Reflections on Mary

Good Evening.  No church visit or pictures this post.  One of my fellow bloggers who is on the same social network as I am, has convinced a group of us to write a reflection on Mary, Mother of God.  I'm tempted to post the visit of the church named Mary, Mother of God, but that I think is not the point.

My mind is all over the place with this reflection, so bear with me.

Really, the first thing I think of when I think of Mary is Marian hymns.  I remember in grade school learning all kinds of Marian hymns.  Some of the most notable are "Bring Flowers of the Fairest; Bring Flowers of the Rarest"  and "On This Day"  I have nightmares about these songs.  I like "Hail Mary, Gentle Woman" the best.   Now that I think about it, you don't hear very many contemporary aka rock n roll songs about Mary.

When I think of Mary, I think of a mother.  I remember Sister Mary Anne, in grade school, telling us to pray to Mary to get Jesus to do something for us, because good boys, and Jesus is a good boy, always listen to their mothers.

When I think of Mary, I think of a wife.  She married Joseph.  I wonder what their life was like.

When I think of Mary, I think of a woman wearing blue.  Nearly every picture and statue I have seen of Mary depicts her in blue.  The only exception I can think of is Our Lady of Perpetual Help, where she is dressed in black.

But we know so little about Mary's life, other than wife and mother.  I wonder if what her activities she liked to do.  I wonder is she had a favorite food.  What is her favorite color?  Was she well known for something, like knitting or cooking?  Did she have a secret ingredient that made some dish the talk of the neighborhood?

When we look at these images of Mary, we see a perfect young maiden.  I wonder if Mary had pimples? If she had any scars from illness or accidents?  I think about her hands.  Were they rough and calloused? Were they elegant?

I also wonder about all of Mary's various titles.  She has so many different names.  How did she get them?  I know Mary is called the Star of the Sea.  Why?  I'm guessing Mary never  really saw the Sea, or  maybe she did on the Flight into Egypt.

I suppose, in reality, I'm not a very good Catholic.  I don't have this deep devotion (or any devotion really) to Mary like others seem to have.  I see Mary as a wife and mother, neither of those vocations I feel called to at this particular time.  I know Mary is a woman, but we know so little of her life outside of wife and mother, it doesn't really speak to me.

I guess when I think of Mary, I think of the mother I wish I had.  Mary is so idealized that it is hard to really identify with her.

Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,

 that never was it known

 that anyone who fled to thy protection, 

implored thy help, 

or sought thine intercession 

was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence,  

I fly unto thee, 

O Virgin of virgins, my mother; 

to thee do I come, 

before thee I stand,

 sinful and sorrowful. 

O Mother of the Word Incarnate, 

despise not my petitions, 

but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Mary, Queen of Heaven

St. Anthony of Padua

(I think...)

Black Madonna Shrine

I invited Mark from Rome of the West to go to St. Patrick in Amargh and he was like sure and we should see the Black Madonna Shrine while we are lost in the middle of nowhere and I was like a wha (I'm paraphrasing....).  Apparently there is a shrine to the Black Madonna, Our Lady of Czestochowa, in the middle of nowhere Missouri.  I'm not to sure as to why it is there other than the founding brother thought it was a good idea.

Pictures:

Sign at the Entrance

Crosses at Entrance

Our Lady of Czestochowa

High Altar Decoration in Outdoor Chapel

Detail on Outdoor Chapel Wall

Holy Spirit

Detail on wall of Outdoor Chapel

View of Grottos

Other side of the Shrine

Wall of Life

Nativity Grotto

Agony in the Garden with sleeping Apostles

Crucifixion

Mary Grotto

Our Lady of Sorrows

Assumption of Mary

St. Joseph Grotto with detail of Cross

St. Francis of Assisi Grotto

St. Francis statue on the path to the forest chapel

That black stuff in the background on the ground should have a bridge 

going across it...

Sign on the Path.

All 10 Commandments were posted.

At one time the Stations of the Cross were as well.

Some are still standing...some are not.

Silence, Prayer and Meditation

Mercy burned into the tree.

Forest Chapel

FYI:  The Shrine is rocky, hilly (steep) and muddy.  Don't wear heels or shoes you would miss if mud claimed them.  The forest chapel is in the middle of the woods with a path that is slowly disappearing.  Many of the bridges that cross over streams have been washed away.  This would a be a great project for a Scout troop to come help out.

Links:
Website of the Shrine
Pictures by Rome of the West

Mary, Mother of the Church-South County

I'm just going to be upfront.  This was not a happy visit.

For the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, I visited Mary, Mother of the Church in South St. Louis County.  It's on a hill and overlooks the Meramec River, practically in Jefferson County.  I attended the 9:30 am Mass.

