family prayer | children at Mass | catholic family life
I know that going to church on Sunday is not always easy. Getting the kids dressed and out the door on time on Sunday morning has its challenges. I would be lying if I said there were not some Sundays I wished I could just sleep in. Stay in bed for another hour.
But every week, all five of us are at Mass. I often hear parents say that it is just “too hard” at this stage, and they will start going again when their kids are older. Those easier days turn into becoming complacent about not attending mass. Frankly, kids learn about how to behave and worship by being in Mass. There is not a magic age where everything just “clicks.”
This really became apparent to me over the past few months. First, I noticed how I have 20 middle schoolers on my roster for Religious Education class, but I never have 20 kids in class. In the first few weeks, I had about 15. Once we hit December, it is a great day if I have 10. Of those 10, four are consistent week to week.
We only have classes twice a month.
A few weeks ago, I noticed how many students came in for my class and Confirmation class through the outside doors. They are not coming from Mass. So, I assumed they were going to Mass after. Nope, right back out those same doors as soon as class is over.
Making Mass a Priority
If we don’t make Mass a priority, if we don't attend, how will our children see the importance of going to Mass? How will it become a part of their lives? As each new generation moves further and further away from regular attendance, away from seeing Mass as a priority, away from seeing God as a priority, what happens next?
Look at the world around us. You can see so many aspects of today’s world that are a little scarier each day. What do we expect when we turn away from God? When we can’t be bothered to go to Mass once a week. When it is too hard to go.
I get it. Sometimes, it is hard, but persistence is key. Many Sundays, I wanted to cry, taking three small children to church. Going by myself with all three kids was terrifying. But here we are now with my kids being 4, 6, and 8, and most weeks, it is an enjoyable experience.
My Kids LOVE Going to Church.
They have their favorite hymns, know the prayers, and love getting their blessings. My 4-year-old used to be carried out screaming multiple times during mass; now, most days, she sits, smiles, and looks through the hymnal. She is great. They now know people at church. They look forward to talking to them after Mass. They love to look at the statues of the saints around the church. They ask questions, and we talk about them. My 6-year-old joins the choir some weeks. There is an amazing woman who noticed how much she loves singing and allowed her to come to sit with them. She is teaching her about the music.
The church is becoming their home—our home—just as it should be. It is our Father’s House.
It is not a question of if we are going to church. The kids expect it. Kids learn how to behave in church by being in church. More important than learning how to behave is learning the importance of going to church and worshiping their God in the way He wants us to.
When my three daughters sing with giant smiles, I often picture Jesus looking down on them with joy in his eyes. Jesus wants us to bring the children to Him.
This is the future. When you look at the world around you, what do you want that world to look like? We are raising the future. We are responsible for these beautiful souls God has entrusted us with. It is up to us, even on the hardest of days, to get them to church, to their Father’s house.
My prayer is that one day, within my lifetime, I will sit in Mass, with every seat filled on a random Sunday. The church will be alive with children of all ages. Hearing their little voices singing hymns and worshiping their God. If we do not establish Mass as a priority now, then when? It is up to us.