St. Catherine Labouré

On April 10, I attended the 10:30 am Mass at St. Catherine Labouré.

The church is modern and in the shape of a semi-circle or fan, with chunky stained glass.  Mass was pretty full with lots of late-comers.

The music was accompanied by a choir and piano with an organ being used for parts of the Mass Setting.
Music:
Opening:  Beyond the Days
Offertory:  For the Sake of Christ
Communion:  We Remember
Communion Meditation:  How Long O Lord Til We See Your Face
Recessional:  Lord Who Throughout These 40 Days.

The Kyrie was actually said in Greek.  Mass had a Children's Liturgy of the Word for grades 1-4.  I'm always surprised by the differing age ranges for this.  The children were sent out with a blessing and a song.  There was also a Scrutiny today as well (YAY! New Catholics!).  Father had the congregation extend their arms to join in on blessing the Elect, which weren't sent out afterwards....

I'm not sleeping well and I'm under a lot of stress withy 3 jobs and a dissertation.  I'm having a little trouble remember what day and date it is.  At the Gospel, Father stays at the altar and 2 lectors join him at the ambo and on the other side.  I'm like it's Palm Sunday??!!! I have to get my dog an Easter Basket this week!  Wait.  Weren't we supposed to process?  Did I totally space out?  I don't see any little kids sword-palms or bored teenagers making crosses.  I'm so confused.  So the female lector starts reading the Gospel and it's today's Gospel about Lazarus.  Father and the lectors all had "parts".  I'm confused as to why.  If you are going for dramatic retelling...well there's youtube....or puppets!

Father started his homily off by telling a story about a groom in Pre-Cana (aka marriage prep) asking Father if he really believed all of It.  Father responded:  I work for the Company (so much to snark...so little time... Your options are to live and die or live, die and then live forever.  Which would you choose?  What we believe is sensible.  We were made for the opportunity for fullness of love.  Death can claim us but it can not hold us.  Everyday is full of dying.  You can't live with out dying.  Father then referenced the prayers from the Funeral Rite.  What we pray teaches us what we believe (Lex orandi, lex credendi). Father then talked about how he kept his heart by imagining he's in the shoes of a person in a tragi situation.  If life can be ended so abruptly and without meaning, who wants to live forever (hey, that's a Queen song).  We need to live life fully.  Father then talked about how he had to go through his email account and found an email from the Archdiocesan Liturgy Police (!!???!!! seriously?  do they have cool badges?)  Father responded in a snappy way (I think he means snarky...) and kept the email.  It is pathetic and evidence of a life lived empty.  Anything that is small and petty keeps us from living life fully.

Father used Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation II.  There were no bells.


Pictures:

St. Catherine Labouré

View From the Back Pew

Miraculous Medal Apparition

 

Miraculous Medal

Front and Back

Corporal Works of Mercy:

To Give Drink to the Thirsty

To Shelter the Homeless

To Visit the Imprisoned

To Feed the Hungry

To Clothe the Naked

To Bury the Dead

 The Spiritual Works of Mercy:

 

To Pray for the Living and the Dead

To Instruct the Ignorant

To Forgive All Injuries

To Counsel the Doubtful

To Comfort the Sorrowful

To Bear Wrongs Patiently

To Admonish the Sinner

Station VIII

Links:
Website of St. Catherine Labouré

Hey does anyone know of a parish Reconciliation service on Tuesday or Wednesday evening of this week?  I suppose I should go confess being snarky before Easter so I can do my Easter duty as a Catholic. :)  (It's a precept of the Church that you receive Communion at least 1x per year during the Easter Season....)