COACHING FROM HEAVEN > CHILDREN IN CHURCH
For many of us, it is very difficult to keep the children quiet and interested during the mass. Attending the mass as a family, however, is important as the Church teaches we need to bring the children at an early age to Mass.
The first thing we should learn our children is to show love and respect when visiting the House of the Lord. Dressing up on Sundays is a good thing to do as it emphasizes the importance of the day and the seriousness of the Eucharist.
When entering the church, we can geniflect and bless the children with holy water. We should try to sit on the front row or as much to the front as possible. The closer the children are to the Mass, the more sights and sounds of the Eucharistic celebration become real to them. When they can see what's going on, they are less likely to act up.
When having babies or toddlers, it is better to remain at the back in order to be able to sneak out when the baby start to cry.
In some churches, cryrooms and children's babysitting are an option, although these tend sometimes to be chaotic and don't teach reverence for the mass.
A small shrine (outdoors or in the vestibule) with benches and a sound system so the Mass can still be heard would be a charitable option to any parish.
Another solution is to have a children's liturgy celebrated during the readings, the gospel and the homily. After that, they can join the priest around the altar to pray the Our Father and they can return to us and we can celebrate the rest of the Mass together as a family.
A way to avoid distraction is to park the children in between adults as much as possible.
When having very young children, we can also bring religious books to occupy them. There are beautiful children's missals that will teach our children about the Mass and help them understand the prayers and symbolism. (See our Book section).
Finally, the presence of children in the church should be considered a sign of hope - not only for the parish but for the entire church. We should also remember the words of Christ: "Let the little children come unto Me and do not hinder them, for of such is the kingdom of God".
|
|
Click here to visit our sponsors
