St. James - Searcy

Hey All!  No I haven't quit going to Mass.  The week before I was in St. Louis and last week, I went to my territorial parish.

Guess what?  This weekend was the Feast of Corpus Christi.  According to one parish bulletin I read, there are big processions and celebrations in other countries (like St. Louis) for the feast.  After much searching, I did manage to find a Corpus Christi procession at St. James in Searcy, AR.  It's about an hour northeastish from Little Rock (on the way home actually).  St. James and its sister parishes, St. Albert and St. Richard, all came together to celebrate this Feast at one Mass at 4 pm.

Something interesting also occurred during Mass.  The parish has its first priestly vocation.  To celebrate the event, after the Homily, there was a big signing of the letter of intent with the Bishop, almost as if he were going to play football or something.  I've never seen anything like it.

Music:
Opening:  Alleluia! Sing to Jesus.
Gloria:  Heritage Mass
Offertory:  I Am the Living Bread
Communion:  Behold the Lamb (Solo), Panis Angelicus (LATIN!)
Procession & Bendiction:  Lots of songs in Spanish, O Sacrament Most Holy, Down in Adoration (LATIN) Holy God We Praise Thy Name
Closing:  Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

Mass was interesting.  It took an hour to get to the petitions.  The main reason was that most everything was said in English and then repeated in Spanish or vice versus.  That's right.  I heard the homily 2x.  In English and in Spanish.  The Petitions, Procession of Faith and Our Father were in English.  The Eucharistic Prayer (II) and the closing prayer was in Spanish.   The beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist kept switching language.  I'm now more convinced that Latin is the way to go for the parts of the Mass that don't change every day.  I heard non native English speakers and non native Spanish speakers both speak the responses in the other language.  People can be taught.

The homily was given by the Bishop.
Like many of you, I'm dismayed by how our culture has lost its moral bearing.  There is no more living for other or for a higher purpose. Pope Francis talked about an economy of exclusiveness.  We put the self ahead of the family.  We repackage religion to accommodate me.  We want artificial contraception, easy divorce, abortion, and now same-sex marriage.  We have put self-interest above the common good.  We have hardened our hearts to the poor.  We act as if life is a zero sum game.  We have ignored the family as the basic cell of society and have made it instead the individual.  The Church is family.  Sacrifice for the common good.  The result is a religion that wants what is best for us (even if it makes us miserable).  We are building the Kingdom for God.  It is a win win for us.  We have an economy of inclusion (clearly the bishop hasn't been exposed to cliques...)  In the First Reading, we see how God provides.  The Hebrews survived because they obeyed God.  In the 2nd Reading, St. Paul tells us we are made one by the Body and Blood of Christ.  The Gospel tells us the Eucharist unites us and gives us Eternal Life.  In the Eucharist, Jesus provides and shows the path through the moral desert and idolatry of self.  Do not forget God who led you out of Egypt.  Society/culture says Catholics are out of touch. We are counter cultural.  The culture is sick.  Catholics are in touch with the Truth (some more than others...I feel like a comment about truthiness would be good here).  The Lord feeds us to make a difference.  We are called to bring God's Salvation to others (one facebook argument at a time).

One thing I did notice was that the altar servers acted as the ushers for the collections.

The Corpus Christi procession was really nice.  There were Knights and flags and girls in white dresses throwing flower petals.  We walked around the church to an altar set up in a field and then walked back.

The people were really nice!  They invited me to a potluck supper.  It was yummy.

Pictures:  I have more of the windows.  I'm just really tired.  I'll post them soon.

St. James

St. Raphael 

This is a rarity!

Links:
St. James - Searcy 

St. James - Crosstown

Good Evening!  It was such a nice day I thought I'd go for a drive.  A really long drive to Crosstown.  To give you an idea of how far south I was, I passed the Mississippi River Bridge at Chester IL.

St. James in Crosstown is in another blink and you missed it town.  The parish is staffed by Vincentians  and is more of a mission than an actual parish.  Because of the shortage of priests (but not parishes) the Mass times of the parishes in the area are in flux.  According to the Archdiocese's website, Mass is at 9 am on Sunday.  As I was waiting for Mass to start, a kind elderly gentleman walked across and told me Mass was now at 9:30 am.  As I was waiting, eventually two Vincentian brothers came and said Mass starts at 10 am.

St. James is a tiny church.  The people were nice.  There were donuts!

Music was a capella.
Opening:  Your Hands, O Lord, In Days of Old
Mass Setting:  Mass of Renewal
Offertory:  Like a Child Rests
Communion:  Gift of Finest Wheat
Closing:  Praise to the Lord

Mini Homily:  I must not have bathed.  I'll bathe next week and this side of the Church can sit closer.  We shun people that are poor or have a disability or don't look right.  We want to get close to those that are rich or look right.  We don't look at character.

