Church

Church

Yes. I take my children to church. Regularly. It is a constant struggle to get them out of bed, dressed somewhat appropriately, shoe-d, in the car and there before Mass is half over much less already started. Sometimes i succeed. And while there, I ask God over and over why? I shake my head. I usually want to crawl under the pew, more than once.

It was Ash Wednesday. This is one of the most somber masses of the year. There is no music. No fanfare. You are expected to be quiet. Reserved. Introspective. I took my two boys to Ash Wednesday mass alone. Their dad was unable to accompany us due to his work schedule. So we went. 

We filed up to the front to receive our ashes. I believe "Clyde" was 4 and his brother was 2. It was the first time we attended this particular church, (as dragging 2 toddlers and their dad to mass every Sunday at this point had proven to be a battle not worth having. I watched Mass on tv and got WAY more out of it.) and we were about to make our mark.  

After being marked with the ashes, we filed back to our seats. #2 son was quite precocious, and very curious and he stared at all the people around us. He looked at me and got a horrified expression on his little face. All of a sudden, he says, "mom." I ignored him. "mom." a little louder this time. I shushed him.
"MOM!" Shocked he yelled, i shushed him again and said, "What C?" He responded in a panicked voice, "mom, you have DIRT on your face!" 

"I know, C. So do you."  he thought about that a bit. then all of a sudden he yells, "GET IT OFF!!!" Panicked by the scene he was making, I rubbed his head near the ashes, and said, "it's gone. now be quiet!"  Well, the little guy then started looking around at all the other worshipers. "mom." I rolled my eyes. "mom!" I shushed him. "MOM!!" "what now?" In his panicked voice, "Everyone has dirt on their faces:" "I know, C. We're supposed to." Again, silence as he thought about that. "mom." "mom." "MOM!" "What C?"  Very panicked this time, "put it back." "what?" "put it back, put it back!! PUT MY DIRT BACK!!" Shocked, I looked at my 2yr old, touched my forehead, and then rubbed his forehead again. "there. now BE QUIET!" Yes, we were being watched. We had gone from the mom with the cute little boys to the floor show. Great. I looked up at the ceiling of the church and prayed a silent prayer, "Please just let me get through the rest of this mass!!!"

Communion time. We file up. The Priest gently touches each boy and whispers some kind of blessing. Then i receive communion. "Body of Christ." "Amen." And i herd my little boys back to our seats. I lower the kneeler and kneel to say my post communion prayers. "Mom." I ingore him. "MOM." I shush him. "MOM!!!" He is NOT to be ignored. "What C?" and at the top of his little lungs, in a church where even a pin dropped on the carpet could be heard, 

" I WANNA PIECE OF CHRIST!!!!!"

Yep. I crawled under the pew as a ripple of laughter spread through out the church, and from my hiding place under the pew, I saw the priest struggle not to laugh.