December 18, 2022 - Pastor Message
04/30/2024THE YEAR OF MISSION
THE MISSION TO WELCOME CHILDREN
“Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger’” (Luke 2:8-12).
The story of the birth of Christ does not tell us what the baby Jesus was doing when the shepherds arrived at the manger. Being a baby, I imagine he was probably doing what every other baby does: maybe sleeping; maybe crying; maybe spitting up or messing his diaper; or maybe all of the above. Like us in all things but sin, the infant Jesus was just like every other baby, which is to say that he was basically a tiny, wiggly ball of pure, unchecked ego, who expected that every desire that popped into his head would be immediately satisfied by the adults around him and, if not, he would likely cry and scream until it was.
This does not mean that babies are bad or intentionally selfish. Remember that Jesus was completely free from sin throughout his entire life. Babies and young children, including Jesus, cannot help acting that way. Unable to understand or articulate their needs or those of others, they depend completely on the adults around them to get them through that stage of life. Adults teach them along the way how to act responsibly and to be considerate of others, a project that takes time, patience, and great effort, primarily from their parents and family, but also from the broader community of which the children are a vital part, including their faith community.
As we continue our reflection on the mission of Christ’s disciples to welcome others, how are we doing as individuals and as a parish at welcoming young families and children? Do we embrace the young children among us and bless God who gives these children life and places them in our midst as living signs of his wonder and grace, even when they cry and fuss? Or do we curse young children as a distraction? Do we welcome young families and support them with our encouragement, patience, and assistance? Or do we discourage young families from being here with dirty looks and whispered criticisms?
Certainly, as part of teaching their children to be considerate of others, parents of young children need to be aware of how distracting a fussy child can be at Mass, and, if their child is truly inconsolable, temporarily remove the child from the worship space until he or she calms down and can rejoin the rest of the congregation in prayer. That said, we as a parish community need to understand that babies and young children, through no fault of their own or their parents’, are by nature fussy, and we need to support our parish’s families as young children learn how to participate appropriately at Mass. May the faith-filled example of the shepherds guide our efforts, and may all people, including the youngest among us, know they are welcome here at St. Boniface.
Fr. Marc Stockton
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