I have finally finished. I turned in my dissertation this morning and it has been approved by the Graduate College. Thank you for all your prayers :)
I graduate on Saturday :)
Dr. Snup
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Immaculate Conception - Union
Gaudete!
No rose vestments. :(
This morning I headed out to 9 am Mass at Immaculate Conception in Union. It's a nice little church. There's a choir loft in the back. About 2 feet off the ground.
Music was accompanied by an organ and choir.
Opening: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Offertory: Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
Communion: Hold Me in Life
Communion Meditation: Lord, Savior Come to Me (?)
Closing: Come Now Almighty King
Mass Setting: Debruyn
The mini-homily was about how it was Gaudete Sunday and time for modified rejoicing. We need to prepare for His coming.
The parish has Children's Liturgy of the Word. There was a blessing and music. Only 2 kids went and there were at least 20 kids in the pews...
The homily. Father was really nice after Mass and I enjoyed speaking with him. The homily was, for me, a little snarkfest. It started off well and then...
Today is a rose day. The Penitential Season of Advent is halfway over so it is time for modified rejoicing. St. John's my favorite. This year is Cycle B, so the Gospel comes from St. Mark. But St. Mark is only 16 Chapters long so it is not enough for 52 weeks. So we use St. John. (I didn't think St. John was a filler kind of Gospel....) Either St. John or St. Mark will be read from this summer and it will be the great Bread of Life discourse (Father who it was but there were a lot of sweet young children at Mass. who scream at a pitch that made it hard to hear Father :) ) So people my vintage and older will know that in the old Mass, there is the Proim (I think that is what he said...the kids...I swears it.) It's the first 18 verses of the Gospel of St. John. (Oh the last Gospel. Of course it has a special name. It's the Latin Mass. Everything has a name. In Latin.) In the 12th/13th century there were the Albergensians (I think the people the Dominicans were founded to combat.) This is a heresy that says the physical is bad. Suicide is good. Homosexuality is good (oh dear. what an example ripe to be taken out of context.) Mary is bad. Kids are bad. These people had a hard time with God becoming human. This heresy spread through Europe. To combat this heresy, priests (on their own..see priests have always ad libbed the Mass :P ) started reciting the verses from John that talk about how the Word was made Flesh. Christ was not Jesus' last name. (I have whiplash from the abrupt topic change...). It was not Joseph Christ (I just giggled at this). Mary did not become Mary Christ. Christ is the Greek version of the Hebrew word for Messiah. A Messiah is someone who has been chosen and commissioned by God for a great mission. John (the Baptist) is not the Christ. It is job to prepare the way. We are heralds for the Lord; to prepare the world for His second coming. Historians thought that Jesus, the Son of God, would have much more of an impact. Jesus has made some impact. Wars aren't as bad as they used to be since Christ came. (Uhhh...). There's no raping, pillaging, and slavery, mass murder (*blink* *blink* *blink*). In Christian countries. (*blink* *blink* Seriously. Please send Father a 20th century history book. Wars aren't as bad as they used to be. I'm flabbergasted.) Father mentioned the Romans and how bad they were (Uhm Uhm. I got nothing. nothing that doesn't require its own blog post of snarkness.) I grew up in South City. It's a good German place with 2-3 bars on every corner. An AA member moved there and thought he'd died and gone to heaven. (Where is this going?) The AA member was in World War II (well that explains the drinking) There were villages destroyed. Civilians were killed and mamed. (Thought you said war wasn't so bad anymore....) The guy was losing his Faith so he went into a bombed out church and found a statue of the Crucified Christ. With no hands. That was intentional by the artist. Christ doesn't have hands. We are Christ's hands. His feet. His voice. He left us in charge. We are the ones that have to make a difference. Catholics are better because we serve the Lord (somebody drank the kool-aid...). We are arms and legs and voice of the Lord. We build hospitals, we build schools (that are becoming unaffordable or nonexistent...) We build orphanages. We do good. We can do more.
Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells.
Pictures:
The windows represent the titles of Our Lady in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mother:
(There's a plaque in the back of church that lists them. Otherwise I'd be unable to)
Links:
Website of Immaculate Conception - Union
Pictures from Rome of the West
No rose vestments. :(
This morning I headed out to 9 am Mass at Immaculate Conception in Union. It's a nice little church. There's a choir loft in the back. About 2 feet off the ground.
Music was accompanied by an organ and choir.
Opening: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Offertory: Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
Communion: Hold Me in Life
Communion Meditation: Lord, Savior Come to Me (?)
