My grandson, who had just celebrated his sixth birthday with a lively party of friends, complained the following morning as he put on his shoes for Mass, that Church was boring. Coming on the heels of a spirited afternoon with buddies at a trampoline park, his lack of enthusiasm was understandable.
However, I worried that the comment could mark the beginning of an apples to oranges comparison that would always have “Mass” coming up on the short end of desirable places to be. All too heartbreakingly familiar with how common it is for kids to disengage and drift away from the Faith, I felt a tinge of panic and searched for an explanation that would avoid the “either/or” mentality and, instead, promote our faith’s rich tradition of “both/and” compatibility – all without delivering a stodgy sermon that would go over his head.
Silently, I prayed for a seed that would help him glimpse how and why Mass is different – but not “boring”. Then I remembered him thanking each playmate the previous day for coming to his party, as well as for the gifts they had brought. I asked him why he had done that.
“Because it’s polite,” he said, a little confused at what seemed like an abrupt change of topic, not to mention an obvious point of etiquette. “I was glad they came and it was nice of them to bring me presents.”
“Well,” I said, striking a purely logical tone, “You didn’t really have to. I mean, the party was over – and you already had the gifts. Why bother thanking your friends? They had had a good time, and it’s not like any of them were going to take their gifts back.”
“I wanted to thank them,” he retorted, a little appalled at my callous suggestion. “It wouldn’t have been a good party if they hadn’t come, plus, it would have been super rude to just take the presents without saying ‘Thank you’!”
“That’s true,” I acknowledged. “It wouldn’t have been as much fun, and the presents were really nice. And you’re right – you wouldn’t have been a very good friend if you just took it all for granted instead of showing that you appreciated them.”
“Believe it or not,” I continued, aiming for the connection, “that’s one of the main reasons we go to Mass – to show our appreciation for all that God gives us. Afterall, He’s the source of absolutely everything that is good in our lives, even the things that come through other people. We couldn’t even count high enough to count everything He’s provided! But Mass gives us a chance to at least stop and think about all His wonderful gifts– and how His generosity shows how much He loves us. We can thank Him anytime and anywhere – and we should – but Mass is a special time set aside for all of us to praise and thank Him together.”
“So, yes,” I said, finishing up and hoping I had hit the mark, “Mass can seem long or even boring sometimes, especially when we don’t completely understand a lot of what’s going on. But even then, we can try to learn and join in on the prayers and songs, and we can take the time to think about all the people, things, and fun times that God has given us in particular – like birthday parties and friends who come to them.”
“Yeah, and Mommy and Daddy. They planned it, and they take care of everything.”
“True,” I agreed, nodding. “And don’t forget your sisters.”
“And you!” he added, warming up to a litany of possibilities. “And our house and food. And all of my toys.”
“Yes, all of that! We better get going, though. It sounds like you could be pretty busy in Mass with all this thanking to do. Did you know that I try to go to Mass every day?”
“Every day?” He looked confused for a moment, then his expression changed to one of understanding. “I get it,” he said. “You’ve been alive such a long time that you have tons to thank God for!”