Missal changes and TLM

Like many Catholics, I've been going over the missal changes in anticipation of their implementation (just 124 more days to go!)  There has been some resistance, and I think that this is because many Catholics have never attended traditional Latin Mass, and because of that, have no frame of reference for the "changes" (which are not "changes" really, but corrections).  TLM is only offered once a month in my area, and we always go (weather/health/etc permitting).  I was very excited and joyful this past Sunday to attend and have that hands on reminder of how much more accurate and beautiful the new missal is going to be!  I really encourage every one to attend TLM if you have the chance, especially if you've never been.  Go over the missal changes before hand, so you can really get a sense of how wonderful the new translation is. 

I hope the new missal is a first step in reclaiming the beauty and sacredness of the Mass, something I fear has largely been sacrificed in the name of modernity and popularity. 

Today was a good day. 3 non-Catholic friends came to Mass with us. One is agnostic and the other two are a married non-denominational Christian couple who just moved back here from Australia where they had been going to Mass. Afterwards we had our parish kick-off for VBS, so we had a picnic and games and such at a local park. The kids were all lovely though I cut out early with the littlest ones and came and got my husband and our oldest later.

And I just found a dark chocolate M&M nestled in the arm of my chair! Fantastic, life is good.

Mother's Day, Pentecost Mass

Mass this Sunday was fun. In that it wasn't at all. Dd2 was a screaming ball of anger right off the bat. Dh sat with her in the cry room so I could actually participate, but you could still hear her screaming.

Afterwards one woman came up and gave me 2 children's Missals and basically said she didn't want to offend me or tell me how to parent, but she ran a daycare for 21 years and had to take lots of little ones to Mass and found that having special "Mass only" books helped.

I smiled and said thank-you and I'm sure dd1 will love it, especially now that she's reading so well, but I didn't feel like telling her dd2 won't give a flip about it.

Yes, she's almost 3, but she's severely brain-damaged and developmentally delayed and she's just not going to care in anyway or even understand that she only sees that book at Mass. And we already have 2 books that we only bring to Mass and they obviously don't work.

I know she meant well but I just didn't feel like getting into a big discussion about dd2's special needs. Dh said sometimes he wants to just go up front and tell everyone all about her brain damage so people realize she's special needs and we aren't just crappy parents.

Drive-by Mass

Yes, so, the last post I mentioned that mass with little ones is a trial in patience.

Last evening proved that.

I dislike attending Saturday evening Mass to begin with. It's normally older people with few or no children, so every little noise that mine make is glaringly obvious. But, dh works third shift and sometimes has to work a full shift Saturday night, so 5pm Mass is our only option for attending as a family.

Dd2 is 33 months old, but is disabled and developmentally delayed. She just does NOT understand what being quiet is, and doesn't understand why she can't run around screeching in delight, or spend the entire time going up and down the stairs in the back of the church. Normally though, I can entertain her at least until the homily in the pew, then take her back to the cry room and keep her relatively quiet for the consecration, then bring her back up front after Communion, and finish the Mass in the pew.

Sometimes, though, she just can't calm down. Last night was one of those times. And since the baby was also crying and fussing I felt totally overwhelmed. In the cry room trying to calm the baby down while dd2 screamed and bang on the doors. Dh's idea of helping was to send dd1 back to "help" me. Sigh.

22 minutes into the Mass I had had enough and took dd2 and dd3 to the van and drove around town. It put dd3 right to sleep and dd2 happily looked out the window the whole time.

I'm seriously considering just not bringing dd2 to mass for awhile. I'm tired of spending the entire time completely stressed out and missing communion half the time.

Insert dramatic sigh.

Random thought

At the end of Mass we say "Thanks be to God."

I guarantee you no one means it more than the mothers of small children!

I truly love the Mass, but it sure is a trial in patience with little ones!