Sunday, August 28, 2011

St. Monica - Creve Coeur

Good Afternoon.
Yesterday (8/27) was the Memorial of St. Monica.  Today (8/28) is the Memorial of her son, St. Augustine (Quite the bad boy he was.  Why St. Monica is patron saint of mothers...*she knows*).  I attended the 11:30 am Mass.

The Church is modern and in a cross shape.  The arms of the cross are short though.

The music was accompanied by a guitar.
Music:
Entrance:  Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service
Presentation of the Gifts:  We Love This Place O God
Processional Hymn (aka Communion):  Now We Remain
Closing:  Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service

Father used Eucharistic Prayer II and there were chimes/gong at the Consecration.

Homily:
The dominant image in the Catholic Church is that of Jesus Christ crucified.  Why do we show Christ crucified?  He is not on the cross, He has risen.  In the Cathedral, in the front is a large crucifix.  As you leave, above the door is a jeweled cross representing the Resurrection.  Last week, Jesus praises Peter.  This week, Peter argues with Jesus begging Him to avoid the suffering; avoid Jerusalem.  This connects with the temptation of Christ in the desert.  Christ is invited to take the easy way out.  Jesus instead says to take up the cross and follow.  Why?  The Cross is an expression of God's limitless love for us.  Being a follower of Christ will cost.  It is not an easy walk; it is a commitment.  We need to embrace true sacrificial love and  giving of ourselves.  Willingness to do for others without limit.  Being a Christian is not about an emotional high.  It's not about feeling good.  Sacrificial loving is true life and how we find true joy.  We are invited to sacrifice.  What is the cross I have to take up to follow You in Your way of loving?

St. Monica has made available to families booklets describing the new Mass translations.

And on a completely unrelated note, long time readers will know that I have a basset hound named Jake.  On Tuesday he was diagnosed with Lymphosarcoma which is cancer.   

Pictures:
St. Monica


Mary



Baptismal Font and Easter Candle
And Jesus with bizarre eyes and posing like
Richard Nixon

St. Monica

View From the Back Pew

Station VIII

Baptism of Jesus

Transfiguration?

Repent

The Wedding at Cana

I Have Been Sent to Proclaim a Year of Favor of the Lord
But I don't know who it is


The Last Supper

Jesus
Not sure who the dudes at the bottom are.


Links:
Website of St. Monica
Exterior Photos from Rome of the West

4 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about your dog's cancer. My prayers are with you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes to Transfiguration: that's Moses on the right with the tablets, and by elimination Elijah is on the left.

    "I Have Been Sent to Proclaim a Year of Favor of the Lord" Luke 4:18; Jesus. I think without exception only Jesus wears red, so it'd be Jesus based on that.

    "Not sure who the dudes at the bottom are."

    They look like monks who are in the "donor position," that is, this piece of glass was donated by an order of monks. I expect that the church originally was run by a monastic order, maybe Carmelites.

    That almond-shaped thing behind Jesus is a mandorla, BTW, which in this Catholic context represents Mary's womb.

    ReplyDelete
  3. More on the last one.

    Jesus is probably sitting in judgement at the second coming, holding the Book of Life repeatedly mentioned in Revelations.

    On the left, the quote is from Victimae Paschali, the Paschal Victim, a sequence sung on Easter.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The right-side monk is holding either an old piece of stained glass, or a bas-relief showing the patron saint of his order.

    ReplyDelete