ROC – Taking our children to Church

10 October 2019

With God’s Grace, the group met yesterday at the Monastery and discussed the often hard but all so important task of taking young children to Church.

Below is an article by Fr Michael Psaromatis on this topic.

“To our dearest and blessed young mothers and fathers,

Do not think your efforts go unnoticed when you come to Church with your blessed children.

I am aware when you become red faced, breaking out into sweats when your children start fidgeting and fussing and how you attempt to chase them down the aisle to nullify their noise and movements, when you are at Church. I know you wished you could aim a remote control at them to press mute and freeze, but this certainly would not be part of God’s Will for them or us.

I observe how you sway your babies to sleep trying to make the most of quiet time that you have, to participate in the Liturgy and hear the sermon. When you are unsuccessful, your little ones toss and turn trying to get your attention when you are trying to feed them or when you are trying to entice them with toys and books.

I definitely notice your hypersensitivity towards bothering other people and how you go in and out of the Church to change nappies, or to calm your noisy children and as you exit donning  that almost apologetic look on your face that reads “I’m sorry that bringing my child to church disturbs and infuriates you all.”

Of course I also see the heads that turn in your direction and the eyes that roll, indicating their dismay at the fact that you cannot keep your children under control and quiet. Their untoward demeanor spells out a mighty

“Shame on you for not practicing adequate child rearing techniques that would have your children more disciplined, like the ones we grew up with” ..selective amnesia at its best.

I also notice the ones who get that we are saved in communion with one another and seek to assist you where they can, sometimes simply by smiling at you, giving you strength and courage to keep on keeping on. There are those of course  who seem nervous, not because they are annoyed, but because they want you to feel at peace but aren’t sure how to physically help and so, proceed to pray for your family.

Beloved mummies and daddies,

I see you prepared for everything under the sun (including many backup plans) so that you can cater for all your children’s needs, in the hope that you have enough amusements to keep them quiet…well, quiet and calm enough.

You’re tired eyes that express what you won’t necessarily articulate (“is it even worth coming to Church when they are like this?”) penetrate the inner core of our soul, making us all understand how blessed we are that you are with us, actively participating in your and our struggle on the journey to the Kingdom of God. A struggle that includes seeing infants, toddlers, young children, whose parents are willing to brave the discomfort, inconvenience and stress of bringing them into Church, even if it seems completely futile.

I am hit with the reality of seeing your children, who are blessed to hear the Word of God and to participate in their own way, in the mystical eternal Liturgy.

I see children with grace-filled parents who prioritize an eternal reality over other people’s temporary discomfort.

I experience the inner bliss of distributing Holy Communion to your little children, who are more worthy than all of us to approach the chalice of life. Your children who teach me and us all with their innocence, that we need to become like them to inherit the Kingdom of God.

I observe your children, as God made them and handed them into your care, so that you may offer them back to this eternal and blessed forever-ness in our Lord’s Reign.

Please continue to bring your children to Church, no matter what their age is.

Please do so, not only for your salvation, but for ours.

As has been mentioned repeatedly before, “if you do not hear crying, the church is dying.”

Let us not forget:

People were bringing little children to Christ to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:13-16

I am sure that other clergy notice all the above (and much more) and pray that you continue to join us.

Young families are our future and we shall endeavour to do what is necessary for the continuation of our Church, which is the Ark of Salvation.