Families of Light

“All of you are children of the light.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:5

Reverence of Children at Mass
Deacon Tim Sullivan

A common issue for Catholic parents is teaching their children to be reverent at Mass. This calls for a balance between common sense and strict requirements and expectations.

Common sense is required because children, depending on their age, can find it hard to be still. So allowance needs to be made for a modest level of physical restlessness.

Reverence can be fostered by helping children understand what is happening at Mass. I’ve heard parents tell their children to be reverent because “Jesus is present.” That might be helpful, but I think more should be said about how Jesus is present.

Children know that Jesus died from being crucified. The Mass is more than anything else a sacrifice, the re-presentation of the death of Jesus on the cross. So the altar should be likened to Calvary, which means that everyone present at Mass should think of themselves as being at the foot of the Cross during Mass. We should all have a mental image of Jesus on the Cross, surrounded by angels. When our mind is fixed on the suffering and death of Jesus, reverence becomes almost automatic. It will affect the way we dress and the way we act.

This understanding is obviously difficult for very young children to grasp. Parents of very young children have to wrestle with the issue of whether some children need to be taken to the cry room, if there is one. Most parishes, including Saint Bernard’s, want families to remain intact at Mass as much as possible.

“In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he ‘poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” Catechism Sec. 1365 

BLOGS

Our newest blog posting raises the issue of what essential characteristics of the Catholic faith are missing in the lives of many, many Catholics, not necessarily through any fault of their own. Deacon Tim identifies 3 such elements. Some parishes are working to rectify this situation, but there’s a lot of work to be done.

podcasts

Deacon Tim gave a talk on The Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph on June 8, 2021. He describes chastity as more than an aspect of sexuality. Chastity is presented as a function of personal integrity. The talk is especially challenging for husbands and fathers. It can be found on Youtube at https://youtu.be/Lcq7Gr097pY.

Is the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible purely historical? Is the Holy Spirit still with us? Do our Catholic parishes resemble the dynamic vitality evident in the earliest Christian community? What’s missing and what can we do about it? Deacon Tim and Cyndi discuss these issues.

RESOURCES/HOMILIES

Two recent and popular homilies:
Who Are We Missing? May 12, 2024 (The Ascension). The disciples weren’t ready for Jesus to leave them.
Tree Problems. June 9, 2024. Adam and Eve and a house divided. The source of the problem.

CATHOLIC BOOT CAMP

Deacon Tim has developed a series of from 4 to 6 presentations under the title, “Catholic Boot Camp.” They cover the foundations for living the full Catholic life, and include issues which most Catholics would not list on their job descriptions for being Catholic. The themes of the Boot Camp include the following: 1. Why Jesus? His Mission and Purpose, 2. The Church: Its Mission and Power, 3. The Person: Our Individual Identity, Mission and Purpose, 4. The Bible: Essentials Every Catholic Should Know, 5. The Call To Be Disciples and 6. Evangelization Catholic Style. So far Deacon Tim has presented the Catholic Boot Camp at St. Bernard Church in Tulsa, Saint Mark Church in Pryor, Oklahoma and Saint Joseph Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma.