AmericanPapist Comments
Why certainly! In fact, check out what my 5 year old did at one of his doctor's appointments over at the Catholic Dads blog site.
My son is 16 months old, and his godparents (God bless them!) made sure that we had a holy water font at home for him. He doesn't have the sign of the cross yet, but he loves to dip his finger in the font and touch his forehead. Of late, he's begun tracing his finger horizontally across his neck after hitting his forehead. He does the same with the font at adoration.
I have read that some otherwise unconcious Catholic patients will make an attempt to sign themselves when a prayer (or the Anointing of the Sick) is said over them. It's in us, through and through!
What a great start !
While at a restaurant this weekend, our 18 month old daughter noticed a little dish in front of her high chair then ... dipped her little fingers in the salsa bowl and made the sign of the cross.
"Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it."
-- Mark 10:15
My nine year old genuflected on her way into the row of seats at the movie theater, then loudly announced it to the (nearly-empty) theater and said, "Why'd I do that? I'm not at church!"
This was a few months ago...my two year old dipped her fingers into the toilet and made her version of the sign of the cross. Kind of mixed feeling about that. : )
My son likes to dip his hands into any water fountain and make the sign of the cross. He will also say the prayer and a big amen afterward too! Ummm, all the fountains at the churches we have been at have been that, fountains, big and flowing with the water on. So these are the places he is attracted to. made me think about how much they absorb about the surroundings at church.
The toilet huh . . . - prayer is good everywhere!
In the name of the father . . .
Jennifer
Our two-year-old solemnly blessed himself from a neighbor's above-ground swimming pool. But to be honest, there are few liquids that I have not seen the young ones try to bless themselves with.
When my now-eight-year-old brother was about two and a half, he sat down on the living room rug with a roll of Necco candy wafers, carefully opened the wrapper, and slowly and thoughtfully elevated each one before he ate it. He's still a trip.
When my mother in law was reading a book to my 2 year, and they came to a part where the girl in the story sat down to eat pizza, my little girl yelled out, "Wait, they didn't pray yet," and wouldn't let Grandma continue until they had prayed over the food.
You guys, these stories are just cracking me up.
I remember when my sister was about five, and I was twelve or so, I was trying to teach her how to play chess. She was just learning how the pieces move and stuff. When we were at Mass one Sunday, the Bishop was there for Confirmation or something, and during the procession she was just staring at the Bishop with a confused look on her face. I asked her what was up, and she said, "I thought they only moved diagonally...."
I don't know what she was expecting - that the bishop was just going to zig-zag up the aisle, or what...but it was pretty funny.
"I thought they only moved diagonally...."
Great line!
On the other hand, some of them don't move at all!!
A few years ago, I started making homemade baked corn chips. I use fresh corn tortillas, which just happen to be about the size of the host we see elevated each weekend. My daughter stills asks for them as Body of Christ chips.
I don't have children, but I remember that when I was a little child, at snack time I loved to take pieces of bread, tear them up, and flatten the pieces to make "hosts."
At my first Communion, my parents had given me a rosary, and I carried it everywhere. I even tried to carry it to the Baptist service my mom used to bring us to--needless to say, she didn't allow that! I grudgingly obeyed. I loved my rosary!
I was watching Star Wars with a couple little kids I was babysitting and every time someone in the movie said "May the Force be with you," they replied "and also with you".
My friends' daughter a good few years ago while a seminarian (now priest) was over to visit took a girl scout Thin Mint elevated it looked at Larry, the seminarian and said "it's like this Larry, the bottom of Christ!"
As Larry said, technically she is right, His bottom is involved. This comment had given my friends and I quite a few laughs through the years. Added to this is the fact that Larry is about 6 feet tall and African-American, needless to say the idea that a thin mint was used amused us to no end. Thankfully this child is growing up to be a wonderful woman of faith. :)
My then four year old son would run down the street on his way to catch the subway or bus, loudly singing, "Gloria in excelsis Deo,... , the whole way.
After his brothers returned from a foot pilgrimage to Chartres, they taught him the refrain, "Chartres sonne, Chartres t'appelle. Gloire honneur au Christ Roi! He then sang it all the way to the grocery store on the bus and walking along the busy street.
Another son walked only on his knees, instead of his feet, from 9 months to 14 months. He did this everywhere-outside in the grass and of course into church and down the aisle to our pew. Everyone thought he'd been to Guadalupe or Fatima. It gave him a very pious aura.
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