Father used Penitential Rite A and used the Greek!

Homily:  I was a seminarian taking my comps for my Master of Philosophy.  I was on retreat when I got the call that I had passed.  On a retreat you are not supposed to be quiet and not talk.  I was so happy I wanted to share the good news.  If Brother John were to win the lottery and he would be told not to tell anyone it would be really hard.  Don't tell anyone the good news.  Human nature has not changed in 2000 years.  We want to tell.  People couldn't wait to tell the good news.  Sometimes you and I are deaf to God's Word.  We don't pray enough.  We need to pray more.  We need quiet time.  A few minutes of quiet so we can hear the Lord speak to us and hear Him in prayer.  We need to tell people about Jesus.  We don't tell people.  You and I need to tell. (ponders who to tell...all my associates are radical atheists).  People like testimony (I'm suddenly reminded of the Salvation Army song sung by Boy Scouts...).  Now, I don't want to scandalize the people of this parish (oooo) but the bars in New Orleans are open 24-7, so I've heard (eye roll).  I was at a meeting and after a man gave his report he talked about why he was volunteering.  Traffic is very bad in New Orleans.  On the way home, he decided to wait out the traffic in a bar.  He had one drink.  After a couple months, he had 2 drinks.  After a couple more months he had more drinks.  He realized where this was headed and stopped and began to volunteer at the soup kitchen instead.  Father was fascinated by this story.  God touches our hearts.  Invite someone to Church, perhaps someone who doesn't go very often.  Sometimes we talk about people behind their backs and we don't say nice things but rather nasty things.  Instead of saying something nasty, say something nice instead.  To summarize:

• Listen well to God in prayer.  Prayer is to change us, not God.
• Testify to Our Faith
• Random acts of speaking nicely about people behind their backs.

( I really like it when they summarize what the point was!)

Father used one of the Eucharistic Prayers for Various Needs.  There were no bells but hand-holding at the Our Father.  Overall a very nice Mass.

Pictures:

St. James Crosstown

 View From the Back Pew

St. James

Link:

Information from the St. Louis Archdiocese

St. James - Potosi

Hello!  This morning I headed the 10 am Mass at St. James in Potosi.

The Church was filled to capacity, which apparently is around 230 people.  There were baptisms after Mass.  I felt like it was Advent again as half the people knew the responses while others said the old translation.  Interestingly, the church didn't have the paper missalettes.  Instead, they had St. Joseph Sunday Missals.  They looked really new, which is a shame because they were the old translation.  (I can envision Sister M.A. from my grade school making the 7th and 8th graders fix every single missal...).

The music was accompanied by an organ in the choir loft.
Music:
Opening:  From All That Dwells Below the Skies
Offertory:  All That We Have
Communion:  Peace Prayer, Song of the Body of Christ
Closing:  Be Not Afraid

Mass started 5 minutes late.  It became clear why.  Father processed in with 2 pitchers of water, which he placed on the altar.

Where are we going with this?

During the Kyrie, Father poured the water in the font while giving a commentary.  Baptism is about grace.  There is no magic or mystery involved.  (Uhm.  Isn't grace rather mysterious?)

CHEF!

PARTY TIME!

Red Solo Cup....

I'm the Godmother to two girls, have been to the baptism of two other kids, has seen Baptisms during Mass.  I don't recall the Liturgy of the Pouring Water.  

Father sung the Opening Prayer but added the week of the liturgical season and the date.  

Anytime there was an opportunity, Father added commentary.  There was commentary before the readings discussing what they were about. Another before the Gospel.  Every petition had lots of extra commentary.  I know lots about the people in the parish now.  Apparently Father hasn't heard of HIPPA.  The Nicene Creed had commentary.  Father explained the final stanza about the Church.  The Nicene Creed connects us all.  He commented on the liturgical season.  It was rather annoying after awhile. Made me wish for St. Francis de Sales honestly...if only women there didn't wear skirts... Or another Rite.  

