Pictures of the New Cathedral

I rented a fish-eye lens over the weekend.  They aren't very useful for much but I realized that taking a picture of the interior of the Cathedral would be an awesome idea.

Article on Stained Glass

In the above video, you will find pictures of stained glass windows.  Some of the them were taken by Mark over at Rome of the West  and a couple might actually be mine!  The video goes with this article Stained Glass and the Book of Revelation by Msgr. Pope in the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. 

I love stained glass :) after my dissertation is but ashes in the firepit, I want to learn how to make it.

Treasures of the Church - Relics!

On July 22 and 23, St. Francis de Sales hosted a special exhibition of over 150 relics of the Saints for people to come and reverence.  The relics have been touring through a special ministry through the Companions of the Cross called Treasures of the Church.

Before being allowed to reverence the relics, Father Carlos gave a brief talk about the relics.  Father told us that we would be able to experience the living God through the relics.  God works through relics.  Saints are a giant billboard pointing to God.  If you give God your heart fully and completely, you will feel the presence of the living God.  But you need to have more than the desire; you must remove the obstacles in your life that block God.  (It's my dissertation...I know it...).  God requires permission.  He doesn't just barge in (He might get farther if He did)  In this instance you have power over God.  There are four things that common major obstacles.

1. Refusal to attend Sunday Mass every Sunday.
2. Refusal to go to Confession  (Dear priests, perhaps if Confession was available longer than 30 minutes a week.....)
3. Refusal of full disclosure of one's sins.  This forfeits all Sacramental Graces.
4. Refusal to extend forgiveness to others who have wronged us.  To refuse forgiveness is so unlike God, that He? or the Unforgiver can't stand to be around the other...

Evidence for the veneration of relics comes from

• 2 Kings 13:20-21
• Matthew 9:20-22
• Acts 19:11-12

The healing occurs through a material object.  The vehicle is touching.  The cause of healing is God by means of the relic.  It's not magic.  Saints are models and intercessors.

There are different types of relics.  A first class relic is the body/blood of the Saint.  A second class relic was an object owned personally by the Saint.  For some saints, like St. Edith Stein, this is all we have because she was killed in a concentration camp.  A third class relic was something the Saint touched or an object touched by a relic specifically for devotion.  I have a 3rd class relic of St. Francis of Assisi.  It's a 3rd class relic because it was set on his tomb.  

A relic is kept in a container known as a theca.  It is sealed with wax that bears the seal of the one authorized to provide relics and string.  If the wax seal or the strings are broken, then the relic is no longer verified and can't be publicly venerated.  Relics also come withe a document that tells you who and what the relic is as well as who authorized it.  The seal on the document should match the seal on the theca.  Ex ossibus is bone.  Ex indumentis is clothes.  

Why do we divide up the saints?  It is a way of respecting the Saints.  It also comes from the early Church when Mass was held in secret in the Catacombs.

Sainthood is a decision; a choice.  It is the first vocation of all.

Father then invited us upstairs to see the relics and to let one call out to us and that would be the Saint(s) that we should pray to and that had taken an interest in us...

Father did spend a great deal of time talking about St. Maria Goretti

It was very awesome and I'm glad I went.  I didn't really feel drawn to any particular saint.  Lots of people were there praying and asking for intercession.  I'm sorry to say I did not.  I'm terrible at prayer, I just don't get it.  I did not ask for anything because sometimes the answer is no and I will shatter if there is another no.

Pictures:
I am an idiot.  I rented a $1700 macro lens so I could take really nice close up pictures of the relics for some of my readers.  Some of whom I know won't get the opportunity to see such an exhibition.  I took 151 pictures.  On Sunday morning I was distracted and I thought I had switched memory cards out of my camera, leaving the relic pictures safely at home.  Uhm.  I deleted them.  :(  I managed to recover 122  pictures.  But St. Mark is gone.  and I'm not sure who else.  :(  sniff.

Links:

Video from KTVI (How does Canon Wiener look so not sweaty?  I thought I was going to die..please donate to the Oratory so they can get AC....eventually....)

