A week or two ago I was inspired to expand a comment I’d left on Kate Wicker’s article, Why Children Belong at Mass at Inside Catholic into a post on my blog: 20 Things You Can Do to Help Your Toddler Behave at Mass. I guess this is a case of great minds thinking alike for just as I was finishing that blog post, I received an email from Kate asking if she could interview me for a piece she was writing for Faith and Family Live on the very same subject.
Kate’s piece, Sunday Morning Scramble, is much more concise, she is blessed with an editor and a word count that keep her from rambling like I do here on the blog, where I don’t so much compose as think aloud. And she offers some beautiful words of wisdom. I was honored to be asked to contribute a few quotes.
I am also saddened, though, reading through many of the responses there. Saddened at how discouraged many mothers are from bringing their small children. Discouraged both by their priests and by their fellow worshipers. And I was saddened too by how many of the mothers really don’t think there is any point in fighting the battle to bring their young ones to church. They think that kids won’t get anything out of Mass until they are old enough to receive communion. I pray they might have the grace to be persistent and that someday they may be blessed as I have been to see their little ones shine with the light of the love of God as they fold their hands and pray.
Also, while on the subject of bringing young ones to Mass, check out
this review of Magnifikid.
