Priest Asked Noisy Children To Leave

[veggietales]

When I was very young maybe like 3, I was in Mass with my parents. I was acting a little crazy but I was only 3 so....totally understandable. A lady beside my mom was getting really impatient with my ability to stay still...so my mom took me outside.
Later the next week at Mass the priest told everyone that children were always welcomed......he also said.
When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:14-16

It was really sweet, & it encouraged my mom & dad to stay.

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='MIkolbe' date='04 October 2009 - 03:17 PM' timestamp='1254680243' post='1977400']
I would have taken my child outside.

I would have been followed by my wife, we would have proceeded to our car, and we would go to a different parish, permanently.
[/quote]

That's too bad that you wouldn't be willing to approach the priest and tell him what it did to you and seek reconciliation. Too many people leave parishes because they are 'offended' by something rightly or wrongly. Your parish is your family. Don't let things like that uproot you so easily.

[rhetoricfemme]

[quote name='Lilllabettt' date='04 October 2009 - 02:16 PM' timestamp='1254680191' post='1977399']
eeek. I think because of all the risks involved, (parents are humilated, embarassed, sad, angry, nervous about bringing their kids to Church, never come back to that parish again, leave the Church altogether) I personally would have just sucked it up. I guess I would have told myself, God doesn't mind it if your prayer is distracted, if you're putting up with the distraction for charity's sake.
[/quote]
Exactly!

[quote name='MIkolbe' date='04 October 2009 - 02:17 PM' timestamp='1254680243' post='1977400']
I would have taken my child outside.

I would have been followed by my wife, we would have proceeded to our car, and we would go to a different parish, permanently.
[/quote]
That was the feeling I had; I was feeling very glad that I was only visiting!

[quote name='aalpha1989' date='04 October 2009 - 02:47 PM' timestamp='1254682022' post='1977414']
I think it's important to note that pre-rationals haven't always attended Mass, and really have no Sunday obligation. It's a strange anomaly that parents of today insist on keeping their disruptive children in the church during liturgies, which does no good for anyone in the church (their kids included).
[/quote]
Indeed. It seems that a prime time in life to begin understanding and appreciating the simple beauty of religion is as a child.

[quote name='Sternhauser' date='04 October 2009 - 02:53 PM' timestamp='1254682381' post='1977422']
One of the best homilies I ever heard was one sentence long, and came during a homily which was interrupted by the loud crying of a child. After the crying subsided, the priest said, "I love to hear crying babies at Mass, because it stings the conscience of those contracepting couples who selfishly refuse to have children."

~Sternhauser
[/quote]
Awesome!

[quote name='Lilllabettt' date='04 October 2009 - 03:22 PM' timestamp='1254684127' post='1977443']
Seriously. "Let the little children come to me."

If I were the priest in this thread, I might have been embarassed to read that one out loud.
[/quote]
Yep...

[quote name='veggietales' date='04 October 2009 - 03:23 PM' timestamp='1254684221' post='1977446']
When I was very young maybe like 3, I was in Mass with my parents. I was acting a little crazy but I was only 3 so....totally understandable. A lady beside my mom was getting really impatient with my ability to stay still...so my mom took me outside.
Later the next week at Mass the priest told everyone that children were always welcomed......he also said.
When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:14-16

It was really sweet, & it encouraged my mom & dad to stay.
[/quote]
I'm glad your priest made a point to say so.

[Lil Red]

+J.M.J.+
[quote name='MIkolbe' date='04 October 2009 - 12:17 PM' timestamp='1254680243' post='1977400']
I would have taken my child outside.

I would have been followed by my wife, we would have proceeded to our car, and we would go to a different parish, permanently.[/quote]
agreed. i would add that i would have talked to the priest about why i was leaving.

[quote name='aalpha1989' date='04 October 2009 - 12:47 PM' timestamp='1254682022' post='1977414']
I think it's important to note that pre-rationals haven't always attended Mass, and really have no Sunday obligation. It's a strange anomaly that parents of today insist on keeping their disruptive children in the church during liturgies, which does no good for anyone in the church (their kids included).[/quote]
because they still receive graces from being at Mass? because they learn to behave? because we worship as a family?

[quote name='MIkolbe' date='04 October 2009 - 01:18 PM' timestamp='1254683932' post='1977440']
As for pre-rationals and Sunday obligation: that argument is rather flat footed and dim. I do not bring my daughters to Mass so they fulfill their obligations; I know quite well they have no obligation to fulfill. I bring them to be in the presence of God; to teach them how to worship; and to worship as a family; to stand before God and show him that my family loves him.