Mary, Mother of God is a very modern church in a fan shape, with two smallish modern stained glass windows in the front.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

One thing I noticed was the the parishoners were all my parents age, aka baby boomers.  There didn't seem to be any older elderly parishoners.  There were 3 children and one teenager.  I was then the next youngest, maybe by a good 5-10 years.

The music was accompanied by a piano, except for the last song which was accompanied by the organ.  This drives me bonkers.  Does the organ only work for certain songs?  I'd buy it if it was a different person playing the organ than the piano, as not everyone can play an organ.   It seems silly to go through the trouble and expense to buy two instruments that are so similar.

Music:
Opening:  Away in the Manger
Offertory:  Carol at the Manger
Communion:  Child of Mercy
Recessional:  Joy to the World
I realize we are still in the Christmas season, so Christmas music is totally appropriate.  However, today is a Marian feast and Marian songs would have been nice.  Christmas songs that have a Marian focus would have been the best.

Additionally, on January 1, if you publicly recite (or sing) the Veni Creator (Come Holy Spirit this is pretty close).  No mention of it. :(  I understand that some parishes and priests are not into indulgences.  However, what about my right to receive them?  I shouldn't have to call parishes to figure this out.  This has to be one of the easiest plenary indulgences to get and absolutely nothing was mentioned.

I have to say, this is the first time I've seen adult female altar servers.  I'm thinking I don't like adults as altar servers, regardless of sex, unless they are seminarians.

We have two more firsts for the blog as well!!! Blue vestments!  Which Father kindly modeled for us during his homily.  They are purple on the inside, as he lifted it up over his head for us to see.  The deacon was a wearing a dalmaic with the deacon's stole on the outside.  During the homily, Father mentioned that he wore the blue vestments because it is a Marian feast, the deacon agreed (lesson:  you have the power to stop wrong-doing: use it)  and he felt like it (the lamest excuse ever.)  Now, I don't want to start a debate about whether blue vestments (properly done) are appropriate, cool or whatever.  The fact of the matter is, blue vestments are illicit (read: not allowed) in the United States.  Now there is permission for Spain to use blue for Marian feasts, but this isn't Spain.  I realize 100+ years ago this was Spanish Territory, but I think that is stretching the rules a little too far.  Fr. Z discusses blue vestments every Advent (explains why).

The homily.
One should not tell odd personal stories when there may be complete strangers in your parish.  Father apparently adopted two boys and named them Mickey and Burpy.  Apparently these are gerbils (THANK GOD!....maybe) Anyway he went on about how Burpy was a cool name.    This was followed up with a story about boots that hold whiskey.  Apparently Father's parents were the original green parents.  According to Father, Christmas is a time for stories.  Father then jumped to how tales in the Bible are bookended.  Note to Father:  this is a common literary device in many works of literature and is associated with foreshadowing.  Father talked about how Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling cloths and later would wrap Jesus in his burial shroud.  Mary had to do it because men just can't put diapers on right.  Next Father spoke about the Circumcision of Jesus and how it is like Baptism.  Jesus bled at the Circumcision just like he will bleed for us on the Cross.  God seals the deal with us.  There won't be a New Covenant.  Then Father started talking Abraham and animals sacrificed and being split in half and some kind of covenant coming out of them.  Or that we would be split in half with the covenant if we break it.  Honestly, I was kind of losing it.  I needed a map to keep track of everything.  Then comes the best part.  I have learned that what I learned in 12 years of Catholic school was wrong.  Father informed us that the most important words of the Mass were "Get out of here."  Uhm I don't what missal or Sacremantary (big red priest book) he's using, but I've never heard those words in Mass.  He then said it was the Go in Peace (the final blessing) part and explained but I was so dumbfounded to find out that Sister lied about the Consecration part being the most important words of the Mass I forgot to get his reasoning (or lack thereof).  This homily killed whatever charitable thoughts I may have had about this parish.

