Children

I saw a sight at Mass today that made me sad for some reason.   During the Eucharistic Prayer, right around the time of the Consecration,  a little child was running headlong down the center towards the altar.  His mother came running behind him, swooped him up with force, and said something to him as she got hold of him and walked quickly back to her seat with her upset child in her arms. 
I don't know all the background and details here, so why did this make me sad?   I think it was just the visual image.  A child was running to the altar, where Our Lord was about to make Himself truly and substantially present in the bread and wine.  He was excited.  Then, he was stopped.  It was like the child was running to meet Jesus, and was prevented from doing so.

Thinking in broader terms, isn't this too often true nowadays?  Our Lord says "Let the little children come to me."  (Matthew 19:14) .  Yet, very sadly, they are not allowed to.   Far too many parents do not bring their children to Mass.   They don't take them to visit churches where Our Lord resides in the tabernacle or is exposed in a monstrance during Eucharistic Adoration.   Children want to see Jesus, and they far too often are not being given the opportunity to do that.

In this Year of Mercy, it is not just about the Church proclaiming God's mercy to the wider world.  The Church Herself needs to ask for and receive God's mercy for the sins her members have committed (which is all of us). Regarding children specifically, there is the obvious, horrible very serious sin of the sexual abuse of children by clergy and other ministers in the Church, and Bishops who often did not do the right thing to address these horrible sins and crimes.  The Church has asked for forgiveness for this, and is trying (although not always successful) to make right some of the wrongs done, and at least bring some good out of this horrible situation.   The Church, has, and continues, to need to ask for forgiveness for these horrendous sins, and members of the Church who have been wronged, as well as all the faithful, need to be ready to indeed forgive those who committed those sins and crimes, if this is truly going to be a fruitful Year of Mercy.

In this Year of Mercy, the Church and the world need to show more compassion for children.  First off, we need to stop aborting them.  We need more children!  Then, of course, we need to do everything we can to stop and prevent physical and spiritual abuse of them by members of the Church or anyone.  Then, we need to spend more time with them, and be less focused on our career and financial pursuits.  Parents need to be merciful them by not dropping them off at the doors of the educational institutions in our country, and start being more involved as their primary educators. They need to raise them in the Faith, which includes bringing them to the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confession regularly, allowing them to receive the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, and training them to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony or Holy Orders when they are older.  All of this is being compassionate, or merciful, to children.

This Year especially, let's be merciful to our children!

Saint Joseph, Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.