Holy Thursday St. Mary Magdalen

For Holy Thursday, I attended the 7 pm Mass at St. Mary Magdalen on Kingshighway.

The Knights of Columbus were there with their swords.

Music:
The choir and instruments were off to the side instead of in the choir loft.  The music was accompanied by a piano and guitar:
Opening:  We Remember
Feet Washing and Offertory:  As I have Done For You
Communion:  Supper of the Lord
Procession of Eucharist:  Sing My Tongue and Down in Adoration Falling

The Deacon gave the homily and started off with how he was bankrupt for words.  We come as pilgrims, like Jesus, a passing over.  As fellow wanderers to hear most powerful words in the New Testament.  We relive tonight.  It gives sustenance to Church in times of struggle and promise.  These are the oldest words (This is My Body, This is My Blood) that recount what Jesus did from 52 AD from St. Paul.  (I can't read my writing...something about proclaiming death forever?)  Washing of feet is not a cute part of the liturgy.  Only by doing this can His Glory shine.

Four people got their feet washed, 2 men and 2 women.  The chalice was kept cover during Eucharistic Prayer 1.

Because the Tabernacle was kept off to the side, the Eucharistic Procession just went around the church. It seems rather silly to walk Jesus around the church to put Him back where He normally goes.  It's like the symbolism was cut out.  Jesus is supposed to be gone...not chill'axin' in His normal spot.


Pictures:

Carving above door

I think it represents the story of Mary Magdalen washing Jesus's feet with her hair.

Verse

St. Mary Magdalen

Station VIII

I think.  I'm not sure.

View From the Back Pew

Upper Windows:

Cross on the Back Wall

 Lower Windows:

Links:
Website of St. Mary Magdalen
Pictures from Rome of the West

Tenebrae at St. Mary Magdalen - Brentwood

On Wednesday, 4/20, I attended the 7 pm Tenebrae service at St. Mary Magdalen in Brentwood.  It was different from the Tenebraes I attended last year.  Father started off with an explanation of the Tenebrae and how the candles being extinguished represented the apostles, and us, abandoning Jesus one by one.   Father read a variety of reading from the Office.  At various points, candles were extinguished.  The Christ Candle was taken out and then there was the loud banging to symbolize the rolling of the stone closing the tomb.

It was a very nice, solemn service.

Pictures:
Note:  There were many statues, but they were covered up for Passiontide.

St. Mary Magdalen 

Close Up of Painting

Window on back wall.

I think that is the Risen Christ in the window.

Maybe appearing to St. Mary Magdalen?

Station VIII

Links:
Website of St. Mary Magdalen Brentwood
Pictures from Rome of the West

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Happy Palm Sunday!  Everyone get their palms?  I left mine in Church :/

This morning I attended the 11 am Mass at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta was founded in 2005 through parish mergers and is at the Church site of what used to be Good Shepherd.  It's a very modern church in the shape of a flat triangle and chunky glass windows that have no actual design.  It seems rather small too.

Music:
Today's Mass was accompanied by the Guitar Ensemble with a side of piano.
Procession:  Hosanna, Blessed is He That Comes in the Name of the Lord
Entrance:  All Glory Laud and Honor
Offertory:  I Will Sing
Communion:  Now We Remain
Closing:  Were You There
Mass Setting:  Latin Sanctus and Agnus Dei
The Our Father was sung! The Prayers of the Faithful were set to background music and the responses were sung.

For the procession, the 2nd graders preparing for First Communion processed around the Church waving palms.  Father gave a homily preview about hugging God's Mystery.  Then the little kids were blessed with the Catholic Blessing Salute and sent on out.

Father's homily started off with a story when he was newly ordained comforting a grieving mother.  Father suggested praying the Hail Mary and the mother wanted a more personal prayer.  The mother wanted to touch God's Mystery.  When you embrace the mystery up close and tightly, you change.  I had to leave at this point cause I've been sick and the perfume behind me didn't help :/

Father invited the 2nd graders to stand around the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  Father used Eucharistic Prayer II and there were bells.  And hand-holding at the Our Father.

