This morning was another slow morning in our household. I got up late (6:50 a.m.) since Jacob had come into our room at 12:30 a.m. with his pajamas off as well as his diaper. He was asking for something I couldn't quite understand. After taking him back to his room and getting him redressed, he said his pajamas were wet. There was a moist spot on one of the thighs, so I got him re-undressed and put new pjs on him. All this activity woke me completely up and I had trouble going back to sleep. I hope this was a one time fluke.
Anyway, we wound up leaving early for 9:30 Mass. We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts before Mass for a treat that we didn't get to eat till after Mass (in retrospect, I suppose we gave ourselves a Lenten penance). We bought some groceries for dinner. Even with all that action, we arrived five minutes early. We tried to convince Jacob to sit upstairs and see the musicians. He was uninterested in this. Instead, he made a beeline for the bathroom.
After that was taken care of, we all headed down to the children's chapel. One dad was there with two boys in a stroller. He must have been new because the TV was off and the sound was turned way down. I turned on the equipment and Mass started shortly. So did major anarchy. Jacob and Lucy were more than a handful today as the chapel filled with other parents and children.
Lucy wore her cute pink sparkly shoes, which she took off several times. She became very upset and squirmy when we tried to put them back on her. She did a lot of climbing on chairs and clinging to us throughout the Mass. I barely got her and Jacob to put money in the collection basket.
Jacob for his part had to go potty several times (including #2). He took the basket full of MagnifiKids magazines and did a reverse offertory--he gave a magazine to each parent in the chapel. Later he collected them back. Then he decided just before the consecration that he did want to see the musicians upstairs. Up we went. We found the musicians but nowhere to sit. Jacob demanded to sit in a pew. I explained there was no room and we had to stand next to the choir. He refused to believe this and eventually I had to carry him out as he cried and asked to go home. Back in the children's chapel he refused to shake hands. He was willing to walk upstairs for communion but wanted Mommy to carry him in church. Mommy was already carrying the uncooperative Lucy, so that didn't work. I carried him up with me. Jacob received a blessing from the monsignor when I received communion. We headed back to the chapel to finish Mass. None of the other parents and children came back after communion. I wonder what could have scared them off?
After Mass was over, we didn't go to the playground because it was too cold. We did enjoy some donuts at home. All in all, it was the most challenging Mass we've had for quite a long time. I hope things improve soon. It would be hard not too.
I heard little snatches of the sermon on today's Gospel--Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Monsignor gave a lot of background information that brings the details to life and shows how Jesus loves all of us, even those like the woman who seemed to be of a dubious moral nature. Salvation is available even to questionable souls like ours.
No comments:
Post a Comment