Worship News

Thank You KCs!
A huge thank you to the KC men and women who helped organize and serve our parish lunch last Sunday.  Thank you to also to At Last Gourmet foods and Jean Fertitta for donated all the delicious soups that were served.   It was fun to meet the artist, Sarah Hart, who is the songwriter/composer of many of the songs we use at church.  Thank you all for coming.

Calling all Christmas Concert singers!
This year’s Christmas concert, in conjunction with the Land of Lakes Choirboys, will take place on Friday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 PM here at SJTW. All singers are invited to join in this combined choir.
Rehearsals will take place:
Wednesday, November 28, from 6:30-7:30;
Friday, December 7, 6:00 PM (dress rehearsal before the concert)


November is the Month of Remembrance.  
We pause to remember all the saints who have gone before us.  Please take time to enter into the Book of Remembrance the names of your loved ones who have passed away.  You are also invited to bring photos of your loved ones and place them on the steps of the sanctuary for the month of November.  

Final Commendation
A funeral Mass usually ends with the final commendation.  This collection of prayers and symbols bridges the prayer in church with the procession to the place of committal.  It focuses our attention on the deceased as we commend him or her to the mercy of God.  The final commendation usually follows the prayer after communion.    The commendation has several parts.  The priest invites everyone to pray.  All do so silently.  Signs of farewell are made: usually the incensation of the coffin while all sing a song of farewell.  The short ritual concludes with a prayer of commendation.  Many parishes do not use incense very often, but virtually all parishes use it for funerals.  It gives the Catholic service a distinctive aroma and feature.  The prayer that concludes the commendation puts into words specifically what the mourners are asking God: "Open the gates of paradise to your servant. " 
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Placing of the Pall 
The placing of the pall is a most tender moment in the funeral Mass.  When the coffin enters the church, the priest sprinkles it with holy water.  Then a large white cloth, the pall, may be placed upon it in silence.  The pall has two meanings, both deriving from the New Testament.  First, the pall recalls the baptismal garment.  At baptism, Catholics each receive a white garment as a sign of their Christian dignity.  They are instructed to bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven.  The garment recalls Revelation 3:4-5, which announces that those who have not fallen to sin, who have not "soiled their garment," will walk in white in glory.  The names of those clothed in white, the passage continues, will never be erased from the book of the living.  The funeral pall, then reclothes the body in baptism white to stir up our hopes in the resurrection.  
Second, the pall signifies equality.  The letter of James (2:1-9) discourages favoritism.  It challenges people who form judgements, based on how someone is dressed.  The funeral pall clothes every deceased Christian in the same garment.  Christians do not approach heaven trying to pass ourselves off as better than others by the garment we wear.  We all wear the same uniform before our all-knowing maker and judge.  
The pall may be placed on the coffin by family, friends, or the priest.  During a funeral, a national flag should not be placed on the coffin in place of the pall. 
copyright©2012 Resource Publication,Inc., 160 E. Virginia St. #170, San Jose, CA 95112

Book of the Dead
Some parishes display a book of the names of the dead.  The book keeps an informal record of member who have died and can be put on public view to help the living remember the dead.  The Catholic Church requires every parish to maintain a register of deaths.  After each funeral, the name of the deceased is to be inscribed in this parish register.   A secretary usually enters the data, but the pastor is ultimately responsible.  This register is usually kept in the parish office, where it serves as a reference book.   Every parish is obliged to keep one.  But some parishes display a second book of the dead.  It contains numerous blank pages bound by a an ornate cover.  In some parishes a member of the family is invited to inscribe the name of the deceased in the book. It may be left on permanent display or for occasions like the month of November.   Carefully maintained and properly displayed, a book of the dead reminds the living of the people they loved and lost.  It record names of the body of Christ and inspires prayer for the their eternal rest.  

Copyright©2012 Resource Publication,Inc., 160 E. Virginia St. #170, San Jose, CA 95112
 

Children’s Liturgy of the World
Children’s Liturgy of the World gives children grades 1-4 a great opportunity to break open the word each Sunday at their own level.  The scriptures are presented and discussed together with a leader in St. Cecelia’s music room during 8:30 and 10:30 masses. 
We are in need of additional Children Liturgy of the Word ministers for 8:30 and 10:30 mass times. 
All materials are provided and you would be on the schedule once a month Oct-May.  Please contact Tarri in the office if you are interested. 


Tickets for the 15th Annual Holiday Tea and Concert on 
November 18 are SOLD OUT!

