Children at Mass
Some of my earliest memories are of being in church at Mass. We had no cry room at St. Vitus in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and therefore Mom had no choice but to keep my older brother and me in tow.
Some of my earliest memories are of being in church at Mass. We had no cry room at St. Vitus in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and therefore Mom had no choice but to keep my older brother and me in tow. I don’t remember everything, but I am certain that like typical kids, my brother and I squealed and squirmed and fought with each other during Mass. But Mom didn’t give up and her determination to bring us to Mass had a huge impact. I may not have understood everything that happened during Mass, but those experiences cultivated and nurtured the seeds of my faith in a way that nothing else could.
Liturgy is a family affair. Parents not only have the right to bring their children to church, they have a duty to bring their children to church. In fact, the entire Christian community shares the responsibility to foster the faith of children, which means welcoming their presence at Mass. Kids will be kids. Their tiny bodies are full of energy and sometimes that prevents them from being still. They will wiggle and occasionally wail. The work of the parent is to model the behavior they expect from their children—to participate fully in the liturgy and to engage their children to sing the songs and pray the prayers. The work of the community is to be patient and tolerant, remembering that we too were once children. A smile or a word of encouragement sends a strong message to parents and children. It says, “We welcome you here,” and “We are all part of the family.”
Jesus had a lot to say about children. In the Gospels, we hear how Jesus views the smallest among us:
Whoever welcomes a child such as this for my sake welcomes me . . . Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 9:37, 10:14.
This Sunday, October 1, at the noon Mass and next Saturday, October 7, at the 7:30pm Mass in Spanish, we welcome the children in a special way with youth-led liturgies. Children will serve as greeters, lectors and music leaders. Let us welcome all of our children, as Jesus did, with open arms. They are the future of the Church.
Welcome the Children
Some of my earliest memories are of being in church at Mass. We had no cry room at St. Vitus in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and therefore Mom had no choice but to keep my older brother and me in tow. I don’t remember everything, but I am certain that like typical kids, my brother and I squealed and squirmed and fought with each other during Mass. But Mom didn’t give up. Her determination to bring us to Mass had a huge impact. I may not have understood everything that happened during Mass, but those experiences cultivated and nurtured the seeds of my faith in a way that nothing else could.