tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post114634963418476596..comments2024-03-25T06:39:42.081-04:00Comments on Bonfire of the Vanities: Making Jesus Known in the Breaking of the Bread (Sunday homily)Fr Martin Foxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1147280432970110232006-05-10T13:00:00.000-04:002006-05-10T13:00:00.000-04:00Father, I just got around to reading this, and I a...Father, I just got around to reading this, and I am so happy to see it! I linked to it right away at my own blog. I have never used the nursery at any parish I've been a part of, and made sure to sit right up front at Mass. (Who wants to look at everyone's rear ends for an hour?) My girls are very well-behaved in Mass, and they know what's going on. My four year old practically has the Creed memorized already, and they know the proper postures, as well.<BR/><BR/>Incidentally, my children are also apologists in the making what with our Catholic homeschool curriculum! They are learning to defend the Faith in ways that I wasn't able to at their ages (let alone later on!).<BR/><BR/>God bless you,<BR/>ChristineChristine the Soccer Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01270550419011368834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1147046192752443952006-05-07T19:56:00.000-04:002006-05-07T19:56:00.000-04:00I agree with everything said here, but would add j...I agree with everything said here, but would add just one thing. There ain't much crying at Masses between 7 and 8am.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01262662173303042998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1146749504763049462006-05-04T09:31:00.000-04:002006-05-04T09:31:00.000-04:00Anonymous:Yes, I decided to bring back the bells h...Anonymous:<BR/><BR/>Yes, I decided to bring back the bells here, for a related reason -- it's something that we can connect to, apart from an intellectual apprehension. <BR/><BR/>This, I believe, is part of the genius of Catholic practice, in this case, the Mass: we have sights, sounds, smells, touch, taste -- everything is used, as it were, to convey meaning.<BR/><BR/>There's nothing terribly important about the bells -- they aren't required and have no real <I>necessity</I> -- but they are appealing (pardon the pun), I think they add to the Mass, the servers like them (although they're the hardest thing the servers do, other than incense), and they leave a vivid impression in the imagination.<BR/><BR/>When we reduce the Mass to intellectual/rational components, we impoverish it, and fail to use all the means available to draw people to faith and transformation through the Mystery of Christ.Fr Martin Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1146747847539277972006-05-04T09:04:00.000-04:002006-05-04T09:04:00.000-04:00If I had little ones in church now I would miss th...If I had little ones in church now I would miss the bell at consecration. You could keep the little ones quiet to listen for the bell at that important time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1146709278043062442006-05-03T22:21:00.000-04:002006-05-03T22:21:00.000-04:00Thank you Father! I am a homeschooling mom and if ...Thank you Father! I am a homeschooling mom and if I had a blog I would link to you too! God Bless!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1146667300125935452006-05-03T10:41:00.000-04:002006-05-03T10:41:00.000-04:00Our church recently instituted children's word - i...Our church recently instituted children's word - it is like a mass send off to daycare so parents don't have to bother teaching good behavior. Mass should be for the family and I will gladly ignore the stares and keep my little ones with me - sometimes they get wiggly but how will they ever learn what is important when we dumb down the scripture and remove them from the experience?!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1146530644005010072006-05-01T20:44:00.000-04:002006-05-01T20:44:00.000-04:00Thank you!It was so helpful to my family with our ...Thank you!<BR/>It was so helpful to my family with our youngest, loudest child, to hear from other parishioners that they were happy to see us all in church and not to worry about baby noise, because he belongs there too. Then they'd share their own "war stories" to make us feel better. Now that he is older, they still remember what he was like as a baby and they still remember that we always brought him to church. It was because of them that we did it less self-consciously.Barb Szyszkiewiczhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00329184613713551475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1146457407135228092006-05-01T00:23:00.000-04:002006-05-01T00:23:00.000-04:00Thank you, Father for a wonderful homily. I've po...Thank you, Father for a wonderful homily. I've posted it on my blog as well.<BR/><BR/>CLOW (as it is referred to in my parish) is one of those "things" that I have never felt very comfortable with. My children attend Mass with my husband and I and can even understand the readings and the homilies. I do try to read the readings a few days before Mass to the children and discuss them, and then we compare our discussions with the homily that is given that day. A great way to learn scripture, the catechism, and open the door for questions about the faith.Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03038743473739366061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1146437727121131722006-04-30T18:55:00.000-04:002006-04-30T18:55:00.000-04:00Jackie:Actually, in my 7 am homily, I did talk mor...Jackie:<BR/><BR/>Actually, in my 7 am homily, I did talk more about adult education, and mentioned several things we are doing for high school and adults, and invited folks to tell me what would interest them. I made the point that what sometimes happens is we schedule something, and people don't come!<BR/><BR/>As mentioned here, down the road, I want to consider some ways to modify, and perhaps fortify, our religious education program. My CRE and I have talked about some things...Fr Martin Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1146436831975558122006-04-30T18:40:00.000-04:002006-04-30T18:40:00.000-04:00Dear. Fr. Martin,I absolutely agree - children sho...Dear. Fr. Martin,<BR/><BR/>I absolutely agree - children should always come to Mass - stay for the WHOLE thing and be taught how to behave (while you didn't address this last aspect - I'm sure you assumed this.) Exactly correct - Mark Anthony!!!<BR/><BR/>My son will be 18 in a month - from his birth he was brought to Mass. When he cried or got fidgity - we stood in the back or took a little 'break' in the vestibule (we have lived in a number of places). From the time he was 2 ish - we sat in the front row so he could see what was going on, he looked at or read 'Jesus' books during the readings and homily until he got older. From 3 or 4 - he could say the words of Consecration and do the correct actions - which were encouraged at home - just like playing doctor. In middle school to junior high, he brought his Bible to Mass, looked up the readings and read along - often the homilies were over his head - so he read the gospels or OT stories. (Hence, by 16 he could say his favorite Gospel was Matthew.) <BR/><BR/>Mass is for the family - the whole family - and we need to love and welcome the WHOLE family to the MOST important event we do together. Participating in the worship of our God and Creator throught the highest act of Love by the Son that has ever taken place. And we get to be there. Who wouldn't want kids there?<BR/><BR/>I look forward to the homily where you talk about being prepared to explain what we believe, how parents are, by definition of our vocation, the first and primary educators of our children - especially of the faith, and the topic of adult education.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the homily and God BlessAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com