Thoughts from St. Louis Catholic

St. Charles Corpus Christi Procession

Yesterday afternoon, I attended the Corpus Christi Procession in St. Charles.  It started at St. Charles Borromeo, then went to the Academy of the Sacred Heart and then to St. Peter.

I find it amazingly coincidental that at the same time as the Pride Parade, Catholics were showing a different kind of pride by processing in behind the Eucharist.

The procession started with To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King.  Then Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!  Then Panga Lingua, which was repeated at every stop.  (Somebody is going to have to go over how to pronounce all the words with me....).

As we processed, we sang Hail Holy Queen.

At the Academy of the Sacred Heart, we sang Humbly We Adore Thee

As we processed we sang All Praise and Glad Thanksgiving and Immaculate Mary.

At St. Peter we sang Pan de Vida, O Saving Victim, Tantum Ergo, and Holy God We Praise Thy Name.

I find it ironic that there were no modern songs....  Pan de Vida was likely included because of the large Spanish-speaking population.

Feast of St. Anthony of Padua

Happy Feast of St. Anthony of Padua!  :)

I was reading the St. Louis Review and discovered that St. Anthony of Padua Parish in South City was having a special Feast Day Mass complete with the blessing of bread and lilies.  The stars aligned and I was able to go!

The choir was in the choir loft!  The organ was used!  The music was *old* and not 1970s old but like 1870s old!  It was dare I say it...CATHOLIC!!!!  It was like a Sunday Mass on a Monday!!
Music:
Organ Prelude
Processional:  For All the Saints
Mass Setting: Mass of Creation
Presentation:  To Christ Our King
Sign of Peace:  St. Anthony Chorale
Communion:  How Firm a Foundation
Reflection:  A St. Anthony Hymn sung to O God Our Help in Ages Past

Recessional:  Day is Done

Organ Postlude

Father used Penitential Rite A!  There was a First and Second Reading.  The Nicene Creed.  It was neat!  Father used Eucharistic Prayer II and there were bells.  There would have been more Franciscans but they are at a Provincial Meeting.

Father's homily focused on the life of St. Anthony.  St. Anthony was born around 1195 and at 15 joined the Augustinians and became a Canon.  He had heard about Franciscans martyred in Morocco and he joined the Franciscans so he could get martyred as well.  The images all show St. Anthony as a young healthy guy.  He was short, squat and sickly.  St. Anthony did get sent to Morocco but he was so sick they sent him back.  He was supposed to go to Lisbon, but landed in Padua (must have used Google Maps...also explains why he is patron saint of lost things and travelers).  St. Anthony challenged heretics.  He died at age 35/36 and was canonized shortly after.  Around the 1500, the devotion to St. Anthony was suppressed by the Pope who had something against Franciscans.  But the devotion couldn't really be suppressed.  St. Anthony wanted to be a humble nobody.  It is those kind of people that usually don't get to live in anonymity.  In America, women pray to St. Ann to find a husband (St. Ann, St. Ann, send me a man, quick as you can!)  In Brazil, women pray to St. Anthony to find a husband (needs to find a novena/prayer quick!!! I has a new favorite saint) .  St. Anthony Devotions are traditionally said on Tuesday because St. Anthony died on Tuesday.  We all want to be somebody, we need to be somebody of the Gospel.

At the end of Mass, Father blessed lilies and bread and they were handed out.

Pictures:

View from the Middle Pew

See the Lilies on the Communion Rail?!

St. Anthony of Padua

They had 3! tables of votive candles surrounding the Altar!

Links:
Website of St. Anthony of Padua
Pictures from Rome of the West
Previous Visit 1 and 2

Update!!!!
I have an online friend who has told me of her success with praying to St. Anthony for a husband.  She said she prayed it everyday and it only took a month for her future husband to appear!  She has graciously translated the prayer for me and given me permission to post!

Saint Anthony, 

I know that marriage is a vocation blessed by God. 

