“My kids never want to go to church.” Well, what reason do we give them to come to church? It takes a lot of church and faith formation to comprehend what takes place at the altar. At 42, I still find it difficult, and I work in a church all week. Jesus should be the reason; if not that, there is the Commandment. I hear this complaint from parents, even of adult children, all the time.
Good news, there is something we can do about this. Even better, it is something all of us can do and it is simple. Acknowledge children every week, learn their name, and tell them you are happy they came to pray with you at Mass. At a young age, I would walk back to my seat from Communion and a sweet older lady who always smiled, pressed a quarter into my hand one week. That simple action has me coming back every week and writing about it 35 years later. This past weekend, there was a toddler very awake at the 7:30 Mass. Another sweet, (I am not going to comment on her age) lady was in the same pew. During the solemn part of the liturgy, she asked the toddler if he would like to sit next to her, and she had a quiet conversation with him. Everyone around was watching and with big smiles. It was a priceless moment.
We have our entire lives to deepen our relationship with Christ. Being a part of a community that shows its warmness, and affection is one great way keep our fellow parishioners coming back week after week. Attending Mass every Sunday is vital. We should take our role of being joyful, missionary disciples seriously. It is both good for us and an outward sign to others who may be lukewarm in their faith, that something good happens when they attend Mass.
Disclaimers: It is no longer acceptable to place a choking hazard into the hands of children. The toddler mentioned was well behaved during Mass and if he distracted anyone it was because he was adorable. I recognize that Jesus and the sacrifice at Mass is far more significant than a quarter, but that is not the point I was trying to make.
Paul Pyrkosz
Good news, there is something we can do about this. Even better, it is something all of us can do and it is simple. Acknowledge children every week, learn their name, and tell them you are happy they came to pray with you at Mass. At a young age, I would walk back to my seat from Communion and a sweet older lady who always smiled, pressed a quarter into my hand one week. That simple action has me coming back every week and writing about it 35 years later. This past weekend, there was a toddler very awake at the 7:30 Mass. Another sweet, (I am not going to comment on her age) lady was in the same pew. During the solemn part of the liturgy, she asked the toddler if he would like to sit next to her, and she had a quiet conversation with him. Everyone around was watching and with big smiles. It was a priceless moment.
We have our entire lives to deepen our relationship with Christ. Being a part of a community that shows its warmness, and affection is one great way keep our fellow parishioners coming back week after week. Attending Mass every Sunday is vital. We should take our role of being joyful, missionary disciples seriously. It is both good for us and an outward sign to others who may be lukewarm in their faith, that something good happens when they attend Mass.
Disclaimers: It is no longer acceptable to place a choking hazard into the hands of children. The toddler mentioned was well behaved during Mass and if he distracted anyone it was because he was adorable. I recognize that Jesus and the sacrifice at Mass is far more significant than a quarter, but that is not the point I was trying to make.
Paul Pyrkosz
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