in the end it was the Children’s Mass that drove me away…

… I just couldn’t take it anymore. My son has been singing in the Children’s Choir at a local parish for close to year. If you never been to a Children’s Mass at your parish then God bless your fortunate soul. If you have, then you know.

At these masses the children are called to the front of the church and sit crossed legged on the floor while they get their very own special sermon. It’s ludicrous. Kids are already told every day in school their self esteem and self importance is more valued than being literate. Now they get to come to mass and have Fr. Well Meaning reinforce this narcissistic behavior too. Forget that other guy. What’s his name. Oh right. Jesus.

It was so bad these masses began to embarrass my son. He sang in the choir because it gave him joy and he liked expressing his love of God in this manner. He’s wanted to serve the mass since he was old enough to talk and the choir was the only way he could do so until he was old enough to be an altar server.

His, and my own, final straw was when Fr. Well Meaning made the kids stand up, before the final blessing, and receive a round of applause for their “performance”.

Oh, and the parents of the other kids in the choir. Seriously folks? I can see taking pictures of your tikes first time singing. But showing up at mass every single time with a camcorder!? Performance, indeed.

Look, kids aren’t stupid. They are spiritually capable of so much more than ‘Jesus loves me’ and ‘Shine, Jesus, Shine”. They are also fully capable of understanding that the mass isn’t about them, but that Other Guy. Jesus. And they are happy to have the focus on Him. See….