By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.
(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He is currently the parochial vicar of St. Andrew Parish in Colchester and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Lebanon. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)
This past Sunday we celebrated the Third Sunday of Advent. The Introit Antiphon for the Mass is: “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus enim prope est. Nihil solliciti sitis: sed in omni oratione petitiones vestrae innotescant apud Deum. * Benedixisti Domine terram tuam: avertisti captivitatem Jacob” (Missale Romanum).Pope John Paul II
How can we participate in this rejoicing? Pope St. John Paul II gives us a way! In the early years of his Pontificate, Pope John Paul II gives a beautiful way to rejoice that Christ is near. At one of his Sunday angelus messages, Pope John Paul II introduced the people to the blessing of the Bambinelli. Bambinelli is the Italian word for the Baby Jesus. In His angelus the Holy Father said:
“As I bless your little statues, beloved children, I think with serene hope of you, of the immense good that you can do, precisely because you are little, within your family, the school, the associations, and society itself. Not for nothing did Jesus Himself choose you as models for those who wish to have a part in His Kingdom (cf. Matt. 18:4; Mark 10:15).
“Take home, with great care, the little statue of the Infant Jesus, also as a sign of the Pope’s love for you and your families. Put it in your Crib with intense faith, with that faith wherewith the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God, laid the newborn Jesus in the manger (cf. Luke 2:7). Invite your father, your mother, your brothers and sisters, the whole of your family, to gather round the Crib in these days of the Christmas Novena, to recite together the prayers learned on your mother’s lap, to sing the sweet carols, so charged with human and Christian sentiment.
“May the Infant Jesus, present in the Crib of your home, be the concrete sign of a limpid and sincere faith, which will enlighten, guide, and direct your life and that of your dear ones.”
Both Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have continued this tradition within their respective pontificates.
Each year in my parishes we celebrate Bambinelli Sunday. On the First Sunday of Advent, all the children in the parishes are reminded to prepare their Bambinelli. The Ladies Guild even provides Bambinelli statues to those children who have none.
The Third Sunday of Advent is a joyous day. It is so encouraging to see the children so excited. As the people arrive for Mass, I see the children holding their precious Baby Jesus. Some children make special carriers or holder for the Baby Jesus.
At the end of Sunday Masses, I invite the children to hold up their Bambinelli statues for the blessing. I have used many different prayers of blessing, but I admire the prayer that was composed by Pope Benedict XVI:
“God, our Father you so loved humankind that you sent us your only Son Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, to save us and lead us back to you. We pray that, with your blessing, these images of Jesus, soon to come among us, may be a sign of your presence and love in our homes.
“Good Father, give your Blessing to us too, to our parents, to our families and to our friends. Open our hearts, so that we may be able to receive Jesus in joy, always do what he asks and see him in all those who are in need of our love. I now bless these Bambinelli and the children who present them in the name of the Father, of the son and of the Holy Spirit. We ask you this in the name of Jesus, your beloved Son who comes to give the world peace and who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.”
We fail to recognize the great faith of our little children. Children have an acute ability to understand and recognize the Divine. This was true in my own life. As a child I was an altar boy and cherished that ministry. It was for me, an opportunity to grow in my vocation. Children need these opportunities. They need to know that they are welcome in Church.
Many parishes have what is called a Liturgy for the Children. This nuance, I believe, does more to hurt the children than to help them. We do a great disservice to our children by sending them out of Mass for their own Liturgy of the Word. This has the potential to confuse their little minds into thinking they are not welcomed in church. And if that is not enough, half of the time, they don’t learn anything during this time away.
Sometimes we hear things said from the older folks: “The children are a distraction!” I think the older folks have forgotten something: They were children too! When I went to church as a child, I showed respect during Mass, because if I didn’t, I got a good slap when I got home. We have allowed the confusion of society to dictate how we should worship. This is very sad!
Children Love Mystery
Our children need to know the Traditions of the Church and to experience them. Children understand mystery! They are intrigued by mystery! So, when we come to Mass, we must allow the mystery to draw the children closer to Jesus. The problem today is we have lost the parents. We have become so worldly that we have forgotten the divine. Faith has taken a back seat! People’s relationship with Jesus has become just another activity. We need to restore a sense of the sacred!
Advent draws us back to Christ! Advent offers us hope! We need to experience hope again. The Third Sunday of Advent reminds us that there is hope! This hope is transformed into Joy! We, in turn, are called to continual conversion of heart.
May the remaining two weeks of Advent afford us the opportunity to renew ourselves in Christ!
Jesus reminds us that unless we become like little children, we will not enter the Kingdom of God. May we use this Advent to become children again — children of faith!
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