HOLIDAY TEA HELP STILL NEEDED! 
We are also looking for help with the Holiday Tea on Nov 18th. Here are some ways you can join the fun while supporting the SJTW Music Ministry:

* Table servers (listen to the concert and sample the food while serving others). We are looking for both male and female servers, of all ages from teen on up.

* Loan place settings for the tables

* Help by making desserts

* Donate door prizes for the tea, anything goes!

Sign up sheets are in the St. Cecilia Music Room or call Amy at 612-309-1158 or Rachel at 612-834-3689.

Mass for God’s Children – Monday, November 19 • 7:00 p.m.
Memorial Mass for families who have experienced Miscarriage, Stillbirth & Infant Loss.

Our parish hosts a support group for families who have lost a child in pregnancy, childbirth and as infants.  Families have found this very helpful in their struggles and in their healing.  As miscarriages have affected virtually every family is some manner, we are holding a Mass for God’s Children on Monday, Nov. 19 at 7:00 p.m. to celebrate these little ones.  Families will have the opportunity to light a candle for their lost child, pray out loud for them, and create a memorial for them. The families who attend the support group want to extend this opportunity to as many families as they can so we are asking you to specifically invite families you know who have recently lost a child as well as those who may have lost a child years ago.  Families are simply invited, no need to register before attending.  I have had some couples become parishioners simply by attending to them in their loss at the hospital or offering to do a funeral for them.  I encourage you to do the same.  This tragic loss cannot be overstated and should not be under-valued.  As babies in the womb are God’s Children, one who dies in the womb is also God’s child.  This is an opportunity for us as church to recognize that all life is precious and to celebrate the babies in this fashion.  For your families, for the children who have died, I encourage you to let your hurting families know of this opportunity. 
 

Volunteers Needed to Bring Forth the Gifts
We all know the joy of selecting a gift for someone, wrapping it up, and then giving it to them. Each week at Mass, during the presentation of gifts, we bring forth our gifts to the altar with joy and excitement.  Individuals and families are invited to be a part of this procession each week.  It is easy to do and with the assistance of the hospitality ministers and the altar servers who lead the processional, all you have to do is bring the gifts from St. Joe’s statue to the altar.  A sign up sheet is on the bulletin board near the sacristy.  Very few people have been signing up, so our hospitality ministers end up scrambling to try to find people.   Please sign up for a Mass or two to present the gifts on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Christ.
 

Information Ministry Volunteers Needed
Does St. Joe’s have a lost and found?  Do we have daily devotions book available to take home? Who do I contact to become Catholic?  How do I join the parish? 
These are all questions that people have asked the information desk in the last few months.  As a welcoming community, we have found it is very helpful to have a person at our information desk after mass to help parishioners and visitors get information or direct them to the correct people to help them.  
We are in need of more people willing to be at the information desk for 15-20 minutes after Mass to be available for any questions. All information is in a book to help you direct questions. You would be on the schedule once a month at the Mass you normally attend.  You can even get a cup of coffee while you sit there. Contact Tarri Nelson in the office at 763-400-7205 for more information.
 

#SJTW15 – The Holy Family Chapel
The Holy Family Chapel has been designed to be a multi-purpose room.  A place for daily mass, funerals, weddings and various meetings and gatherings.  The chapel was designed to slightly resemble the Worship Space with its hardwood floor, larger window and architectural ceiling, as well as the antiphonal seating. On the walls, one can find an icon of the Holy Family, written by Nicholas Markell. Also, from the St. John’s Bible, you will find four Illuminations of the Gospels.


#SJTW15 – The Sanctuary
The sanctuary, which runs down the center of the Worship Space, was designed to show the various connections between the many liturgical actions and elements.  Starting at the entrance to the Worship Space one encounters the Baptismal Font, the place where we are initiated into our faith; then the Ambo, where we are nourished by the Word of God; then the Altar, where we are nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ.  Without going through Baptism and Word, one cannot be filled with the Sacrament.



#SJTW15 – The Ambry
The Ambry is the place where the Holy Oils are displayed.  The oils here are: Sacred Chrism, the Oil of the Sick, and the Oil of the Catechumen.  Sacred Chrism is used to anoint the head of the infants after baptism and is placed on the forehead of those who receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.  The Oil of the Sick is placed on the forehead and palms of those who receive the Anointing of the Sick.  The Oil of the Catechumen is placed on the forehead of those who are preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism.  The Ambry is made of the base of the tabernacle from the old Worship Space.  The two marble carving next to the Ambry are the bases of the altar from the old Worship Space.  Putting the three carvings together recreates the “high” altar of the church in North Minneapolis.  The three carvings are: IHS, which is the first letter of the three words, in Greek, of the title given to Jesus.  Iesus Hemeteros Soter, or Jesus, Savior of Humanity.  This is one of the earliest inscriptions of the church.
A Lamb, in the middle, represents Christ, the suffering servant. With the cross and the lamb reclining it signifies the wounded Christ
The pelican has long been a symbol of the Eucharist and redemption.   There is an ancient belief that the female pelican would rip open her breast to feed her young with her own life-blood to avert their starvation.  It is the ultimate symbol of self-sacrifice.

