| The noise created by crying babies at church is second
only to the noise created by people debating whether or not the babies
belong there.
On one hand, babies can disturb the whole proceedings. They draw attention
to themselves and away from the liturgy. They make it hard to hear and
harder to concentrate. Those whose hearing is impaired especially suffer.
On the other hand, babies are part of the family. They belong with their
parents, and because we've baptized them into the community, they belong
with us.
Some parishes offer cry rooms. They provide a place for babies to scream
their lungs out, but they also remove parents from the worshiping assembly.
Adults in the cry room looking at Mass through a glass window might just
as well be watching it on big screen TV.
Other parishes offer babysitting. This permits parents to bring their
children to church but entrust them to the trained care of someone who
can give them full attention.
If you are the parent of a crying baby at church, your child's care
comes first. If you need to get up, walk around, leave for a while, or
offer some other comfort to your baby, do it. Your actions will not be
any more disturbing than your baby's tears. Your demonstration of love
will inspire others to charity.
If you are near the parents of a crying baby, offer to help. They might
appreciate your support, especially if they're watching another child.
And if you are frustrated because you cannot hear over the din and no
one's doing anything about it, do your best. As with any distraction which
challenges our prayer, pray with it, for it, and through it. If it keeps
you from praying the way you would like, pray the way you can. God will
understand.
What do YOU Think?
Send an e-mail to ML Editor
or post an entry on the ML Current Issue
Discussion Board. (All submissions become the property of RPI and may
be edited for length.)
Copyright
© 1998, Resource Publications, Inc. 160 E. Virginia St. #290, San
Jose, CA 95112, (408) 286-8505. This article may not be reproduced in any
form without permission from the publisher. For permission e-mail
info@rpinet.com.
Paul
Turner, pastor of St. Munchin Parish in Cameron, MO, holds a doctorate
in sacramental theology from Sant' Anselmo University in Rome. |