Pictures:

Exterior of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Cornerstone of the Church

Staff in the gravel.

View from the Back Pew!

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Station VIII

Life of Blessed Teresa

Outdoor Stations

(I had a close-up, but blogger won't upload it)

Links:

Parish Website of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

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....)

St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist

On Sunday, April 3, I attended the 10 am Mass (which lasted nearly 2 hours) at St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist in North St. Louis City.  The parish is primarily African-American and is located in what used to be St. Engelbert.  St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist was formed by a variety of mergers through the years.

The parishoners tended to be well dressed and there were padded pews.  Teenage boys acted as ushers and door guards.  The ministers of the altar wore kante cloth sashes.

Except for the altar cloths and one painting that was Afro-centric, the Church seemed to retain much of the original decor.  The only thing that bothers me was that I couldn't find a depiction of St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist.  I found Mary, St. Joseph, St. Anne, St. Martin de Porres, St. Terese with the Flowers, St. Jude, Sacred Heart of Jesus, and I think St. Anthony of Padua.  St. Engelbert was on the top of the old high altar.  St. Catherine was there too, at least I think it was her, the saint had a wheel.  I couldn't figure out the bishop on the other side.  The point is, no St. Elizabeth.

The music was provided by a largish choir and a variety of instruments.  It sounded nice and gospel-y, but the sound was muffled and it was hard to hear what they were singing.  St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist, is an older church with a huge vaulted ceiling and a choir loft.  Had the choir been in the loft, they would have been much easier to understand, as that's what they were designed for.  Also, the choir faced the side of the church, not the altar or the people.
Music:
Opening: ?
Offertory:  Lord, You Are My Light, My Joy My Salvation, Whom shall I be afraid
Communion:  Lord We Have Sinned Against You, Lord Have Mercy On Us.
Communion Meditation:  Instrumental of To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King
Recessional:  Somebody's Knockin' At the Door

The Responsorial Psalm was supposed to be Psalm 23 or 130, but Psalm 94 was used instead.  There was also a song at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Word.

Mass started with everyone kneeling until the beginning of the Liturgy of the Word.  The full Penitential Rite was used.  And Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation II was used.  The Sign of Peace was a party.

Homily:
We are children of the light being called out of darkness.  The darkness is stillness, it is security and it is safety.  Most likely, the beggar prayed everyday for sight.  But when he was given the gift, his life got harder, and most likely he missed the simplicity of living in the dark.  It was the same thing with David.  He was a simple shepherd and then he had to go fight Goliath and be king.  God's gifts are free but they are not cheap.  They are rather costly.  While the beggar and Paul would never go back, they miss the darkness because it was easier.  Life gets better but not easier when we get God's Gifts (I wonder what God's return policy is...do I need a receipt?)  This is the Lesson of Scripture.  Gifts come with responsibility.  You have to share your gifts.  It is hard, confusing and it hurts sometimes to do this.  What is your gift?  (hmmm snark?)  Struggle with the commitment and responsibility that the gifts demands.  If you know and don't see through...sin is not being responsible to the Light.

There were 5-6 Elect (Hooray!) Father had the sponsors anoint the eyes of the Elect with Holy Oil.  I don't remember this being part of the Scrutinies...

Pictures:  There was an awesome window with an angel but I couldn't get the angle.

St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist

Cornerstone

View from the Back Pew

Mary and Jesus

VIII:  Jesus Consoles the Holy Women

Annunciation

Visitation

Nativity

Presentation

Lost & Found in the Temple

Agony in the Garden

 

Mocking of Jesus

Carrying the Cross

Crucifixion

Resurrection

Ascension

Pentecost

Big Window in Back

 Links:
Website of St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist
Pictures from Rome of the West

Psst:  I'm looking for a Good Friday Service that is at night....and Stations of the Cross.  Help?  Comment or email?