It is the sacrament of love and can be compared to the love that Christ has for the Church. I feel called to marriage: so I ask you, Saint Anthony, help me find a good boyfriend, nice, serious and sincere who has the same feelings of affection that I feel. Help us to complement each other and form a union blessed by God, so that that we, together, are able to overcome any potential problems. May we always keep our love alive, and never lack understanding and family harmony. Saint Anthony, bless us both me and my boyfriend, accompany us to the altar and keep us united for the rest of our lives. 

Saint Anthony, pray for us.

Was that prayer too long?  How about..

Santo Antônio! Santo Antônio! Meu santinho tão querido, Quero pedir, em segredo, Que me arranje um marido.

Translated:

St. Anthony, St. Anthony, my little saint most dear. I ask you in secret, to sent me a husband.

Poor Clares Monastery

I was reading Fr Charles' blog, a friar minor, and he discussed how since it was the 800th Anniversary of St. Clare cutting her hair off and going to become a follower of St. Francis, there was a plenary indulgence issued for the occasion.  The details can be found here.  I happened to remember seeing a Poor Clare Monastery while taking Jake to Bee Tree Park.  I was in the general vicinity today with a friend and mentioned the indulgence.  Needless to say, we stopped by.

View From the Back Pew

St Clare

FYI:  I did take a picture of the schedule if you want more details.  There is Benediction on Sundays at 5 pm.  Oh.  And I'm pretty sure guys are allowed in the public chapel....

White House Retreat

Driving around today, I came across the White House Retreat center run by the Jesuits.

Chapel

View from the Back Pew

Cave Chapel

There are relics of Jesuit Saints on the Altar.

I think it is St. Ignatius.

But it could be Jesus.

Link:
Pictures from Rome of the West

Tenebrae at St. Joan of Arc

After Good Friday Service, St. Joan of Arc had a Tenebrae Service.
This was quite a different kind of Tenebrae.  There was no loud banging at the end when the Christ Candle  is hidden.  Actually, they blew out the Christ Candle.  The readings and the responses, which were sung, were different.  It seemed a rather cheerful Tenebrae then what I've experienced before.

First Reading:  Lamentations 3:1-6
First Response:  Amazing Grace

2nd Reading:  Isaiah 50:4-9
2nd Response:  What Wondrous Love

3rd Reading: Phil 2:5-11
3rd Response:  Beautiful Savior

4th Reading:  John 19:25-27
4th Response:  Stabat Mater

5th Reading:  Matthew 27:39-43
5th Response:  Adoramus Te

6th Reading:  Mark 15:33-39
6th Response:  Silence

7th Reading:  1 Peter 2:21-25

Then everyone recited the Our Father.
It was beautifully done, just more cheerful...

Pictures:

Tenebrae at the New Cathedral

After Mass at St. Mary Magdalen, I hurried to the New Cathedral to catch the Tenebrae Service with the seminarians chanting.  I got to the Cathedral as the Eucharistic Prayer was starting.  The Cathedral didn't have bells at the Consecration, they had this clacker noise maker thing.  During the Eucharistic Procession, one of the Fathers rattled as they walked.  I imagine it sounded much rather like a 4x4 or cross being dragged across a stone/cobblestone path....  It was striking and rather eire.

As the Altar was stripped, the choir chanted Psalm 21.  They chanted from the side.  The sanctuary was essentially empty except for the Tenebrae candle holder.

All the antiphons were sung by the schola cantorum.  For the psalms and canticles, the cantor chanted a verse, then we chanted the next verse.

So the actual Tenebrae started with Psalm 2.
The first Lesson is from Lamentations (3:1-11)
Then came Psalm 37
The second Lesson was from the catechesis of St. John Chrysostom.
Followed with Psalm 50
Then the Canticle of Habakkuk (3:2-4,13a,15-19).
Then Psalm 147
Then the canticle of Zachary (Luke 1:68-79)
The service concluded with the Our Father.

The seminarians and the cleric (?) that chanted Lamentations all did an awesome job.  It was very moving.


Picture:

The Christ Candle

Links:
Same picture 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

Pictures from the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Rice

Hi All!
I went to the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Rice.  It was awesome!  Because I got there so late, I got to stand in the back for half the Mass.  It was still cool!

Being Questioned

Anointing with Oil

Receiving the Ring

For good pictures and texts, click here.