Friday, August 22, 2008

Do boys still do this?

click to enlarge
This is the latest advertisement for the Diocese of Raleigh (in the USA) Vocations Office.
From Roman Catholic Vocations

But do boys still play Mass?
Cardinal Merry de Val as child had his own fully euipped chapel.

9 comments:

Mary Martha said...

I know my nephews (and nieces) do. Not quite as well outfitted as this tyke... but they play 'church' just like they play house and school.

gemoftheocean said...

I certainly hope so.

[I can remember playing "Mass" when I was a child. the necco wafers worked particularly well.]

St. Therese of Lisieux also had a Mass set.
It's on display in her childhood home.

Karen

Mulier Fortis said...

One young lad I know of has his own chapel out in the garden shed... and he gets his even younger brother to act as server...

Ad orientem, naturally...

...and I believe Mass is according to the Usus antiquior...!

JARay said...

I do not know if little boys still do this but I know that I did and so did my friend Charles who went on to become one.

JARay

Fr. Gary V. said...

This is one of the best advertising for vocation for the priesthood that I have seen for a long time

Gregory of Langres said...

Nice to see the use of the Benedictine altar arrangement... it's clearly what the young people want!

Felix Randal said...

I used to do it when I was 8 and 9. After Mass in the parish church, I would get the family to sit down at home and I would say 'Mass' and 'preach'... They must have had great patience!

Anonymous said...

My father had an 'altar' set up in the family living room... Granny was a convert and handmade him exquisite little vestments - sadly these haven't survived.

Slightly off-topic, when they were little my girls had a box of My Little Ponies, and used to arrange them for Mass, with the 'Priest' pony facing the 'congregation'.

Anonymous said...

Yes, they do. Their sisters join in as well (not as "celebrants" you understand. or dancers.) and mothers have to flatten some white sliced bread and cut round a ten pence piece on it several times.

Isn`t that boy in the picture facing the wrong way ?

The Lord’s descent into the underworld

At Matins/the Office of Readings on Holy Saturday the Church gives us this 'ancient homily', I find it incredibly moving, it is abou...