Family-Friendly Service

Little Brother wants to be an altar server. Just in time, too, I thought--since Middle Sister really wants to be done with that. She's served faithfully, every single Sunday, for more than four years now. On the weekends once a month when we play at the Saturday night Mass, there is no server on Sunday at noon because Middle Sister isn't there to do it.

Little Brother and I approached Father about serving, but Father says he has to wait until next year when he's in fourth grade. So it's back to the folk group for Little Brother. Yes, he sits and sings with us most weeks. He's in the choir at school and he knows all the music. TheDad says that when we practice each Wednesday night in our living room, Little Brother is here in the family room singing along. We're family-friendly in the folk group.

Little Brother is not the only child who sits with the folk group. We have five kids among us, ranging in age from 10 down to 4. During the homily, one of the four-year-olds loudly asked his mom, "Is that God?"

Being a generally "blurry because he's always in motion" kind of kid, Little Brother can get a little wiggly at Mass sometimes. So on Sunday morning I was warning him ahead of time that he really should practice being more still and reverent, in preparation for the time when he becomes an altar server.

Then during the homily I let him sit in my lap. He's still my little boy, even if I can hardly get my chin over the top of his head and his heels bang on my shins.

And I felt kind of guilty shushing him after we said our final response and the deacon and Extraordinary ministers received Communion, and he whispered to me, "I can't wait until Communion, so I can be healed."

Clearly, he gets it. I think he's ready to serve, Father.