Immaculate Conception - St. Mary

Hello!
Before the weather gets absolutely terrible or unpredictable, I'm trying to get to the outlying parishes.  This can be more of a challenge than it first seems.  They are far away so it takes an hour if not more to get there and they often only have 1 Mass on Sundays.  Early.  Which means I have to get up at the crack o' dawn.  Yeah.  Then there is the finding them.  I have a feeling that the Archdiocese doesn't really know where the parishes are sometimes.  Today was a case in point.  Immaculate Conception in St. Mary doesn't have a webpage and the Archdiocese's info page for them did not have a physical address but a PO Box.  The street address of the Church is 418 Immaculate Conception Dr BTW.  So I get the coordinates out of google maps and put them into the GPS.  Uhm.  Yeah.  Not there.  Last year Mark of Rome of the West took me out there to see Kaskaskia and pointed out the church.  I'm like cool.  It's on a terraced hill with statue of Mary in front.  Can't possibly miss it.  Unless of course, you are behind the church on the hill.   I also got lost coming back!  woot!  I ended up in Kaskaskia.  I should not be allowed out by myself honestly.

Immaculate Conception is a pretty little Church on a hill high above possible flooding.  It's a little empty but that's ok.

The music was accompanied by a choir and an organ in the loft.
Opening:  O Come O Come Emmanuel
Offertory:  All that I Have (G&P 82)  I don't know what the title is..the G&P books weren't available.
Communion:  Like A Shepherd
Closing:  The King of Glory

The Mass Settings were all spoken.

Mass was 38 minutes start to finish.  Apparently when there's no Gloria (because it's Advent), no Alleluia (cause it wasn't sung?), no Prayers of the Faithful/Intentions (Uhm, you got me as to why not.),  using Eucharistic Prayer II, skipping the normal Sign of Peace Hand-shaking Free For All (that is actually optional, I've just never seen it skipped in a Sunday Mass) the Mass is really short.

The homily was based on the 2nd reading.  In the end, everything will come apart.  Everything will be dissolved.  You are the one constant in the universe.  There is good and bad in that.  It's good that we will be around in some form forever.  What are we going to take to eternity.  You will not be changed.  You are you.  You will be you in eternity.  How will you be in eternity?  There is still time to change but it is quickly running out.  Recognize yourself.  Get rid of the stuff weighing you down.  We don't need all of that baggage in eternity.  It is time to ask if this is the best you can do.  Is this what I'm taking to the foot of the Lord?  I don't think so.  Now is the time to fix those things.  Shine light into the dark places in your life.  Peter knows all about this.  He denied Christ.  In Confession, I hear people repeat the sins of the past.  I don't get it.  (Uhm Father, I'd say that even thought Christ has forgiven you , the person may not have forgiven themselves....) It's in the past and it's all forgiven.  It's like beating yourself over the head.  Jesus doesn't want us to live full of guilt, anxiety and fear (paging Dr. Jesus, where's my valium?)  Jesus wants up to live openly, freely and calmly (more proof Jesus hasn't met me, I don't have a calm bone in my body.)  He's forgiven us.  As Christ is the light of the world, so are you. We have to lighten our load and become more transparent.  Need to get rid of the things that are eating at us.  We only have control of the now.  Reliving the past is stupid.  I can plan for the future but I can't control it.  Lord help accept myself today and fix myself.  So that Your light shines in me that You come into my life and You live within me and me within You (Isn't that a song...The Summons?).  May you find that peace within you that Christ has given us.

Pictures:

Immaculate Conception - St. Mary

View From the Back Pew

Window above door

Mary

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

with an offering of vicious pumpkins

Advent Wreath

Station VIII

Mary presented in the Temple

The Annunciation 

The Visitation

The Nativity

Flight into Egypt

Jesus Meets His Mother

Crucifixion 

Assumption of Mary (?)

Queenship of Mary

Mary

Links:
Information from the St. Louis Archdiocese
Pictures from Rome of the West

St. Rose of Lima - De Soto

Happy Liturgical New Year? Did we all remember to say "And with Your Spirit!"  I didn't realize we said it so many times during Mass...

I headed out to St. Rose of Lima in De Soto for 11 am Mass.  When I walked in, I noticed it was nearly decorated for Christmas.  Father later mentioned that the Church was featured on a Christmas house tour and that's why most of the decorations were up.

Music was accompanied by an organ in the choir loft.
Mass Setting:  Mass of Creation
Opening:  O Come O Come Emmanuel
Offertory:  organ music
Communion:  Bread, Blessed and Broken
Closing:  The Coming of Our God

Interestingly, the servers were wearing purple cappa things.  They looked like the brown over habits? you see on Dominicans.

Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells at the Consecration.

The homily was rather interesting.  Ever since God created the human race we have had free will.  We have the ability to ignore God because of it.  This gift brings on guilt at times as we have done wrong.  The guilt is because we have done wrong.  Throughout the Old Testament and history we see what happens when people choose wrong.  In the First Reading, the people know they have messed up and need Divine assistance to save them.  This season is to prepare us for the coming of Christ.  Salvation is for all of us.  We benefit from in our lives.  Advent used to be a time of penance to prepare for the great feast of Christmas.  It's why we still use purple.  Now it is a time of happy anticipation, a time of looking forward towards the birth of Christ.  Self-denial is profitable and good at any time but it is especially good at Advent.  We recognize our infidelity to God.  We are all in this together.  Advent is a good time for a good Confession.  We should celebrate Christmas very well in all ways, including Confession.  It's a shame Christmas has gotten so commercial.  Giving gifts is not out of order when we do it charitably and unselfishly.  It is though if we do it with the expectation of getting something in return.  Because God gave us the greatest gift of all.  Free will and we can turn against God.  But He still sent His Son to save us.  God gave us the Sacraments especially Reconciliation which we can use again and again to make peace with God.


