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. Richard - Bald Knob

Hello all!
It's hot here in Arkansas.  I'm also working on my ark.

This week I attended the 4 pm Vigil at St. Richard in Bald Knob.  It has a cute exterior and is tiny on the inside.  This is one of the few churches I've been to where I can't "pretend" to kneel by having my butt rest on the pew edge.  The pews were pretty widely spaced.

The music was accompanied by an electronic organ in the back.
Opening:  Creator Spirit, By Whose Aid
Mass Setting: Heritage Mass
Offertory:  Come Holy Ghost
Communion:  One Bread, One Body
Closing:  Go Make of All Disciples

Have you ever forgotten where we were in the Liturgical Calendar?  I'm at Mass last night (before the songs were changed on the board) and I notice that Father is putting on red vestments and I'm like is it Corpus Christi already?  Totally forgot about Pentecost.  I'm never going to hear the Sequence am I?

Homily:
Today is the highpoint of the Easter celebration..Pentecost.  50 days after Passover the Jewish celebrate the law giving on Mt. Sinai.  God gave the 10 Commandments to show them how to be a people of God.  This means behaving in a way God wants, not the way we think is right.  As humans we have a short cycle.  When we try to take the initiative with God, disaster follows, for example, the Tower of Babel.  This is to remind you of the Acts of the Apostles tomorrow...they speak in another language, Pentecost is a reversal of this.  God decided to build a bridge.  When humans build the bridge, you get Babel.  God give us Pentecost. After the Ascension, the task is too big for the Apostles.  They need God's initiative to go out and preach.  What God asks is impossible if we rely only on ourselves.  At the opportune time, God will send out the Holy Spirit to make the lukewarm into the zealous (How about before my next facebook argument about God's existence and morality...because I'm over my head.)  Misunderstanding to understanding.  There was misunderstanding at Babel.  The miracle of Pentecost is they all heard in their own language.  Love is the language everyone understands (eye roll).  Love is the language of the Children of God and Heaven.  At Babel, the human family was broken up.  Pentecost brings the family together.  It is the Birthday of the Church (I had a cupcake!) We benefit from our difference.  Holy Spirit flows through us to inspire us to a more Christian life (any day now...)  the Holy Spirit helps us in the life of Faith (but not in Facebook arguments :P ) Unity.  We are one body united in Faith, cleansed and made holy by the Sacraments.  It keeps the Chancery and the Pope free of error ( I think he meant Magisterium...not the Chancery...or we have some big issues..).

Father used Eucharistic Prayer II and there were bells.

Pictures:

On another note, I'm currently involved in facebook discussions on God's existence, morality and other fun stuff.  I could really use some better background.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Please don't suggest St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.  They are awesome but way beyond me at this point.


Links:
St. Richard - Bald Knob

Holy Rosary - Memphis TN

This weekend I was in Memphis feeding giraffes and attending another festival that did not live up to its potential.  I had meant to go to a church in West Memphis, which is in Arkansas, but the times didn't work for me and the road construction is extra *special.*  I found the earliest, closest Mass to the hotel.

I attended the 7:30 am Mass at Holy Rosary.  This looks like a typical, middle to upper-middle class parish.  The 7:30 Mass had no music.

My brain was not functioning as my sister had to go the ER in the middle of the night.  (she's better)  I forgot to bring paper and pen.  This is what I remember of the homily.  There were only 11 men that witnessed the Ascension.  They were praying very hard in the upper room (Praying...cowering in terror..same thing).  They had the marching orders but not the impetus.  There was a man named Milo who wanted to be a priest in Mexico during the Revolution.  He studied in Texas and Belgium and was a Jesuit.  He went around saying Mass even though it was forbidden.  If he was caught, he would be arrested (if not just shot outright)  Eventually he was caught and sentenced to death.  The governor tried to get Milo to recant his Faith through fear and intimidation and all sorts of fun stuff.  Milo would not.  Milo was put in front of a firing squad.  The soldiers fired and missed.  On purpose.  The Captain threw a wobbly.  Milo yelled Viva Cristo Rey! and the soldiers fired.  (All i could thing about was how wrong the approach was.  You don't win people over with fear and intimidation.  You win them over by kindness and reason and stuff like that.  You win by inches..not by going for miles.  Look at the American Catholic Church...the bishops have given in on days of abstinence, nuns wearing habits, holy days of obligation, saying the black, doing the red...etc....it's like we are nearly protestant....no revolution needed.)

Father used Eucharistic Prayer II and there were bells.

Pictures:  (Ugh bad day for pictures apparently...I have a case of the blurry...)

Link:
Holy Rosary - Memphis

St. Joseph - Pine Bluff

I decided last night that I wanted to go hiking in the swamp.  There's a swamp near Pine Bluff and I was like cool I'll go to Church there.  Except I couldn't remember which church I went to.  I looked at their pics online and am like I recognize neither.  I'll go to the one with the earlier Mass time and be back in time to get baklava and listen to Irish music at the Greek Fest.  (Jazz Music at the German Fest...Irish Music at the Greek Fest...Irish Music at the Jewish Fest...wonders what is played at the Irish Fest...)

I'm driving to Mass and I was like this look vaguely familiar.  Oh noes.  I recognize that dilapidated house...  Oh noes....  I've been to this church before.  Now in St. Louis, or any place really really Catholic, this is not a tragedy.  In the city at least, you just go like a mile in another direction and you hit a church.  Here in Arkansas that is fraught with issues.  Most towns only have 1 and they only have 1 Mass.  And it may or may not be on Sunday.  Luckily, Pine Bluff is bigger and has 3.... and I didn't miss Mass at one of them.

