Dear Saints,
It’s becoming something of a tradition for me to reprint this pastor’s note. It might be the fourth time I’ve offered this reflection, but its more applicable by the year: We’ve got tons (literally?!) of kids around OLMC.
As our grandparents and empty-nesters know, it’s great to have a noisy house. Parents are sometimes less eager to appreciate this fact: The constant action of young children can wear you down!
These past few years, as our roster of young children in the church has swelled, God’s house has become a little more ACTIVE, a little more LIVELY. What a wonderful gift this is for those of us who miss (or never had occasion to enjoy!) the pitter-patter of little feet, the simple (though difficult to meet) needs of newborns, and the excited EVERYTHING – good and bad – of toddlers.
I had a daydream not too long ago. Actually, it was a daymare. The experience was unsettling. You’ll never guess what it was: a quiet Mass!
What made my stomach sink as I thought of a Mass without the hustle and bustle of babes was the thought of a Church without a FUTURE. What made me shudder in fear about the experience of a silent, serene Mass was the thought of a Church without HOPE!
OLMC is a parish that is teeming with LIFE and LOVE and HOPE. There are more baptisms these days because God is blessing us with an abundant FUTURE, which we get to experience here and now with his gift of life.
To our dear mothers and fathers: Thank you for your faithful and generous response to God’s love. Thank you for bringing your children to church no matter how difficult and draining it is, no matter how embarrassing it sometimes feels.
My friends, faithful parishioners all, let’s celebrate the BLESSING that God is pouring out on us in our youngest parishioners. They are the pride and joy of our HOPE-FILLED community. We have a lot to learn from them - Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven - and it is ours to love them well!
In the Peace of Christ,
Father Daniel
δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