All Are Welcome
Summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily from October 29, 2006
"Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the north, I will gather them from the ends of the earth, with the blind and the lame in their midst, the mothers and those with child.." Jer 31:8
Every so often I get a request to do something about children crying in church. I have resisted homilizing on the question. Our church is strong on the theme of welcome, as well as procreation. So we need to work on patience with, tolerance of, even delight in, the presence of children at church. Having said this, I offer a few thoughts in case they are helpful. Children are often more attentive if they are located where they can see what is happening. It is hard for a child to be quiet if they have to spend an hour looking at nothing but someone else's back. At baptism, babies generally do not cry if they are christened face down so they can see the water. Perhaps parents are unaware of the existence and whereabouts of the cry room. Any usher will provide directions. The Upper Room (glass overflow room on the 2nd floor) can also be helpful. However, I am reluctant to make this question a high court case. I am often told by parents, that St. Charles is one of the churches that welcomes families with small children, and I feel strongly that we ought to stay that way.
The Gospel story of Bartimeus has a resonance with another incident. People were bringing their little children to Jesus to have him bless them, but the disciples were scolding them for this. It was as if Jesus was only for adults. He rebuked the disciples and asked them to let the children come and not to hinder them. It is to just such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.
The disciples also felt that Bartimeus was making too much noise. They told him to be silent. I often think silence is overrated. He kept calling out. Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." Bartimeus received his sight and, "followed Him on the way." (Mk 10:49..52)
In Jesus' ministry there is a consistent movement toward inclusion. The blind man was on the roadside; so was the leper, the unclean. The woman at the well and the woman to be stoned were outside the norm for marriage. The Samaritan and the Syro-Phoenician women were foreigners, strangers, and on the wrong side of the fence. Christ offered the hand of hospitality and healing to all who were at the margins of society and morality.
As a church we cannot erect barriers of discrimination. We need to be at the work of breaking down walls. Let us make room for all, even the little people.
