He said, “Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.” But Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.” He said, “Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” Then Abraham said, “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” (Lk 16:27-31) What is faith? How do we get it, and where does it come from? St. Thomas classically defined faith as: “the act of the intellect assenting to a Divine truth owing to the movement of the will, which is itself moved by the grace of God.” But sometimes things are made easier by looking at examples. … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2025
From the Pastor – September 21, 2025
“No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.” (Lk 16:13) There’s an old expression, “no man on his deathbed ever wished he had spent more time at the office.” It’s a way of reinforcing the advice that Jesus gives us today. The question boils down to this: what is the most important thing in our lives? Most of us wouldn’t have a hard time saying that two things in our lives are incredibly important: our families and our friends. These are the people that we can count on. And to them we devote a lot of time. And when it comes to money? Well, that’s one of those necessary evils of life. We need it to survive, but I don’t think any of us would consider it our “god.” But … [Read more...]
Apostolate Fair
Knights of Columbus Our area wide Knights of Columbus De La Salle Council 3411 offers a real, visible example of Catholic Charity in action. Our chapter participates in many regularly scheduled service projects: they provide food and clothing to the needy, bring Holy Eucharist to shut-ins and schedule monthly service days at St. Henry and St. Stephen campuses to address maintenance issues, among other things. Open to men over 18 years of age, the KC are a great group that has fun as they serve the parish and wider community! Altar Servers Our Altar Servers play a very important role in the liturgy. They are part of the procession, handle incense, help prepare the altar for Mass, aid with baptisms, and help with the sacred vessels. Our parish has a great need for young men desiring to … [Read more...]
St. Januarius September 19
According to various sources, Januarius was born in Benevento to a rich patrician family near Naples, Italy. At a young age of 15, he became a priest of his parish in Benevento, which at the time was primarily pagan. When Januarius was 20, he became Bishop of Naples. During the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian in 305 AD, Januarius was arrested and beheaded at the Solfatara crater near Pozzuoli. According to the Roman Martyrology, “the body of St. Januarius was brought to Naples, and there honourably interred in the church, where his holy blood is kept unto this day in a phial of glass, which being set near his head becomes liquid and bubbles up as though it were fresh.” The miracle of the liquification is the chief reason for the notoriety of St Januarius. The relic … [Read more...]
St. Pius of Pietrelcina
September 23 Saint Padre Pio was born Francesco Forgione on May 25, 1887 in Pietrelcina, Italy. He was the son of farmers Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa Di Nunzio, and had three younger sisters and one older brother. As a child, Francesco worked on his family farm by taking care of a small flock of sheep that the family owned, but by the time he was five years old, Franceso had already decided to dedicate his life to God. In January of 1903, at the young age of 15 he was allowed to enter the novitiate with the Capuchin Franciscan Friars in Morcone where he took on the name “Friar Pio.” Once he joined the Friary of St. Francis, he had several bouts of serious illness and religious ecstasy. Friars would report strange noises coming from his cell. Friar Pio frequently spoke … [Read more...]
Journey
Do you long for a way to grow your faith in God in the company of men of all ages? Journey is a gathering where men pray, read and have authentic discussion about God and their lives. Designed to not conflict with family obligations or work, Journey gathers every Friday morning from 6:00AM until 6:55AM at the Holy Name of Jesus Adoration Chapel (corner of LaSalle and Palmer) and via Zoom. It ends just in time for 7:00AM mass. No preparation is necessary, and feel free to participate as best fits your schedule. If you are interested in attending and/or being added to the weekly email reminder, please contact Dan Jens (dnljens@yahoo.com or 504-228-1415) We also open the Adoration Chapel for silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at 5:15 for any men who enjoy prayer before … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – September 14, 2025
“And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (Jn. 3:14-15) One of the most popular verses from all of Sacred Scripture is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” At one time it was hard to go to a football game without seeing “John 3:16” on a sign in the end zone. And it’s a wonderful verse that calls to mind God’s love. But we need to remember the two verses preceding it (above). We know that God loves us through a variety of ways, but the way that God showed His love for us was by “giving” His Son to be sacrificed for our sins. That’s the meaning behind this Sunday’s … [Read more...]
The Sorrowful Mother September 15
Over thirty days, the Church has celebrated four feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the Assumption (August 15), the Queenship (August 22), the Nativity (September 8), and the Holy Name of Mary (September 12). On September 15, we usually recall “Our Sorrowful Mother,” also known as Mater Dolorosa in Latin. This year the feast will be preempted by the Sunday Mass. Over the centuries, the Church has recognized popular devotion to seven sorrows of Mary: (1) the Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus (Lk 2:34); (2) the Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family (Mt 2:13); (3) the Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days (Lk 2:43); (4) the Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross (Lk 23:26); (5) the Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:25); (6) the Descent from … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – September 7, 2025
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14:26-27). What does it mean to be a Christian? The word was first used by St. Luke in Acts 11:26, where he recounts that: “it was at Antioch that the disciples [of Jesus] were called ‘Christians’ for the first time.” So being a Christian means being a disciple (from the Greek word for “pupil”) of Christ. If you read the Scriptural quote above, then Jesus has some pretty high standards for those who would choose to be His disciple. A disciple must “hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life” and he must … [Read more...]
In Our Parish
The parish office frequently receives calls from “parishioners” to have their children baptized, get a school voucher, get married or have permission to serve as a godparent. Being a “parishioner” at Good Shepherd Parish means that you either (1) reside in the parish boundaries (Leontine to Seventh Street, Carondelet to the River) or (2) you have completed a parish census form (3) have registered online at goodshepherdparishNOLA.com. This isn’t our rule, it’s the rule of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. To be a “contributing parishioner” (for the purposes of school vouchers) you must use parish envelopes or personal checks for donations. … [Read more...]