Through social media, I have met a variety of Catholics, most of them with a more traditional bent (think St. Francis de Sales)  A frequent complaint I see from them and other Catholic bloggers is that the Mass becomes the Father Star Show instead of the Jesus Show.  Honestly, I thought they were smoking something.  I think of Fr. B and how his love the Eucharist shines through during the Eucharistic Prayer, I think of the priest (and other priests like him) at the Newman Center in Urbana who was so incredibly reverent, or other priests who just don't seem to care or convey it is just a job.  This Mass proved to me they actually may have a legitimate complaint.  The deacon read the Gospel and the intentions very dramatically and reminded me of a Protestant minister.  I can't even describe Father other than I got the feeling it was about him and not about God.  He said the Eucharistic Prayer I very dramatically? showy? I don't even know.  It just wasn't *right*  Update:  A MMOC parishoner has given me some background on Father.  He used to work with the Archdiocesan Deaf Ministry and for that ministry one needs to exaggerate(?), overdo (?) facial and body expression as well as having a speaking style that can be easily lip-read.  This makes perfect sense, as I did go to Mass for the Deaf, which was signed the entire way through, and movements were emphasised :)

Then I got to see first hand my traditionalist friends favorite liturgical abuse.  I'm not sold on that it is an abuse per se, but I can see how common sense (which amazingly shows up in the things we do) would tell you not to do this.  In every other parish I've been in, the wine is poured into the cups for distribution immediately, at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  This makes sense, because if you leave the wine in the big vessel used to bring it up during the presentation of the gifts and Consecrate in the big vessel, you then have to pour the Precious Blood into different cups.  This is a disaster waiting to happen.  First of all, aside from the horror of spilling the Precious Blood, if you pour it before you consecrate it, spilling it isn't a big deal initially.  Also, if you spill one cup, you still have other ones with Precious Blood in them.  If you knock over the big vessel by accident, that is going to be nightmarish.  One cup, eh, not so bad.

Not surprisingly, hands were held across the church for the Our Father.

Pictures:

Blue Vestments

Psst:  If you are going to break the rules, could you have at

least picked pretty vestments?

I bet these get used during Advent, given the purple and pink ribbon.

View from the Back Pew

Notice the headless shrugging Jesus outline

The Creche

The Tabernacle

It has V-shaped birds or flames

Sorry about the blurry, but I think it make it better...

Stations of the Cross

The Two Stained Glass Windows

I wonder if they were designed by the same person

who did St. Matthias

There seems to be 7 major symbols;

7 sacraments?

Pictures of Pictures of Saints

Because putting Saint statues in the alcoves

would have been too much.

(Hint:  30 parishes were closed in 2005.

Many of their statues are in Archdiocesan Storage (or eBay)

Go pick two out!)

So uhm, which tree is Mary and which one is Joseph?

Mary, Mother of the Church

Mary and Baby Jesus have unfortunately been harpooned.

Hey WOW.

It's the Chi-Ro on the Arch!

Links:
Mary, Mother of God Website

Our Lady of Sorrows - St. Louis

In the Catholic calender, September is traditionally dedicated to the Seven Dolors, or Sorrows of Mary. Since this is the first weekend in September, I decided to visit Our Lady of Sorrows, which is one of the parishes adjacent to my territorial parish.

Ordinarily, I would go to the latest Sunday Mass possible. However, in the latest St. Louis Archdiocesan Priest Shuffle, a priest I haven't seen since he baptized my sister (25 years ago) and knew him as a seminarian, was conveniently assigned Pastor to Our Lady of Sorrows. Luckily, I was able to determine which Mass he was celebrating this weekend. Unluckily, it was the 9 am Mass.

The 9 am Mass has a choir accompanied by the organ, both of which were in the choir loft. This is the first Mass I've been on this church-hopping extravaganza that this has occurred. Had I gone to the 11 am Mass it would have been guitars (YAY!!!), most likely in front.

For the 9 am Mass, the music was:

Procession: Gather the People

Preparation of Gifts: As the Deer Longs

Communion: I am the Living Bread

Recessional: God, We Praise You

Mass: Mass of the Visitation

If I had gone to the 11 am Mass, I would have heard

Procession: Lead Me Lord

Preparation of Gifts: Your Are Mine

Communion: I am the Living Bread

Recessional: City of God

Mass: Mass of Creation

What was interesting, is the Deacon was in a dalmatic while Father was wearing his stole over the chasuble.

The homily focused on "ephphatha", which is one of the few words the Gospels have that Jesus directly said. Ephphatha means "be open." Father connected this to one of the Blessings during the Sacrament of Baptism. In short, the homily was about being open and hearing the Word of God. Oh and for the cliche of the day, do you know what is in the middle of heart? Ear. We need to listen to our hearts.

At the Offertory, since it was the first Sunday, everyone brought their offerings to the altar, and their donations to the St. Vincent de Paul. There was supposed to be a special collection of Catholic University of America (Hi cuaguy!!!), however, it didn't happen.

There was a chapel veil for the chalice. There were also 8 EMHC (for around 200 people).

All and all, a typical American Mass I'd have to say.

Pictures:

This is what a ceiling in a Church should look like!

The Seven Joys of Our Lady

The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady

View From the Back Pew!

Our Lady of Sorrows Website

Pictures from Rome of the West