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Going to Mass with young children can be a mortifying experience for parents. Whether it's cajoling them into church on time, or getting them to not shout out during the particularly quiet times of reflection, it's an experience that can leave moms and dads stressed and embarrassed.
However, one mom, Catholic psychotherapist Melissa Tablada, shared a rather uplifting experience after she'd been to Mass with her four lively children.
In her post on Instagram she explained:
Yesterday, a friend and I met up for daily Mass. We had an amazing, easier-than-usual experience at Mass on Sunday, and I think I was overconfident, ready for a healthy dose of humility."
And here it came...
Of our four kids, one ran TO THE ALTAR, another KNOCKED a woman down on her knees praying, and a third ran A COMPLETE LAP around all the pews 🥵. We were both sweating, stressed, and questioning our lives by the end of it.”
We both almost walked out multiple times & if there had been a cry room, we most certainly would have been in it. You should’ve seen the look we exchanged during the sign of peace 😳 Any of you mamas been there before?"
The mortified mom then want on to share what the priest said to the congregation, while still on the altar, at the end of Mass:
“To the moms bringing their kids to Mass, thank you. They are welcome here with us. This is where they should be. Not off in a cry room somewhere else. Their noises are welcome, it’s beautiful to hear them. And the one who wanted to be on the altar, she just couldn’t get close enough to Jesus. Keep bringing them!”✨
The priest obviously knew the precise words this busy mom -- and all those taking youngsters to Mass -- needed to hear. As Tablada pointed out:
We were both in tears by the end of his message to us. We needed to hear it. I shared this in my stories yesterday and the response was overwhelming -- you all were brought to tears and needed to hear it just as badly as we did. This message is for all of you -- mamas of littles, bringing them to Mass, questioning if you should keep trying or just stay home. Keep up the good and faithful work! And thank you JESUS for good priests and communities that welcome children and families. We are truly grateful.
A positive response
The post was met with lots of positive reactions. However, some churchgoers shared their frustration at not being able to hear key moments in Mass, such as the priest's homily. One person shared their solution:
"I try to take the example of the St. Therese and offer up the annoyance of not being able to hear. You could also talk to your priest after Mass and ask about his homily."
Whereas another churchgoer stated: "If the church isn't crying, it's dying. Bring your babies to church."
On reflection I can only think of my poor parents taking their 8 offspring to Mass each Sunday. While obviously I was impeccably behaved, I can't say the same for the rest of my siblings -- especially my brothers.
However, looking back now, those shoulder-shaking moments when we were trying not to laugh at a sibling being silly, or the time when my little sister walked up to the altar and started singing with the priest, are memories that we cherish.
And it these pivotal moments in childhood that helped us see our parish as an extended family, ready to welcome us with our own not so perfectly behaved kids!
