St. Stephen - Richwoods

On Saturday, I headed out to St. Stephen in Richwoods for their Grape Escape.  Wine tasting, music, BBQ, what could be better?  Why going to Mass first!  I attended the 4 pm vigil Mass.

St. Stephen is a nice country church on the small side.

There was no music at Mass.  We said the entrance antiphon and the communion antiphon (First time for everything).  We did sing The Strife Is O'er as the closing song.

Father's homily was about how in the New Testament Jesus asks us 9 times to remain in him, especially using the example of the vine and branches.  In the days of our Lord, vineyards were a very common sight.  When you grow grapes, you cut away the branches that don't blossom.  You can also graft a branch onto a vine and get a hybrid.  Nine times about being joined to him.  Our Lord uses grapevines very much.  A person baptized is a lamp.  When plugged in, you are brilliant.  But that is not a good example.  Grace flows through us and makes us brilliant.  In a grapevine, the branch takes on life from the vine.  The Lord emphasizes that.  You must be joined, be joined to be full of life of the Lord.  The Acts of the Apostles, the first book after Gospel, describes the early life of the Church.  Father then went on to talk about the life of Saul.  You need to read books about St. Paul.  The fruit we bear is the manifestation of unselfish love.  We need to draw others to Christ in our everyday life.

Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and bells were used.

Father was incredibly friendly and chatty.  :)

Pictures:

St. Stephen - Richwoods

View from the Back Pew!

St. Stephen

Station VIII

One of the Windows. 

I think it was more purple though..

Link:
Website of St. Stephen
Pictures from Rome of the West