We're Catholic. Both Carl & I are cradle Catholics and, if they keep our faith, the girls will one day title themselves the same. Hailey and I went to early Mass this morning, after which Carl took Katie and Hannah to 10:00 Mass. As I tucked Hannah in for her nap today, I asked her about church and came to the realization that ours is an excellent faith for a sensory-oriented child.
"What did you do at church today, Hannah?"
She replied, "I sing 'wain dahn, wain dahn, wain dahn wuv ah pee-pewh (rain down, rain down, rain down Your love on Your people')" in the worst, most-lovable off-key voice I've ever heard.
"Wow. Did you sing any other songs?" I asked.
"Whiz dewh, Mom! (Liz was there, Mom!)" Liz is our friend and the organist at church.
"What color did Father Larry wear today?" Our conversation was a little ADD.
"Puh-puh. And a bwown book. (Purple. And he had a brown book.)" Sadly, I don't recall if the priest wears purple during Lent and I'm pretty sure the book Hannah saw was red, but oh well.
We went on to discuss the blue and white candles, the bells, the holy water into which we dip our fingers and bless ourselves. We talked about the life-sized crucifix hanging on the wall and the statues of Mary and of Joseph holding the baby Jesus who in turn is holding a gold-colored globe that is the world.
Hannah told me that she genuflected and that she kneeled and stood and sat (Catholic aerobics). Because the priest essentially reenacts the Last Supper, complete with chalice (cup) and paten (a little, golden plate), Hannah and I discussed how Father Larry washed his dishes when the mass was complete. At the high point of the mass the altar server rings bells and on special occasions incense is burned. Hannah isn't old enough to receive communion, but those who are old enough eat the Eucharistic host.
The Catholic Mass makes use of all five senses with the intent of drawing the entire person into worship. Some Sundays it proves long and boring for Hannah, but typically the mass engages her. Lately I've been in a spiritual desert, so the opposite has been true for me: most Sundays mass proves long and boring for Angela, but occasionally it engages her.
As I read through this post I realize that, to a non-Catholic, this all sounds very strange: life-sized statues, strange words (like Eucharistic, paten and genuflecting), calling an unrelated man "Father." I know the Catholic church has received much (deserved) bad press over the past few years. Nevertheless, I love my faith and love having a faith to pass on to my children. Unlike some (many?) Catholics, I understand most of what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. But my point isn't to explain (though I'm happy to do so if someone asks), or to convert or to apologize.
Today I'm just writing about one more facet of my life, appropriately on a Sunday, and how that piece of my world fits in the puzzle that is Hannah. And not just Hannah, but my entire family.
2 comments:
Amazing! Mass has been quite the juggle with two little ones who don't know what sit still or be quiet means. So, yes, sometimes I can understand how it is boring. I've never thought about how mass touches on all five senses. I will have to talk to the kids about that after our 5:15 mass this evening.
Tonya
Let me know how it goes. During mass, just before it happens, we especially point out when Father is getting ready to "wash his hands" and "wash his dishes"...it's kind of an aha moment the first time a kid sees it that way.
Believe me, I remember the days of having two kids at mass under the age of 3 with NO CRY ROOM. All the grace I received from going to mass got used all up DURING the mass.
Good luck tonight!
Angela
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