Snup's View From the Back Pew: Immaculate Conception

Hello!
Before the weather gets absolutely terrible or unpredictable, I'm trying to get to the outlying parishes. This can be more of a challenge than it first seems. They are far away so it takes an hour if not more to get there and they often only have 1 Mass on Sundays. Early. Which means I have to get up at the crack o' dawn. Yeah. Then there is the finding them. I have a feeling that the Archdiocese doesn't really know where the parishes are sometimes. Today was a case in point. Immaculate Conception in St. Mary doesn't have a webpage and the Archdiocese's info page for them did not have a physical address but a PO Box. The street address of the Church is 418 Immaculate Conception Dr BTW. So I get the coordinates out of google maps and put them into the GPS. Uhm. Yeah. Not there. Last year Mark of Rome of the West took me out there to see Kaskaskia and pointed out the church. I'm like cool. It's on a terraced hill with statue of Mary in front. Can't possibly miss it. Unless of course, you are behind the church on the hill. I also got lost coming back! woot! I ended up in Kaskaskia. I should not be allowed out by myself honestly.

Immaculate Conception is a pretty little Church on a hill high above possible flooding. It's a little empty but that's ok.

The music was accompanied by a choir and an organ in the loft.
Opening: O Come O Come Emmanuel
Offertory: All that I Have (G&P 82) I don't know what the title is..the G&P books weren't available.
Communion: Like A Shepherd
Closing: The King of Glory

The Mass Settings were all spoken.

Mass was 38 minutes start to finish. Apparently when there's no Gloria (because it's Advent), no Alleluia (cause it wasn't sung?), no Prayers of the Faithful/Intentions (Uhm, you got me as to why not.), using Eucharistic Prayer II, skipping the normal Sign of Peace Hand-shaking Free For All (that is actually optional, I've just never seen it skipped in a Sunday Mass) the Mass is really short.

The homily was based on the 2nd reading. In the end, everything will come apart. Everything will be dissolved. You are the one constant in the universe. There is good and bad in that. It's good that we will be around in some form forever. What are we going to take to eternity. You will not be changed. You are you. You will be you in eternity. How will you be in eternity? There is still time to change but it is quickly running out. Recognize yourself. Get rid of the stuff weighing you down. We don't need all of that baggage in eternity. It is time to ask if this is the best you can do. Is this what I'm taking to the foot of the Lord? I don't think so. Now is the time to fix those things. Shine light into the dark places in your life. Peter knows all about this. He denied Christ. In Confession, I hear people repeat the sins of the past. I don't get it. (Uhm Father, I'd say that even thought Christ has forgiven you , the person may not have forgiven themselves....) It's in the past and it's all forgiven. It's like beating yourself over the head. Jesus doesn't want us to live full of guilt, anxiety and fear (paging Dr. Jesus, where's my valium?) Jesus wants up to live openly, freely and calmly (more proof Jesus hasn't met me, I don't have a calm bone in my body.) He's forgiven us. As Christ is the light of the world, so are you. We have to lighten our load and become more transparent. Need to get rid of the things that are eating at us. We only have control of the now. Reliving the past is stupid. I can plan for the future but I can't control it. Lord help accept myself today and fix myself. So that Your light shines in me that You come into my life and You live within me and me within You (Isn't that a song...The Summons?). May you find that peace within you that Christ has given us.

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