The Gospel reading today (the part in brackets in my misselette) seem quite aprospros today.[/quote]
MIkolbe totally covered it

[StColette]

[quote name='MIkolbe' date='04 October 2009 - 03:18 PM' timestamp='1254683932' post='1977440']

As for pre-rationals and Sunday obligation: that argument is rather flat footed and dim. I do not bring my daughters to Mass so they fulfill their obligations; I know quite well they have no obligation to fulfill. I bring them to be in the presence of God; to teach them how to worship; and to worship as a family; to stand before God and show him that my family loves him.

The Gospel reading today (the part in brackets in my misselette) seem quite aprospros today.
[/quote]

Exactly! It's often the case that "pre-rationals" behave better than half the folks in the pew anyway. One of the most beautiful things I saw while attending Mass at St. Peter's in Steubenville was a little boy maybe a little over a year old genuflecting before the altar and tabernacle. He did this without his parents forcing him to. He was taught that it was the correct thing to do when going to Mass. I plan to teach Aaron this, especially now that he's walking really well.

We took Aaron to the Cathedral today, he absolutely loved looking at all the beautiful windows, beam work, and statues. He absolutely loved the chant schola. Of course he wanted to walk around after a while so we took him into the narthex area to let him walk around. lol He loved the room where the old cathedra is kept.

[Apotheoun]

I believe that the cries of those children were prayers of great supplication to Almighty God.

[StColette]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='04 October 2009 - 04:49 PM' timestamp='1254689364' post='1977498']
I believe that the cries of those children were prayers of great supplication to Almighty God.
[/quote]



I kinda giggle to myself when there's a baptism and the baby cries. I can't help but think that the exorcism part of baptism must have went well.

[Lil Red]

+J.M.J.+
sometimes i'd like to ask the priest to leave because he teaches too much heresy.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='04 October 2009 - 04:09 PM' timestamp='1254690547' post='1977519']
+J.M.J.+
sometimes i'd like to ask the priest to leave because he teaches too much heresy.
[/quote]


Last Sunday the priest painted Jan Hus as an unfairly persecuted reformer, and the Church as the bad guy.
I hear people walked out. I didn't see. (In the second row.)

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' date='04 October 2009 - 04:15 PM' timestamp='1254690955' post='1977523']


Last Sunday the priest painted Jan Hus as an unfairly persecuted reformer, and the Church as the bad guy.
I hear people walked out. I didn't see. (In the second row.)
[/quote]

Jan Hus deserved what he got.



[img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YU5mPEjPHcQ/SnZpHsvq3LI/AAAAAAAAF5g/Sye9-ailycM/s320/Jan+Hus+burned+at+the+stake+1485.jpg[/img]

[Apotheoun]

Is the guy on the left sticking a marshmallow into the flames?

[Kitty]

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='04 October 2009 - 05:18 PM' timestamp='1254691081' post='1977525']
Jan Hus deserved what he got.



[img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YU5mPEjPHcQ/SnZpHsvq3LI/AAAAAAAAF5g/Sye9-ailycM/s320/Jan+Hus+burned+at+the+stake+1485.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

I hope this doesn't turn into another "It's ok for the Church to burn people to death" thread.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='04 October 2009 - 04:18 PM' timestamp='1254691081' post='1977525']
Jan Hus deserved what he got.



[img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YU5mPEjPHcQ/SnZpHsvq3LI/AAAAAAAAF5g/Sye9-ailycM/s320/Jan+Hus+burned+at+the+stake+1485.jpg[/img]
[/quote]
I was seriously disappointed that day. I really enjoy listening to that priest in particular because he has an extremely unique way of speaking.
I can't take him seriously anymore though.

It really seems to undermine what we work for. There are so many different anti-Catholic biases that we try to overcome every single day, both with non-Catholics and lukewarm Catholics. We can work for months or years in slowly building the credibility of the Church and the Church's fidelity to God's command, but then all it takes is a couple homilies like these that reinforce all the biases we've been working against.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='MIkolbe' date='04 October 2009 - 03:18 PM' timestamp='1254683932' post='1977440']
...
As for pre-rationals and Sunday obligation: that argument is rather flat footed and dim. I do not bring my daughters to Mass so they fulfill their obligations; I know quite well they have no obligation to fulfill. I bring them to be in the presence of God; to teach them how to worship; and to worship as a family; to stand before God and show him that my family loves him.


The Gospel reading today (the part in brackets in my misselette) seem quite aprospros today.
[/quote]
I agree.

I also think that in addition to teaching our children how to worship and so on, we all learn something from having children in our midst at Mass. They are our "weaker brothers," in a sense, but we are also called to emulate something of the way they come into faith. I think most of us have been to Mass enough times that we know what's going on, even if we get distracted for a few seconds (or even minutes), and while we still benefit from paying strict attention to the liturgy there may be other lessons for us to learn in addition to the obvious.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='04 October 2009 - 04:19 PM' timestamp='1254691195' post='1977528']
Is the guy on the left sticking a marshmallow into the flames?
[/quote]
They'd probably taste really gross.