladies @ 6pm in the Cake RoomMen at 6:30pm in the Hall

Dec. 5 - KPC at St. Philip - 5:00 pm in the HallDec. 6 - Penance Service at Our Lady of Peace at 7pmDec. 7&8 - See Important events for Feast of Immaculate Conception Mass

ScheduleDec. 11 - Advent Mission - 6:00pm at Our Lady of PeaceDec. 12 - CDA Meeting - St. Philip - 530pmDec. 20 - K of C Meeting - Association Home - 6:45

PRAYER LINESST. JAMESEnola Matherne 225.265.3820Myrna Schexnayder 225.405.1590

ST. PHILIPCecile Hymel 225.265.7705

If you know someone who is Catholic and a shut in or in one of the local nursing homes, please contact the office so we can make sure to keep in touch with them.

THE HOLY MASS -WEEKDAYS

MON 8am Our Lady Of Peace

TUE 8am St. Philip

WED 8am Our Lady of Peace

THU 8am Our Lady of Peace

6pm St. Philip

FRI 8am St. James

THE HOLY MASS -WEEKENDS

SAT 4pm OLOP6pm St Philip

SUN 8am St. James10am OLOP

RECONCILIATION SUN 7:15-7:45 St. James SAT 3:00 – 3:45pm OLOP SAT 5:30 – 5:50pm St. Philip

If you need to go to Confession outside one of these times, please call the office.

DEVOTIONAL LIFE IN OUR PARISHESTUESDAY: Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help is prayed after the 8am Mass at St. Philip.THURSDAY: The Scripture Rosary for Peace is prayed at St. Philip at 5:10pm. FRIDAY: Recitation of Rosary at 7:30am at St. James.SATURDAY: Recitation of Rosary for Priests at 8:30am at St. James.FIRST THURSDAYS: Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament follow the 6:00pm Mass at St. Philip.FIRST FRIDAYS: The Litany of the Sacred Heart, Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament follow the 8:00am Mass at St. James.

December in the Cluster December 6 – Cluster Penance Service - 7:00pmOLOP

December 7/8 Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary St. Philip - Vigil; 6:00 p.m.OLOP - 6:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m SJ- 8:00 a.m., December 11 – Advent Mission at 6:00pm at OLOP

Dec. 24/25 Christmas Eve 4:00 p.m. OLOP and SP 11:00 p.m. OLOP Christmas Day8:00 a.m., SJ 10:00 a.m., OLOP

Jan. 1, 2018 New Year’s Day (Not a Holy Day) 10:00 a.m. OLOP

All weekend Masses during December are at the regular times.

Under the Mantle of Our Lady Prayer Group The newly formed Under the Mantle of Our Lady Prayer Group invites women of our cluster

community including St. James and St. Philip to join them in prayer and discussion every other Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. in Holy Cross Hall. This month they meet on Sat., Nov. 25.The members of the group are preparing for a consecration to Mary in conjunction with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8. They also have plans for the Advent season and other events. Women of all ages are invited to attend any of their meetings.

Donations Accepted for Poinsettia Tree Notre Dame de la Paix Catholic Daughters is sponsoring the Poinsettia Memorial Tree for Christmas again this year at Our Lady of Peace. Plants are $10 each. Special envelopes are in the chapel foyer. Write the name of the person memorialized in your donation as well as the name and phone number of the person making the donation. Place the envelope in any church collection on or before Dec. 17. For more information, call Helen Gra- vois, 985-209-5137. If anyone from St. James or St. Philip would like to participate you can put a plain white envelope marked with the same information as above in the collection and it will be sent to Our Lady of Peace.

FAITH FORMATION

St. James Sunday, Nov. 26, Dec. 3, 10 & 17

Grades 7-9 at 9:30am Tuesday, Nov. 28 Dec. 5, 12 & 19

Grades 1-6 at 5:00p.m.

St. Philip Monday, Nov. 27 Dec. 4, 11 & 18

Grades 1-6- 5:00 - 6:15 Grades 7-9- 6:30-8:00pm

The next classes for Confirmation and 10th grade students will be at St.James at 9:30am on November 26 and

Dec. 17, 2017.

The next morning at St. Vincent de Paul for Confirmation

students is. December 9. Please check your schedule to see when

you signed up.

First Reconciliation & Workshop

Saturday, Dec. 99:00am at St. Philip

for students from St. James and St. Philip.

Treasures From our Tradition Today we have a modern feast, less than a century old, and placed at the very end of the liturgical cycle of Sundays only in 1969. In 1925, the world was in a sorry state from the vantage point of Pope Pius XI. The winds of war had swept the map of Europe raw, and ancient Christian dynasties had fallen in Russia and Spain. Although the Great War had ended, wars were breaking out everywhere. Fascism was already in control in Italy, and Nazism was on the horizon for Germany. The disorder making its claim on the human race was, the pope felt, an insult to the Divine Order. Pius XI designated the last Sunday in October as a day of universal recognition of the kingship of Christ. Creating this feast was an act of bravery by the pope, who was standing up against idolatry of the state and the dehumanizing forces of the modern world, things that are not hard to detect in today's world as well. In 1969 it seemed fitting to move the feast to a place of honor at the end of the year, a way of summing up the whole movement of the liturgical year toward the perfection of the Kingdom of God. In recent decades, many Protestant churches have adopted this day from the new Roman calendar, so it is shared now with the Church of England, the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches, and others.--Rev. James Field, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co.

Cluster Bulletin- Cane Catholic Courier Next weekend’s church bulletin will be the first edition of the Cane Catholic Courier, our new cluster parishes bulletin. Our hope is that by having one bulletin, it will make it easier for you to keep up with everything going on in all three parishes by having all the information in one place. There are some changes that you need to be made aware of in this transition. The format will be the same as JS Paluch will still be the publisher. The deadline for submitting items for publication in the bulletin will be no later than 9:00am on Tuesdays for emailed submissions. If you have to call, please call 265-3953 by 12:00pm on Monday . We are trying to keep this transition as smooth as possible and maintain all of the elements that both bulletins provided for the parishes. Please be patient while we work out the kinks to bring you the best bulletin we can provide.