I attended the 11 am Mass at St. Joseph.  It's an older church.  The choir loft is really high.  It's so high I don't think I could stand in it.  Well, not with out a lot of extra praying.

Sometimes older churches smell really nice, like the incense and candles have soaked into the wood and stone.  St. Joseph had an odor..unfortunately, it wasn't incense.  (This will become important later on)

Music was supplied by the organ in the loft with a cantor.
Opening:  Festival Canticle
Offertory:  We Have Been Told
Communion:  Taste and See
Closing:  Sent Forth By God's Blessing

Today was the Graduation Mass, so all the graduates were there in their caps and gowns.  All were college students.  I won't ask where the grade schoolers or high schoolers were...

Father's homily started off with a story about a man named Matthew Henry who lived around 200 years ago.  He loved Jesus with all his heart and he knew his time was coming.  He knew his family and friends would be heartbroken when he died so he left them a letter.  Father read the letter.  To summarize the letter spoke of how the writer with Jesus in the Father's dwelling place and was perfect in holiness (Clearly this guy is a protestant...)  This letter is similar to today's Gospel.  Where I am you may also be.  For Jews, only God is the way.  Jesus says He is the way.  The Father and I are one.  This is a huge claim and why the Jews rejected Jesus.  The Father and I are equal.  What does it mean? Jesus is the visible manifestation...  and at this point I just started coughing and had to go outside for a moment.  and missed the rest of the homily :(

Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells at the Consecration.  Father also gave the graduates a special blessing at the end of Mass.

Pictures:

St. Joseph Pine Bluff

View From the Back Pew

Station VIII

 

I"m not sure...

St. John Vianney?

 

 

I got nothing on these two

Links:
St. Joseph - Pine Bluff

St. Joseph - Paris

Sorry this post is last.  I was exhausted from going hiking after Mass.  I climbed to the highest peak in Arkansas.  Then on Monday night I had softball.  I love getting walked!

On Sunday, May 11, I headed out to Paris, AR for the 9 am Mass at St. Joseph Church.  It is an old style church and was pretty.

Music was accompanied by an organ in the choir loft.
Opening:  Alleluia! Alleluia!
Offertory: Hail Mary: Gentle Woman
Communion:  Pan de Vida (instrumental), Let Us Break Bread Together (at a funeral pace)
Closing:  Jesus is Risen

The Gloria was not sung.  The congregation started saying it, got lost, and just kind of stopped.  Father made us redo it.

Why do churches put the cry room in the choir loft???

Homily:
The Deacon gave the homily.  Because it was Mother's Day, he asked for the Mom with the oldest child (odd) and the newest mom.  Something changes when girls have babies (yeah...their hips).  God knows what mothers need and gives them the tools to be good mothers (so bad moms didn't pick up the tools?)  You only appreciate your mother once you have kids of your own.  A mother is a mother for ever.  Mothering is out of pure love (no comment).  The history of mothers:  Eve, then Mary, then Mother church (and you missed some generations...).  The history of Mothers' Day goes back to when the early church had a day when you were to go back to the church you were baptized in, that was your mother church and the day was Mother's Day. (Uhm...he does realize that most people in the early church didn't tend to move all that far from the place they were born....it's not like they had planes or cars or anything... and on this bright note the Church I was baptized in is closed/suppressed.  Guess I don't have a mom church.  Excellent.)  Mothers' Day is not a liturgical holiday (but we are going to treat it like one)  To tie it into the Gospel, mothers are shepherds (oh this is a stretch).  Shepherds slept outside the gate to keep out the wolves.  The wolves would smell the human and go away.  In the morning, the shepherd would open the gate and the sheep would follow the call.  The image of Jesus carrying a sheep comes from when, in the old days, lambs were rambunctious and would run off.  The shepherd would break the lamb's leg and therefore would need to carry the lamb everywhere.  The lamb would then stay close to the shepherd when the lamb was healed in 2-3 weeks.  (*blink*  I don't even know where to begin on this fail.  Seriously. Other than to go stop reading wikipedia and talk to the ranchers/4H people in your parish....)  Now this doesn't mean you should break your rambunctious child's leg (I'm glad you added that qualifier there...)  We all need a hit upside the head to follow (Because when love doesn't work, violence is the answer..).  Mother wants to lead us to Church, to Jesus (that only works if your mom is a practicing Catholic and not a CAPE, C&E, or somebody died Catholic).  They do this completely out of love.  We hold mothers in high esteem (yet we trash stay at home moms).

The Deacon then gave a special blessing to all the mothers.  There were about 5 adult women who did not get to stand for the blessing.  One woman looked very very unhappy.  Then all the mothers got to come up and get a rose.  Here's a tip:  over buy your roses.  There is nothing worse than running out before all the moms get one and then having to go raid flowers in the sacristy....

One of the petitions were for Mothers who gave some quality to Earth ( I have no idea)

Father used Eucharistic Prayer II.  There were bells at the Consecration.  The Our Father was sung.

Pictures:

I guess the Holy Spirit got tired of flying...

Or it's a chicken...

 

Where's Pope?

You can tell this a Pre Vatican II window..

 

 

Link:
St. Joseph - Paris