Crying Babies, Bored Teens...a Witness at Mass!
I love seeing children at Mass because their parents are a great witness of faith to me. Crying babies, talking toddlers, and bored teens remind me of the difficult days when it was really hard to get my family dressed and out the door for Mass, then to keep them quiet for an hour. Sometimes I told the Lord, “I came to Mass today because you asked me to, but with 3 young children to watch, I’m not sure what went on. Please don’t look at all my distractions, but on the fact that I have come to keep your Sabbath holy for love of you, as you asked. Thank you!”
When I see children at Mass, I know the sacrifice and determination it took for their parents to bring them. Their parents are fathers and mothers of faith, willing to sacrifice their personal comfort for their children in order to help them get to heaven. In fact, parents can lift up their sacrifice of effort with a simple prayer that goes something like this, “Lord, You see how hard it is to get everyone to Mass today. Instead of getting angry or impatient with them, I lift up this sacrifice of time and effort and join it to your cross for the sake of the souls of my children.”
Prayer is the best thing we can do for our children. Liguori Publications also gives the following ideas to help our children grow in their love for Jesus at Mass: 1) Before Mass, talk with your kids about coming up with their own special petition and encourage them to bring it to Jesus at Mass. 2) Purchase a Mass book for each child. 3)
Choose a pew near the Sanctuary so they can see what’s going on. It’s hard to be holy while staring at people’s backs. 4) Retell the Sunday Scripture in a story form to which children can relate. Later, when they hear the Scripture at Mass, they’ll perk up their ears because it has become “their” story. 5) Stop by church sometime for a show & tell visit. Kneel together for quiet prayer before you leave. 6) Give younger children money for the collection. Older ones should give their own. Explain how the church uses their money. Help them identify ministries they care about.
Family night prayers, Scripture stories, praying out loud for each other’s needs, and attending Mass are important parts of your children’s faith life. Thank you, moms and dads, for being a witness to the entire St. Francis of Assisi community each and every time you bring your babies, toddlers, children, and teens to Mass. You are a great witness to all of us! Their guardian angels, the Saints, and God our Father, see what you are doing and are very, very pleased.
