Holy Mass

 

It has become more challenging as the months pass to bring Joseph to Mass.  I never thought much about how hard it is to bring little busy boys to church, but he is teaching me a lot these days.

We have been doing our “Tour of the Diocese” a bit recently because his nap and morning wake up schedule really doesn’t mesh well with our limited mass times at our local church.  We have a very small parish and only a few opportunities for Mass times.  Yet, it seems the situation has gotten worse on the last month and I have just been determined to at least get the big boys to mass each Sunday.  I am just really grasping the idea that we did not just get one child, we received three children in 7 months.  No wonder, we still live in survival mode at times.  I decided today to give myself a break for the high expectations.  I am gonna get a lot wrong, but as long as I get the important things right – we are good!

So all of that rambling we just a preface to say that Joseph is a big ham a mass lately, making it a very unholy experience for his Daddy and I.  So when Joseph took a late nap after a crazy day, I realized if he woke up soon we could go to mass this afternoon and avoid the craziness tomorrow.  There would be less people and this mass is not as lone, maybe a good combo for Joseph.  Hahaha!  He still was a ham, but here are some fun memories of our one hour in church.

• Joseph decides to show off in front of Father Emmanuel – after stopping by the holy water font upon entering the church and doing the sign of the cross, I decide maybe Joseph will like to try to dip his hand in the holy water to practice the sign of the cross.  I know the priest was waiting to chaos and water to splash everywhere in the large font, yet Joseph carefully touched his hand to the water and immediately put this hand to his forehead (that is all he does these days for the blessing at meals and when we pass the church) and looked directly at the tabernacle where Jesus was residing.  I was amazed and I could see the look of wonder on our priest’s face.  Joseph made it look like he did this every day.

• Backtracking a bit – when I woke up Joseph and asked him if he wanted to go bye bye to go to Mass at Church, he lit up like a Christmas tree and went “Yaaa” in his sweet soft voice.  I thought we were hitting the jackpot until I tried to wrangle his squirming body into his carseat to actually get there!

• At one point I was kneeling during prayer and he was checking everybody out and when he noticed the man behind us and how he folded his hands in prayer, he immediately turned around and put his hands in the prayer position, he does this often during meal blessings, but this gentleman reminded him to do it at Mass while Momma was praying and it was a beautiful sight.

• During the consecration, when they ring the bells three times Joseph said very clearly said with wonder “Whoaaaaa” EACH and EVERY time the bells sounded and the WHOLE church heard him because he did not use his inside voice.

• He gave me very loving, tight, full-bodied hugs in mass . . . the kind that remind you all the way down to your core that it is these moments that help you endure the tantrums and tough moments that come with gaining and learning independence in toddlerhood.

• They had two collections at Mass today, he was misbehaving and missed the first one but saw me put the money in and wished he was able to do it, so when the time came for the second collection I hurried and got out a few dollars and handed to him not really sure if he would put it in willingly or not, but when the gentleman came with the basket Joseph eagerly put his dollars in and was so pleased with himself.  It was a moment that I think I will remember for a long time, it was just unexpected and priceless.  Pure joy.

• After communion he was READY to GO!  Like don’t stop at the pew, just get me to the door Momma Ready   so when we got to the pew, the crying began.  Thankfully it was short-lived and when he saw the priest and altar servers lining up to leave the altar he clearly said LOUDLY and SINCERELY where our small church could hear clearly “Bye!!!”  Well, I guess he was done.  haha

• Upon leaving, he greeted everyone and once again reached down into the Holy Water font as I did at the entrance of the church and signed himself in his own unique way and acknowledged the tabernacle.  How does he know this?  He then had an animated visit with Fr. Emmanuel. 

• And one last tidbit, as I received communion, he was a bit miffed that he did not receive the body of Christ as I did and received a blessing instead – I had to pull his hand away from the paten (is that what it is called) that held the other pieces of bread.  I guess he will be excited come First Communion time. 

He seemed to do better with me by myself at mass with him than with Jessy and the older boys because when we are all there together he tries to go from one to another A LOT.  So now they will go to Mass at 7 am tomorrow while Joseph and I sleep in, hopefully :)

A few memories from the very beginning of his faith journey!