Turning up late for Mass was one of my most mortifying childhood memories. I now understand that it was never easy to get all eight of us children out the door to be at church on time, but when we arrived we would almost parade down the aisle to our regular pew, which was right near the front.
As a child I felt the congregation's eyes were focused just on us and I was so embarrassed. Sliding into that pew couldn't come quickly enough.
Now as a mother of four I can understand how tricky it is to get kids anywhere on time, especially looking respectable. Therefore the occasional late arrival is sort of inevitable, and hopefully understandable.
However, on the very rare occasion if a child has been totally unobliging, keys have been lost, or a child has had an accident, it's possible to question if it's worth going to Mass at all considering just how late we would be.
Well, thankfully Fr. David Michael Moses has shared his thoughts on getting to church on time in the video below:
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Listening to Fr. David Michael, it's interesting to consider his comparison about being late for a movie. Generally speaking lots of people actually try to get their early to make sure there's time to buy popcorn or other snacks.
It really is about priorities, and maybe if you look at the movie theater example, you could consider trying to get to Mass early to have time to light a candle, or greet fellow parishioners. Then you'll be sure to be able to enjoy the full Mass that God has gifted to you.
