An Encouragement for Parents

The following words of encouragement come from Janice at our Parish Office. Janice is responsible for Children’s Liturgy of the Word and more and is always willing to walk with people looking to grow more in their faith life…

Dear Parents,

Based on the concerns and questions that parents ask at the Parish Office and my own personal experience of being a Sunday Children’s Liturgy catechist since my children were at Star of the Sea (they’re adults now!), I know that no matter the age of your child and the circumstance of your life, bringing your family to Mass can be a real struggle.  This was true before the pandemic, and it is certainly more starkly evident now.

My first advice to parents is always this:  your children watch you, and if you’re joyfully faithful, they too will be.  I remember watching my parents at Mass, every Sunday; and especially my dad who would unself-consciously kneel and pray with his face in his hands when he received Holy Communion.  Sure, my siblings and I did our fair share of fighting in the car, goofing about during Mass, visiting the washroom unnecessarily, but my parents never waivered (not that I could tell as a child).

Bringing my own children to Mass was sometimes easy, and other times a fight that would leave me questioning whether there was a point to it at all!  However, I also know that my emotions change nothing about the objective truth of what is taking place at Mass.

There’s a poem that was reportedly written on the wall of Blessed Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta entitled “Do It Anyway”.  It talks about the reason why one should always do the right thing amidst the everyday difficulties faced by everyone.

So… here’s my version to parents struggling in bringing little hearts for which they are responsible to the Eucharistic Table:

When you haven’t brought your kids to Mass before or over the last two years have fallen out of your Sunday Mass routine and there’ll be whining for sure when you start again, rally the troops, wear whatever is most presentable, and bring your kids to Mass anyway.

When you have a restless toddler or preschooler who is especially resistant to the confined space of a pew for extended periods of time and you’re afraid that the people at church will judge you for not being able to ‘control’ your kids, bring your kids to Mass anyway.

When you have a doubtful pre-teen or teenager unwilling to go to Mass because they “don’t get anything out of it”, and they look like they’re just going through the motions and may even pout before, during, and after, bring your sullen teenagers to Mass anyway.

When a church-goer scoffs at you or wordlessly ‘judges’ you with a disapproving look in her eyes, or she may even ‘graciously’ remind you that there is a ‘cry room’ for your children, possibly making your angry or embarrassed, ignore the opinion of others while consistently modelling for your children proper reverent behaviour at Mass, and keep bringing your kids to Mass anyway.

At times you’ll wonder if it’s all really worth it, especially if you’re the only Catholic parent in your family, and even though you believe whole-heartedly in what’s taking place at the Altar, most of the time you’re so distracted, it feels as though you yourself haven’t gotten anything out of Mass, lean on the Truth, push through your clouded emotions, and bring yourself and your kids to Mass anyway.

Raising kids in the Faith can be hard, especially in today’s culture, and you may not be getting much support from your family, fellow school parents, or even your spouse, remember that the Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and bring your kids to Mass anyway.

In the end, you’ll stand before our loving and merciful God, and you’ll see it was never even about you and them. It was always between you and God anyway.

As a closing encouragement, Liturgy of the Word for Children (Children’s Sunday school) is offered at the 9AM and 11AM Sunday Masses at Good Shepherd Church.  Here, children hear the Word of God shared in a way that they can understand and live out, and also be welcomed as part of our church family in a special way (with their peers).

If you would like to know more about Liturgy of the Word for Children or perhaps you would like to know more about the Word of God which is God’s word of love to each of us, I invite you to contact me janiceh@starofthesea.ca