St. Joe's Fullerton

I finished out the quadrangle of partner parishes this week at St Joseph's in Fullerton for 10:30 mass.   St. Joe's has a semi circle layout with 7 or eight columns of pews with modern stained glass windows lining the back wall.  It was a full house with plenty of people standing in the back and sitting in the choir loft.  There was a diverse crowd made up of young and old.  The ushers wear suits.

The had Children's Liturgy at this mass, and it was like the Pied Piper was there leading the kids away.  There were a lot of them, barreling (in a good way) up to the front of church.  At the end of mass, the second graders turned in their reconciliation project.  That was another mob scene of enthusiastic little ones on the altar.  

This was the first mass I have been to with a Choir.  I think their robes make them look rather like Pilgrims.  They use the Gather Comprehensive.  I've never seen so many people leave after communion.  You know all those jokes about church parking lots?  They are about you, St. Joe's.

This week's homily started out pretty standard for the second week of Advent: Christmas is about more that trees and presents and parties.  There are no short cuts to spirituality. No short cuts?  Like say, going to a different church every week in desperate search of something you can't identify?  Uh oh.  Maybe I'm in more trouble than I thought.

And I still haven't gotten the hang of the New Roman Missal.

Next week I'm going to St. Brigid's after the Jingle Bell Run.  And this week some where for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

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