To the man who came up to me after Mass today and asked if I needed help carrying things out to the car and then smiled and said he enjoyed hearing my baby “talk” (squeal loudly in frequent intervals is more like it).
“She’s very vocal,” I said, apologizing.
“She made a lot of noise, but they were all happy noises. Maybe she’ll be up there singing someday,” he kindly replied, nodding in the direction of the choir loft.
“Thank you, and happy New Year.” I told him.
“Happy New Year to you, too.”
I’ve found recently that Holy Days of Obligation definitely offer me an opportunity to grow in holiness. Because of Dave’s crazy schedule, I usually end up going with the girls solo. Rae is a handful at Mass, always “singing” and saying every word that comes to mind (sometimes she sees the crucifix and says “Jesus,” which tugs on my heart, and sometimes she pats her behind and yells, “butt,” which makes me blush with embarrassment).
But when people like this stranger come up to me and encourage me, I’m so thankful to be a part of the Body of Christ and the Church, and to be given the chance to be sanctified through very vocal and wiggly children.
Thank you, Blessed Mother, for encouraging me in my vocation as a Christian mom through this kind stranger. Help me to model you and your patience, humility, and absolute trust in God in every way.
I will always remember when my daughter was an infant. We always attended Mass together as a family, when my daughter began to babble (loudly). My first instinct was to take her out of the church, I began to do just that – when a woman named Anna Rose grabbed my hand and told me to sit down. Now I have known Anna Rose my entire life she was a friend of my mothers so believe me I did what i was told. After mass she proceeded to tell me that I was never to take the baby out of Church, that these noises that she made were joyous noises.
To this day when in Mass and I hear a baby or toddler “speaking” I know the voice is a direct line to Christ and it makes me smile.
I’m still smiling … joy is contagious … thanks Kate, thanks Rae.
Father Pat recently called Meredith the “leaky temple of the Holy Spirit” – and I needed that laugh for the way I was feeling like strangling her! :) God bless you in your vocation, dear Kate! :)