Homily:
In the readings we have traveled.  But this is where our Faith is.  Isaiah said to let go of all the barbed wire and everything that is a painful memory.  Let go.  How old were you when you realized that holding onto grudges and painful memories was like pouring water into sand.  We each have the ability to let go.  As long as you hold on, you are like a slave pulling a stone.  You won't forgive or forget, but you can let it go.  (uhm...isn't that part of letting go...forgiving and forgetting?)  In the second reading, it mentions the anointing of the Holy Spirit is on Installment (I hope God got good terms...)  God has not depleted His Mercy or His Grace.  In the Gospel, our Lord was more impressed with those that think outside the box.  Father then talked about how the synagogue from the Gospel is known and really close to St. Peter's house.  It's now a Church..the Church of St. Peter.  On Wednesday, 30 Eucharistic Ministers gathered for a retreat/training.  People who had never looked at each other in the light of Faith.  They are now living out an installment on their Catholic faith.  That is the beauty of the Catholic Faith, being called to say yes even though we are not perfect.  (I did not know being an EMHC was a vocation...)  Father then mentioned Cardinal Dolan, who was receiving his red hat in Rome this weekend.  Father knows Cardinal Dolan's family (name dropper).  Cardinal Dolan can walk into Rome with all of his warts and blemishes.  What was Cardinal Dolan thinking during the ceremonies.  He was probably thinking back to his boyhood.  (Someone's got a case of hero worship...).  Father mentioned he wouldn't fit in if he went to Rome (don't touch it...let it go...)  This weekend, 22 men received the Pallium.  (Oh Father...Oh no.  no no no.)  Father said he stood at Calvary every time he said Mass.  Every Mass is over the catacombs because of the altar stone.  This unites us in Faith.  He doesn't need to go to Rome.  230 people is as holy as the celebration at St. Peter's in Rome.  You are none the less worthy to celebrate.  I long for the day that those who have broken away return.  Where does the Pallium come from?  It comes from a Trappist monastery.  The sheep are brought to the Vatican on St. Agnes and are blessed.  Google it.  Father then asked us about the red hats hanging in the Cathedral.  They belong to the dead Cardinals.  They never actually wear that hat. (Uh...yes.  They did.  Ages ago.  like pre V2.)  The hats, the cappallo (?) hang over their crypts.  Go take a tour of the Cathedral and they will tell you all about it.  They are too tight to turn on the lights though. (oh dear) When they turn on all the lights  the meter spins like a spaceship.  They only turn on all the lights for Christmas, Easter and the Consecration of Bishops.  They don't even turn them all on for Ordinations.

Father sang the Preface.  He announced he was using Eucharistic Prayer I because you can't use it during Lent (*facepalm*).  There were bells.  At the Our Father there was hand holding.  Father's commentary was that pray unites us.  Standing has always been the posture of prayer in the Catholic Church, especially the East. Father then said the secret prayers before Communion out loud.  After Communion, Father then commented on the song, Song of the Body of Christ.  The Church's treasure is her children.  People are moaning about what the Church is going through now.  Read your history.  The Church was been through much worse in her 2000 years.


Pictures:

View From the Back Pew

St. James

 Sacred Heart of Jesus

Christ Crucified

Sacred Heart of Jesus

St. Theresa

I'm not sure.  I should know this shouldn't I?

Station VIII

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

FYI:  Lent starts Wednesday.  I haven't decided what to do for it.  It has been suggested that I pick a parish for Lent...

Links:
Website of St. James
Picture from Rome of the West

St. James - Catawissa

Good Evening.  My hand is out of the cast (YAY!) but in a dorky splint (BOO!)

This morning I attended the 10 am Mass at St. James in Catawissa.  I keep thinking it is a wine, but have been informed thats Catawaba.  St. James is a small wood country church and rather quaint.  It seems bigger on the inside.

Music was accompanied by an organ or piano from the choir loft.
Opening:  Praise to the Lord
Offertory:  Mary, Full of Grace
Communion:  We Have Been Told
Closing:  In the Day of the Lord

The first reading was from Proverbs about how to be a good wife.  I took notes :)

Father's homily focused on the new translation that is about to roll out.  He said it was a good thing because it will help us focus and pay attention and be more prayerful.  He also explained why the translation was happening.  He then went through each of the changes.  At first I was like really, do we really need to go through this and then I thought about how I offered to explain a Latin Mass to a group and realized I barely knew what was happening and usually didn't know why and then I thought about how I would be hard pressed to explain anything deep about the Mass I attend to someone not Catholic.  So maybe we all need reminders from time to time.  The biggest change is the "And with Your Spirit"  We are inviting the Holy Spirit to come into us, like a temple.  Once it was explained, I was like oh.  Originally I thought it was silly especially since the only reasons I had really been given was that it is a more accurate translation.  Now it makes sense.  Father also explained the function of liturgy was like an orange peel..to protect the fruit inside.  The Liturgy protects the Mystery.  The Confiteor is a powerful statement of Faith.  Basically Father said that we were going to take it slow like wine and cheese before dinner.

Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and bells.  It was a nice Mass.  

Pictures:

St. James - Catawissa

St. James

(not sure which one)

View From the Back Pew

Altar

with vicious pumpkins.

I hope they are repenting.

St. James

Guessing Zebadie...one of the sons of Thunder

Vicious Pumpkins paying homage to Mary

Station VIII

Links:
Website of St. James
Pictures from Rome of the West

PS:  I defended Tuesday, November 15 at 11:30 am CST.  St. Albert the Great, Ora Pro Nobis :)