Today we entered
into a good discussion on children at mass… We are sure this will be the first
of many talks on the topic, but before that – let’s talk about the heart of the
problem...
The heart of the problem is that we have to have this discussion to begin with. The heart of the problem is that there are some within our Catholic community that freely offer their criticism and disgust to families with young children. The faithful who feel the future of our Church should be sequestered to a cry room away from the rest. That is the problem…
Jesus was no
doubt an infant who cried and perhaps squirmed about… should we deny Him admittance
or perhaps segregate Him to a cry room? Should a child of God be removed from
His presence because another cannot focus or understand the beauty, faith, and
sacrifice before them? Does this not speak more of that person than the parents
and the child? The heart of the problem is that we have to have this discussion to begin with. The heart of the problem is that there are some within our Catholic community that freely offer their criticism and disgust to families with young children. The faithful who feel the future of our Church should be sequestered to a cry room away from the rest. That is the problem…
Do not all baptized have the right to “be nourished with the Word of God and to be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church?”
With 6 kids, Mass is not always easy for us (3 are 3 and under)… We have received the eye rolls and less than charitable comments. And on Sunday we will be at Mass again, praying for all those who seem to need the patience and understanding more than we do. Perhaps instead of cry rooms we need an isolation room for those who cannot see God through the noise – for certainly He is still present.
Now to be completely forthcoming, it took us a while to figure this all out. We have been the ones to shuffle the little ones off so to avoid the awkward stares, but why is that? Why were we so quick to seclude our children from something so profound? Why were we so quick to separate one precious part of the Body of Christ? Are we not all the same Body? Should we separate a hand or foot if it is paining or distracting us?
A great deal of prayer and reflection brought us to a new conclusion… the problem isn’t children in Mass the problem is the mindset that makes one want to keep these little saints away from the Mass, where the real presence of our Lord resides.
“Then
some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and
pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said,
"Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the
kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." After laying His hands
on them, He departed from there.”
Matthew 19:13-15
*Photo from: http://wordsfromsimon.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/the-man-in-the-story/
