Snup's View From the Back Pew: St. Joseph

Continuing the quest to go to all the St. Joseph's in the Archdiocese, I headed out to St. Joseph in Cottleville, which is one of the fastest growing areas in the region. I attended the 10:30 am Mass on March 13.

The current church was built in 1999, however the bells are the original bells.

The music was accompanied by a piano.
Opening: Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days
Offertory: Sacred Silence
Communion: Psalm 51: Create in Me, Ashes, Beyond the Days
Closing: Led By the Spirit
Mass Setting: Mass of the Pilgrim Church

Everyone knelt for the Kyrie which was sung and had verses. The 3rd graders were blessed and left which I thought was odd. I could see 2nd graders. I could see all the kids... There was a sign language interpreter for Mass as well.

Father wore very nice classic vestments and was more reverent than the norm. His homily started off with a joke. There are 4 ministers who go off to the middle of nowhere and eventually they tell all their temptations. One of them is a terrible gossip. It is an inconvienent truth that all of us have temptations. Why does God allow us to be tempted. Why doesn't He make it easier for us? Temptations have a purpose. What good comes from temptations? 1. To expose our true selves, our faults, and our personal weaknesses. It gives us a sense of our limits. It gives us a chance to grow in humility. 2. It helps us acknowledge our dependence on God. When we give into temptation, we become slaves to sin. Humility leads to freedom. 3. We are stronger when we resist temptation. When we give in to temptation, we become weaker and then it is easier to give into other temptations. We need to avoid temptation and the near occasions of sin. You can't avoid everything but with God's help you can get stronger. Get Power from God.

Eucharistic Prayer III was used and there were no bells.

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