Closing: Come Now Almighty King
Mass Setting: Debruyn
The mini-homily was about how it was Gaudete Sunday and time for modified rejoicing. We need to prepare for His coming.
The parish has Children's Liturgy of the Word. There was a blessing and music. Only 2 kids went and there were at least 20 kids in the pews...
The homily. Father was really nice after Mass and I enjoyed speaking with him. The homily was, for me, a little snarkfest. It started off well and then...
Today is a rose day. The Penitential Season of Advent is halfway over so it is time for modified rejoicing. St. John's my favorite. This year is Cycle B, so the Gospel comes from St. Mark. But St. Mark is only 16 Chapters long so it is not enough for 52 weeks. So we use St. John. (I didn't think St. John was a filler kind of Gospel....) Either St. John or St. Mark will be read from this summer and it will be the great Bread of Life discourse (Father who it was but there were a lot of sweet young children at Mass. who scream at a pitch that made it hard to hear Father :) ) So people my vintage and older will know that in the old Mass, there is the Proim (I think that is what he said...the kids...I swears it.) It's the first 18 verses of the Gospel of St. John. (Oh the last Gospel. Of course it has a special name. It's the Latin Mass. Everything has a name. In Latin.) In the 12th/13th century there were the Albergensians (I think the people the Dominicans were founded to combat.) This is a heresy that says the physical is bad. Suicide is good. Homosexuality is good (oh dear. what an example ripe to be taken out of context.) Mary is bad. Kids are bad. These people had a hard time with God becoming human. This heresy spread through Europe. To combat this heresy, priests (on their own..see priests have always ad libbed the Mass :P ) started reciting the verses from John that talk about how the Word was made Flesh. Christ was not Jesus' last name. (I have whiplash from the abrupt topic change...). It was not Joseph Christ (I just giggled at this). Mary did not become Mary Christ. Christ is the Greek version of the Hebrew word for Messiah. A Messiah is someone who has been chosen and commissioned by God for a great mission. John (the Baptist) is not the Christ. It is job to prepare the way. We are heralds for the Lord; to prepare the world for His second coming. Historians thought that Jesus, the Son of God, would have much more of an impact. Jesus has made some impact. Wars aren't as bad as they used to be since Christ came. (Uhhh...). There's no raping, pillaging, and slavery, mass murder (*blink* *blink* *blink*). In Christian countries. (*blink* *blink* Seriously. Please send Father a 20th century history book. Wars aren't as bad as they used to be. I'm flabbergasted.) Father mentioned the Romans and how bad they were (Uhm Uhm. I got nothing. nothing that doesn't require its own blog post of snarkness.) I grew up in South City. It's a good German place with 2-3 bars on every corner. An AA member moved there and thought he'd died and gone to heaven. (Where is this going?) The AA member was in World War II (well that explains the drinking) There were villages destroyed. Civilians were killed and mamed. (Thought you said war wasn't so bad anymore....) The guy was losing his Faith so he went into a bombed out church and found a statue of the Crucified Christ. With no hands. That was intentional by the artist. Christ doesn't have hands. We are Christ's hands. His feet. His voice. He left us in charge. We are the ones that have to make a difference. Catholics are better because we serve the Lord (somebody drank the kool-aid...). We are arms and legs and voice of the Lord. We build hospitals, we build schools (that are becoming unaffordable or nonexistent...) We build orphanages. We do good. We can do more.
Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells.
Pictures:
Immaculate Conception - Union
View from the Back Pew
Angel, Mary and Adam and Eve getting tossed from the Garden
Mary and the Advent Wreath
St. Michael the Archangel
St. Louis XIV
Primary Patron of the Archdiocese
St. Vincent de Paul
Patron of the Archdiocese
St. Rose Philipine Duschense
Patron of the Archdiocese
Station VIII
(There's a plaque in the back of church that lists them. Otherwise I'd be unable to)
Mary, Morning Star
Health of the Sick
Mary, Refuge of Sinners
Mary, Help of Christians
Queen of the Apostles
Queen of the Apostles
Queen of the Martyrs
Queen of Virgins
Queen of the All Saints
Queen of Peace
Mother of Christ
Mother Most Pure
Seat of Wisdom
Virgin Most Powerful
Mother of Good Counsel
Virgin Most Faithful
Mystical Rose
Gate of Heaven?
Links:
Website of Immaculate Conception - Union
Pictures from Rome of the West
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Immaculate Conception - Dardenne Prairie
Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception! Between work, the dissertation, hand therapy and Jake, it was a challenge to get to Mass. I went to 5:30 pm Vigil at Immaculate Conception in Dardenne Prairie, which is not a prairie anymore.
