Sunday, April 30, 2017

Morning mass around the world

One of the things I enjoy about Catholic mass, which I sometimes watch while riding my exercycle, is the Scripture readings.  There is so much more focus on the Bible in their services. In Protestant services the focus is primarily on the preacher and the sermon. I also enjoy watching/listening to Eric Waters, our former pastor of UALC who now is in Texas, although I would always be a week behind if I watched on Sunday.

 For a long time I watched the services from Australia--which is a few hours ahead of us.  The participants were rather elderly--and it was intended for the nursing home crowd who are unable to leave their homes.  Even the priests limped or struggled.  Then I tried Canada for a few weeks.  Sometimes I visited the Philippines, although the English was a bit difficult. The choirs were very interesting. Today I tried the April 30 service of the Passionists.  I'd never heard of them, so had to look them up: 
"The Passionists of St. Paul of the Cross Province belong to a world-wide community of Passionists, a Catholic religious community founded by St. Paul of the Cross, one of the great missionary saints of the Catholic Church. (St Pauls Benevolent Educational And Missionary Institute Inc.)

The Passionists of St. Paul of the Cross Province serve in the eastern parts of the United States and Canada in parishes, retreat and spiritual centers, monasteries and residences. You can find us in cities like New York, Pittsburgh, and Hartford; in addition we serve worldwide in poor and remote areas of Jamaica, West Indies, and Haiti."
They were joined in this service by a Catholic boys school in the Bronx. 

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