#SJTW15 – The Candle Stands
The candle stands are all made of oak.  As you look up the stand you will see an acorn and oak leaves.  This is to make the connection between the materials that are used in most of the liturgical furnishings but also to symbolize the life within the acorn and the ever-changing cycles of life similar to those of an oak leaf changing through the seasons. 

#SJTW15 – The Processional Cross
This icon by Nicholas Markell, leads us into worship, bringing our family into focus on the word and sacrament so that we can be nourished and then, it leads us back into the world to “celebrate the challenge to live the mission of Jesus Christ.” 
 

#SJTW15 – The Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross are embedded in the floor around the perimeter of the Worship Space so that all may reflect upon the way of the cross of Jesus each station is marked with a Roman Numeral.  Individuals or groups may now journey with Christ as they pray the Stations.  The Stations of the Cross are made from the marble windowsills of the old Worship Space, which also came from the old church in North Minneapolis.

#SJTW15 – The Presider’s Chair and Deacon’s Chair
The presider’s chair is located so that the priest may preside over the celebration.  It is from this place that the priest leads the liturgical assembly in prayer. The deacon’s chair is smaller, but similar in design. Have you ever noticed the backs of the chairs are shaped, abstractly, like a tree – Tree of Life!

#SJTW15 – The Baptismal Font
The baptismal font has been designed in the shape of a coffin for it is in Christ that we die to ourselves so that we may rise with him in new life.  The rock, made of granite, at the front of the font was found right off of Hemlock Lane.  The rock reminds us that baptism is the foundation of our faith.  Out of this rock is honed a small pool which will be used for infant baptisms.  The water of life pours over the rock into the larger pool, which will be used for adult and children’s baptisms especially at the Easter Vigil.  Built into the end of the font is the holder for the Paschal Candle.  This candle represents Christ, the light of the world.  It is lit during the Easter Season, at funerals and baptisms and serves as a reminder that we have been given the light through the death of Jesus Christ.

#SJTW15 – The Tabernacle
The tabernacle is the original tabernacle from St. Joseph Catholic Church in North Minneapolis, where our community existed before Maple Grove. It is a place where nourishment – the Body of Christ, is reserved so it may be used in times of need, for the sick and the homebound. The tabernacle was enlarged when we moved from the previous Worship Space (now St. Joseph Hall). 

#SJTW15 – The Altar
The altar has been designed so that we are all gathered around the table of the Eucharist.  Gathered as a family gathers for celebrations.  We are a faith family who gathers at this table to celebrate the challenge of the mission of Jesus Christ.  The altar, too, has a base that resembles the trunk of a tree – the Tree of Life.  Again, the tree symbolizes our roots, our connection with our history.  Some trees produce nourishment for each of us to fill ourselves full.  This Tree of Life, the tree upon which Christ was crucified, fills each of us with the Body and Blood of Christ.

#SJTW15 – The Ambo
The ambo is the place from which sacred Scripture is proclaimed.  It is reserved solely for this purpose.  The base of the ambo is formed to resemble a trunk of a tree – the Tree of Life.  Symbolizing the roots we have in Hebrew and Christian Scripture.  The roots of our ancestors stem as far back as the beginning of creation and the tree symbolizes an ever-present need to search deeper and deeper for refreshment from the Word of God.  The front of the ambo contains a place for displaying the Book of the Gospels after the Gospel has been proclaimed.  Once the Word of God has been proclaimed, it is no longer contained in a book, but in our hearts, our minds, and our souls.

 

Children’s Liturgy of the Word Leaders
Want to help our young people get more out of the Mass? Want to see them deepen their relationship with God? Want to help them understand the readings? Become a Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) Leader. All materials and training are provided. We offer this opportunity for children grades 1-4 at the 8:30 and 10:30 Masses. Contact Tarri in the Worship Office at 763-400-7205.

Musicians Needed
We are in need of additional musicians for our Sunday evening OneWith Band. This band leads the music for our OneWith Formation approximately twice each month. We are looking for guitarists, synthesizer players and a drummer. If you would be interested in being a part of this band, please contact Tarri at 763-400-7205.