Should young children be at Mass? (Part 1)

It is not always easy bringing young children to the Catholic Mass. I just want to affirm all of you for making the commitment and effort to do so. You can see God's blessing is abundant to those who do not stop their little children coming to Him!

1. By bringing children to Mass, parents fulfill their duty to begin faith education in their children's earliest years. At your children's baptism, you made a vow before God that you will bring them up in the Catholic faith. It's better to start early. Not only will it be a lot tougher to teach an older child who has rarely been to Mass to behave, leaving kids at home sends the message that Mass is not for children. Regular attendance at Mass is a must to help them recognize the sacredness of the Eucharist and to value their faith.

2. Bringing children to Mass helps nurture their inner life. Early lessons make lasting impressions, child development experts tell us. Good parents recognize the importance of nurturing their children physically and emotionally during their formative years. But if we fail to nurture their spiritual self as well, then we are not attending to the whole child. While we can teach about the Faith within the walls of our domestic church, being in the presence of Christ and those who love Him is what really awakens the spiritual self.

3. Regularly attending Mass helps children find their true home. While my children are constantly with me at this age, I know I won't always be there to guide them. But God will never leave their side. Their real home is with God in His Church, but they will only learn to recognize it as home if I bring them to Mass from an early age. We cannot open the door to the Church at Baptism, only to slam it in their face until they're deemed mature enough to be a part of the Body of Christ.

Jesus invites all of us to His table – and He extended a special invitation to children, saying, "Let the little children come to me."

God bless you & your children!

Extracted & adapted from 'Why Young Children Belong at Mass' by Kate Wicker