Blessed are Parents of Young Children in Church

I've been meaning to post this for months.  I guess I'll say that I'm sharing this in the spirit of Lent.  Shortly after Christmas, Adam, Vera and I went to church at a neighboring parish.  This was printed in their bulletin.  It really was a great read for me, though it's a little long.

BLESSED ARE PARENTS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
IN CHURCH!!! You are doing something really, really
important. We know it’s not easy. We see you with your
arms overflowing, coming to church already tired.
Parenting is tiring. We watch you bounce and sway,
trying to keep your babies quiet, juggling the infant car
seat and the diaper bag, wincing as your children cry,
anxiously pulling things out of your bag of tricks to try to
quiet them.
We watch you with your toddlers and
preschoolers, cringing when your little girl asks an
innocent question in a voice that might not be an “inside”
voice, let alone a church whisper. We sense the
exasperation in your voice as you beg your children to
just sit and be quiet, as you feel everyone’s eyes on you.
Not everyone is looking but we know that it may feel that
way. Maybe you’re wondering, is it worth it? Why do we
bother? Maybe you often leave church more exhausted
than inspired and renewed. BUT WHAT YOU ARE
DOING IS IMPORTANT. When you are here with your
young children, our church is more church. When you
are here, the church is filled with a more joyful noise.
When you are here, the Body of Christ is more fully
present. When you are here with your young children,
our worship together as a community of faith is more
complete. When you are here, we have hope that our
pews won’t be emptier in ten years or so when your
growing-up kids are old enough to know to sit quietly and
behave in church. Even now they are learning why we
take the time to worship together, learning that
worshipping together is important.
We do see them learning. In the midst of the
cries, whines and giggles, in the midst of the crinkling of
cereal or pretzel or cheese-cracker bags and the
growing pile of crumbs, we see little girls daring to go
two pews forward to share a sign of peace with someone
whom they have never met. We see children excitedly
coloring a cross and then pointing to the one in the
sanctuary. We hear the echoes of “Amens” just a few
seconds behind the rest of the congregation saying
them. We watch little boys who are just learning how to
read trying to sound out the words in the missalette or
counting their way to find hymn number six-seventy-two.
They are learning and “catching” the faith, especially
from you.
However much of a chore it is for you to bring
your children to church, it really does matter. IT
MATTERS TO US. It strengthens our faith to see you
caring about your faith and wanting to share it with your
young children and with us. It reminds us that all are
welcome in our church.
When we teach our children, young and not-so-young,
that their presence in church is wanted and needed, we
help them to know that they are an essential part of our
church (“let the children come to me and do not hinder them; it is to just such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”) They are cherished members of our church
NOW. They do not need to wait until they can believe or
pray or sing a certain way to be welcome here. Even their
cries and whines are a joyful noise which improve our worship.
We know that it’s not easy to make the weekly trip
to Sunday Mass with your young children, but please know
that we are ever so grateful for your effort. Please know
that your family—with all of its noise, struggle, commotion
and joy—are a vital part of our church. Please know that
you are blessed, and that you truly bless us, by your presence here.