Yesterday, on the Feast of the Ascension, the DigiDaughter assisted at her first Mass as an altar server. I know that some out there are traditionalists who do not like the idea of girls donning the robe, but times have a-changed. My daughter was not nervous and did a great job. She wasn't sure how to tie her cincture, as the other two boys were double knotting theirs, but Fr. Mike showed her the "cool" way to do it, just as he had done as an altar boy, and she was ready. Afterwards, my girl said she liked helping at Mass and wants to keep doing this. Here's a picture of her waiting for the gifts to be brought up for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
I thought she looked darling, what with the other two altar boys being quite tall, and here was this little blond dumpling about three heads below them in height, but I could be biased, what with being her mother and all . . .
I kvelled with pride seeing my daughter as an acolyte, if I may use a Yiddish word learned in my Bronx childhood days . . .
The DigiSon, however, was quite upset because he thought the robe was da bomb and wanted to be an altar boy, too. It's difficult to reason with a 5-year-old, and almost every Sunday he gets upset over the fact that he cannot receive Communion, despite our explanations that he has to be in "Sr. Michelle's class" (2nd grade) to do so. He asked me yesterday, tearfully, "Mom, when Jesus comes down from heaven and He's not invisble, can you ask Him to make me 8 so I can be an altar server?" I may well be raising the first American Pope . . .
3 comments:
Digital,
First, thank you for your service to our country.
Second, I am sure any parent would be proud at their child's accomplishment, esp. being an altar server. Next step in your child's development, ep. if she wants to be an altar server would be to teach her (and the kid serving with her) how to fold her hands (either palm to palm, fingers pointing toward heaven, thumbs crossed, or even a sloppy "fold" as demonstrated by the priest). Both servers look like a couple of soccer players protecting their gonads during a free kick.
Digital,
I can understand any parent being proud of their off-spring. However, as long as Rome allows females to serve at the altar, vocations to the priesthood will continue to collapse. Little boys and young men, do NOT want to part of something that includes females. That is not something new, just how males have seen things for thousands of years.
Do you think any of us would have joined the Marine Corps if the recruiting station was filled with females in Dress Blues? Not on your life.
If you want vocations to the priesthood, return to Tradition, and remove females (and ALL laity) from the Sanctuary.
Semper Fi-
I don't think the presence of females in the sanctuary is the cause of the drop of vocations, so much as it is society's disdain for true spiritual pursuits (versus crap like Scientology) and the embrace of moral relativism.
Consider this - my daughter will never be a priest, and that's okay, but it is very likely that she will assume the honorable role of mother. Participation in Church activities, including the Liturgy, may one day cause her to champion the vocation of the priesthood with her own sons.
As for your comment about the female Marines, as more American women spill their blood for our country - BACK OFF! Remember the wise words of the anthropologisy, Margaret Meade, who rightly called us "the more vicious of the species."
Do I have to tell your mother about this?
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