I occasionally receive note from parents whose children are interested in "playing Mass".
This note came from a reader with photos.
Father Z.,
Sometimes I notice that you put up snippets and photos about children pretending to celebrate Mass. My son, who is 9, also likes to "celebrate Mass," but lately his attention has gone to setting up his Playmobil figures in the liturgy.
He did all this on his own, and without prompting from his parents: sewed the brown habits and green chasuble, made the little Missal and chant book, added the yellow flowers from the garden, and put the St. Benedict statue there. Intriguingly, although 90% of the liturgies he attends are versus populum, he knows to set up Mass ad orientem, put the crucifix on the altar, and the tabernacle in the center. He added the beards to the server and the schola master for authenticity, I think. Obviously some things had to be improvised, like the beer barrel that supports one of the candelabra, or the little idol on the side that is supposed to represent a saint.
I was so charmed when I came home one day to find this set up that I had to take some photos of it. Sorry they’re not the greatest photos but they still show it well.
Kudos to the kid!
