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

Afternoon! I had intended to head out to a St. Joseph much farther away, but I can't leave Jake alone for too long cause he's a trouble-maker ;) I attended the 11 am Mass at St. Joseph in Manchester.

St. Joseph in Manchester is a fan-shaped modern church that reminds me of Mary, Mother of the Church. When I walked into the nave, there was a sign that said Labels for Lent. They wanted people to wear name during Lent. As the Busted Halo Fast, Pray, Give Challenge for today is to fast from complaining about others with the give challenge is to do something God wants you to do. I'm going to take a stab and suggest God would like me to refrain from snark. So I have nothing to say about this....

The music was accompanied by a choir, guitar and piano located in the front on the left.
Opening: Kyrie
Offertory: Come to the Water
Communion: I Am the Living Bread; Deep Within
Closing: Your Grace is Enough

Mass started with everyone kneeling while the Kyrie was sung. Then Mass proceeded straight to the Opening Prayer. Before the First and Second Readings, Father gave a little chat about them.

Father's homily started off saying there was a hot topic currently being debated. Texting while driving (must. not. snark.) Father was aware he was out of it, he can barely deal with bumper stickers. He's fascinated with by bumper stickers, especially one that read: God said It, I believe It, That settles It. We don't really believe it. We want to know why. The First Reading needs 1 sentence added to it, And then the negotiating began. We have renegotiated every commandment. We are always renegotiating. We have a conflict with the Word of God. What questions do you have for God when you get there? We need to have dispute with the Word of God, so we can trace it and deal with our tendency to water it down, instead of dismissing it entirely. In the 2nd reading, it talks about the cross. The Church insists there be a crucifix in the church. Because we don't get it. In the Gospel, we ask if Jesus did sin by being angry. Instead of trying to get at what's going on. Historically, the economy at this time was animal sacrifice. Jesus said the Temple was not going to last. It was destroyed never to be rebuilt. If they could rebuild the Temple, would animal sacrifice be acceptable again. We slide into patterns of living. We are comfortable with them. Look at slavery, it was all about the economy. In 1937, the final lynching law was abolished. Segregation, we never thought of it, it was a part of life. Not compatible with God's Word, but we massaged it so it would be ok. Have I really embraced the Word of God or have I tempered it? Season of Lent is good time to revisit that. Look at those compromises. The courage to live.

Father used Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation 1 and there were no bells. The Sanctus and Angus Dei were in Latin.

There was a talk about the men's ACTS retreats and there are Jonah teams available.

Oh. I've made a decision BTW about a parish. Baring any surprises.

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