Interestingly, all the PSR kids were there. It was kind of odd, being as I went to Catholic school and we never had class on Holy Days, so we never went to Mass together on Holy Days. (Don't worry, we went once a week otherwise). It was odd also because you had all these kids and lots of elderly people. There was hardly anyone in the middle.
Music was accompanied by an organ.
Opening: Immaculate Mary
Offertory: Ave Maria (in Latin...sung by the cantor)
Communions: Like a Child Rests and Holy is His Name
Sending Forth: Hail Holy Queen
I was confused a bit by Mass. The Nativity is out sans Jesus, but the Advent candles and wreath is out. Father wore a white vestment with a blue center and the deacon wore a white dalmaic with a red center. Why? Isn't red for the Holy Spirit and Martyrs? Mary's neither.
Father was apparently preparing for the throngs of people at Christmas who don't know there is a new translation. He kept reminding us to use the missalette or the pew cards. And to remember especially and "With your Spirit"
The first mini-homily was that the Virgin Mary was an example and that we should pray for forgiveness when we do not follow that example.
Father's homily started off with the First Reading from Genesis. Adam and Eve ate from the tree they were not supposed to. God was upset (uhm...to say the least...) with the devil, Adam and Eve. God punished the snake and promised someone will come to crush the devil. That person would be Mary. That's why most statues of Mary have her standing with her heel on the head of the snake. We will be tempted by the devil. God overcomes temptation. Father then taught us
Pictures:
Chapel:
Links:
Website of Immaculate Conception
Pictures from Rome of the West
Interestingly, all the PSR kids were there. It was kind of odd, being as I went to Catholic school and we never had class on Holy Days, so we never went to Mass together on Holy Days. (Don't worry, we went once a week otherwise). It was odd also because you had all these kids and lots of elderly people. There was hardly anyone in the middle.
Music was accompanied by an organ.
Opening: Immaculate Mary
Offertory: Ave Maria (in Latin...sung by the cantor)
Communions: Like a Child Rests and Holy is His Name
Sending Forth: Hail Holy Queen
I was confused a bit by Mass. The Nativity is out sans Jesus, but the Advent candles and wreath is out. Father wore a white vestment with a blue center and the deacon wore a white dalmaic with a red center. Why? Isn't red for the Holy Spirit and Martyrs? Mary's neither.
Father was apparently preparing for the throngs of people at Christmas who don't know there is a new translation. He kept reminding us to use the missalette or the pew cards. And to remember especially and "With your Spirit"
The first mini-homily was that the Virgin Mary was an example and that we should pray for forgiveness when we do not follow that example.
Father's homily started off with the First Reading from Genesis. Adam and Eve ate from the tree they were not supposed to. God was upset (uhm...to say the least...) with the devil, Adam and Eve. God punished the snake and promised someone will come to crush the devil. That person would be Mary. That's why most statues of Mary have her standing with her heel on the head of the snake. We will be tempted by the devil. God overcomes temptation. Father then taught us
O Mary Conceived without sin
Pray for us who have recourse to Thee
God protects us. Mary protects us from temptations. The rays coming out of Mary's hands are God's grace which wants to embrace us. Turn to God to do the right thing. Mary is the mother of all of us. God will bless us. Mary always did the right thing (goody two shoes...I'm so going to hell...). We need the protection of Mary. Ask Santa Claus for a Miraculous Medal. We then said the Hail Mary.
The second mini-homily was at the start of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The bells were ringing because it was 6 pm. Father discussed the Offertory Song that it was Hail Mary and beautiful. Also at 6 pm you pray the Angelus (history of) (and at 6 am and at Noon except in Easter when you pray the uhm Regina Coeli? Cheli? no there's an o in it. uhm...Choeli? but who's keeping track) which is related to today's Gospel.
Father used Eucharistic Prayer II and there were bells.
Chapel:
Chapel Exterior
View From the Back Pew!
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Church:
Immaculate Conception -Dardenne Prairie
View From the Back Pew
I believe in
One
Holy
I see Mary and St. Louis IX
Catholic
Apostolic Church
(The four marks of the Church FYI)
Mary
I love those color roses
(if such a thing needs to be said...the purply pink ones)
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble!
Fire burn, and caldron bubble!
Oh wait.
It's a baptismal font.
I have to say...the font gives me the creeps.
I had a bad dream the night before and this did not help...
Uhm.
Getting a little ahead of ourselves are we?
Links:
Website of Immaculate Conception
Pictures from Rome of the West
Sunday, December 4, 2011
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:
Links:
Information from the St. Louis Archdiocese
Pictures from Rome of the West
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
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