I saw this at The New Liturgical Movment and it is just too funny. And on top of that, it is from our neighboring diocese of Charleston, SC which has a cathedral with the same name as our cathedral in Savannah. One day I might retire in the Charleston diocese.
Catholic comedian Jeremy McLellan weighs in on the discussion provoked by a post on the blog of Fr Michael White, pastor of Nativity Church in Timonium, Maryland, entitled “Why We Don’t Encourage (Little) Kids in Church.” As is so often the case, there is already a solution to the problem, and what’s old is new again...
Catholic comedian Jeremy McLellan weighs in on the discussion provoked by a post on the blog of Fr Michael White, pastor of Nativity Church in Timonium, Maryland, entitled “Why We Don’t Encourage (Little) Kids in Church.” As is so often the case, there is already a solution to the problem, and what’s old is new again...
6 comments:
Father, you would want some humor?
In honor of your Italian heritage, I present the following from Groucho Marx's funny quiz show, You Bet Your Life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRy2l56_NxU
Groucho has great fun...lots of laughter...with two sisters, one of whom doesn't speak English, from Italy. Then, joined by their brother, the sisters sing O Sole Mio. Groucho joined the fun.
Funny, funny moments. Television will never again produce the likes of this clip.
At the 7:51 mark, the sisters first appear. Groucho banters with them. Lots of laugh. At the 16:45 mark, the serenade begins.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Bee here:
Gee Father, I didn't even smile once at this hilarity. Oh, stick in the mud me...who has weathered the apostasy of clerics and religious these 50 some odd years...who has listened to heresy and attended liturgies I wondered if were valid or licit...who has been offended to my core by the audacity of priests like Fr. Michael Pfleger who is allowed to run rampant in heterodoxy, while holy faithful priests are chastised and removed from ministry...who has listened to priests condemn me from the pulpit for not supporting the latest Leftist ideology.
Yep, I fought for my faith through all of this, and now I have the unmitigated gall to want to pray when I attend Mass. Oh, the nerve of it, to want to be able to focus and turn my mind and heart to God, and not be distracted by a screaming baby or a toddler being allowed run up and down the aisle...
We've discussed this topic before, and anyone who's been on this blog for a while knows what I think, and it has been said that my point of view is one that belongs to the old crotchety fogey group, who will be dead in a few years anyway, and that my way of thinking is really bad for the future of the Church, because if the young people are chased away because they feel unwelcome with their small kids, well, soon we'll have no one in Church at all.
I don't believe that. I'm guessing these parents already have weak faith and not too much commitment, because if they would not come back because they get dirty looks when their kids are disruptive, it seems they are not there for the right reasons (to worship God and fulfill their Sunday obligation) and may be there to meet some other need (like meeting other nice couples with kids their age).
And I wish someone would show me the correlation between being taken to Mass as a kid and continuing to attend Mass now that they are over 20. Because there sure seems to be a dearth of single 20-somethings at Mass by themselves in my Archdiocese....
Anyway, I've come to see kids acting up during Mass as just one more way I am goaded by the demon to stop going to Mass. So now I say, bring 'em in, pals. And let them scream to high heaven or run up and down the aisleduring the consecration. It's just one more faith strengthener for me. Bring it on.
God bless.
Bee
Vianney1100 here
I am thinking we have it all backwards regarding children in church. What we really need is a room for those who can't stand having kids around that is sound proof so they can pray in complete silence. That has single seat pews so that they can have both sides to an aisle with plenty of space between them so they don't have to worry about the sign of peace. Also, it would double as a meeting room for these same people who tend to be older, where they can carry on their conversations as loud as they want and not interrupt those of use who like to pray for a few minutes after Mass when all the kids are gone and it should be quiet. :)
My wife and I had a simple solution when the kids were small. We brought a couple of their favorite books and a snack and they rarely, if ever really, acted up in Church.
Is it well possible that the children are screaming because quite frankly, they're bored to tears? Yesterday at Divine Liturgy, where we had plenty of children, A baby was grabbing onto my keys, and it did not bother me.
"When you begin to pray, they will stop bothering you."--Metropolitan Anthony Bloom on children in church
For the record, I was born 1948. Times have changed.
My parents (a) never missed Sunday Mass other than for illness, (b) belonged to a mission parish with exactly ONE Mass on Sunday, so (c) we three kids always went along. When we were infants and toddlers, Mom and Dad carried small toys or books to distract us, and if we got really antsy they'd simply take us out of church.
Once we were around 4 years old they expected us - bored as we might be at times - to be quiet and reverent. Of course sometimes we'd still act up and have to be removed from church. Now, however, there were real consequences, specifically sitting quietly in a corner for 45 minutes (the time we missed at Mass). If, as a 4 year old, you think Mass is boring, try staring at a wall.
This approach to unruly behavior seemed to be the generally agreed upon solution among the parents in the parish. Long, loud outbursts were few and far between. And there was no "crying room" either.
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