Pictures:

St. Rose of Lima

Mary and the Child Jesus

Mary and Child Jesus

St. Rose of Lima

Why yes, she is holding the church...

View from the Back Pew

St. Francis de Sales and St. Marcella

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Sacred Heart

St. Joachim and St. Anne

St. John and St. Luke

St. Mark and St. Matthew

Pope John Paul II and St. Michael

St. Peter and St. Paul

St. Rose of Lima and St. Theresa

Sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist and Penance

Sacraments:  Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick

Station VIII

Links:
Website of St. Rose of Lima
Photos from Rome of the West (notice the difference!!!)

St. Joseph - Josephville

Hello!
Today is the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year!  It's the Feast of Christ the King.  To celebrate I overslept and missed the 2 Masses I had planned to attend.  I headed out to St. Joseph in Wentzville/Josephville .

This is a nice little church.  It was beautiful inside.

The music was accompanied by an organ in a choir loft.
Music:
Mass Setting:  Mass of the Christ the Savior (It's the new translation.)
Opening: The King of Glory
Offertory:  The King of Love My Shepherd Is
Communion:  Taste and See
Closing:  To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King

Father has a mini homily about how it was Christ the King.  There was a seminarian who was the lector!  Father used Penitential Rite A, Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells.

The homily started off talking about how the new translation would be used next week.  Father said he felt like a new priest.  We would feel like new converts.  It's going to be exciting.

Father then moved on to how the Gospel was his favorite but gave him heartache.  Am I goat?  Did I do enough?  I want to be a sheep.  What you did or did not do to the least, you did to me.  The least person is the Kingdom of God for you.  Who is that for you?  Experience God through the least.

The Feast of Christ of King was started by Pope Pius XI in 1925.  He was concerned about the world and the rise of nationalism.  Those in power wanted to stamp out the Faith.  Nationalism is good, but Faith comes first.  We see this today in the Thought Police.  In the movie Grand Torrino, every racial slur but the n one is ok.  They want control.  It's everywhere.  There is a move to stamp out the holidays or take the Faith out of them.  This leads us to eternal death.  For example, one of his priest friends has been going to the Catholic high schools to discuss chastity.  He was at an all-girls high school and one of the girls during the discussion said she had same sex attraction and the rest of the class clapped for her.  The priest was speechless (me too).  This is modernism and relativism.   No one can say anything is wrong. This takes us away from God's Kingdom.  God's love brings eternal happiness.

It was a very nice Mass.


Pictures:

St. Joseph - Josephville

St. Joseph

View From the Back Pew

Window above front door

Baptistry 

Station VIII

Links:

Website of St. Joseph
Pictures of the 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 :)

Holy Family - Cahokia

Hi all.
I'm recovering from surgery pretty well.  Since my right hand is in a cast, I had to find a friend to take me to Mass.  :)  He took me to Holy Family in Cahokia.  This church is a log church.  Mass is at 9 am and was a Low Mass in Latin.  Apparently the priests of the Institute of Christ, Sovereign Priest and King have charge of it.   It was really nice.

Canon W's homily was about how important forgiveness is, especially in families.

Pictures:

View From the Back Pew

Cross

Exterior

Side Chapel

Links:
Pictures from Rome of the West

All Saints - St. Peters

Happy All Saints Day!
In keeping with the theme of racking up indulgences, I headed out to All Saints in St. Peter, because there is an indulgence attached to going to a parish's patronal feast.  I had forgotten about it, but I went to Mass on Sunday at St. Francis de Sales (they had pancakes...pancakes in latin are just as good as pancakes in english...) and Canon W mentioned it because Sunday was the Institute's patronal feast.  I also managed to pray at the cemetery right next to the church of All Saints...cause there is an indulgence for All Souls (tomorrow) for that.

All Saints is an older church that still retains it older character.  Father mentioned in the mini-homily the parish is 188 years old.  He mentioned that there were only 8 parishes older.  (Wonder which....)

Before Mass there was a meet your neighbor moment.

The church has a choir loft, but the musicians were in the left front.  There was a piano, guitars and flute.
Gathering:  For All the Saints
Offertory:  Blest Are They
Communion:  Litany of Saints
Sending Forth:  Lead Me Lord

The homily was about how is God calling us to be a saintly presence.  Father is currently teaching homiletics at the Seminary and thought he should give us an exam about how to pick out saints.  We think saints are perfect.  It is not actually Catholic Tradition that Saints are perfect, they lead exemplary lives but not perfect lives.  If we refer back to the Responsorial Psalm:  Oh Lord this is the People that Long to See Your Face.  Where is Jesus inviting us to the see the Face of God.  The Gospel tells us.  Find someone who is the first part of the Beautitudes - This is the Face of God.  Father mentioned another Gospel story where Christ mentioned the little ones, the little ones see the Face of God.  The people we help?  They do us a favor and show us the Face of God.  Jesus struggled get people to see God.  The face of unconditional love is the Face of God.  We have to be that Face of God for others.  When you look in the mirror, do you see the Face of God?  Where is God calling us to be the Face of God?  (wild guess...not making snarkastic remarks about homilies...).  There are people in this church right now who are hopeless and need to see the Face of God.  I am the Face of God for whom in this world?  How can I do that more clearly?  We are called to be the Face of God.

Father used Eucharistic Prayer II and there were no bells.

Pictures:

Lourdes Grotto

View From the Back Pew!

 

St. Wendelin

Links:
All Souls Indulgence
Website of All Saints
Pictures from Rome of the West