My Holiday Gift to You

Posted by Molly

I love Christmas Mass. The story of the Nativity is so beautiful and hearing it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with all your Catholic neighbors gathered together while we sing Christmas hymns and celebrate the birth of our Lord is always a thrill. It is the most magical time of the year for sure.

Getting through Mass with small children who are all hopped up on sugar and the excitement of waiting for presents, on the other hand, can sometimes be a tad painful. And when we have to spend time disciplining them it takes away from the celebration of the Baby Jesus.


I get through it by bringing along Nativity stickers for my kids to play with during Mass. I figure if they're going to need something to occupy them a little at least it's something that teaches them about the Nativity story.

Last year, I ordered some stickers for my kids and had a handful of extras that I gave out to parents at Christmas Eve Mass in the trumpet room. You would have thought I was giving these parents gold, frankincense and myrhh! They were all so grateful and so excited to have a way to occupy their children and get to enjoy the liturgy themselves. And it made me so happy to help other parents because I know how hard it is!

This year I asked Father Meyers and Father Charlie if they would mind if I ordered a lot of extra Nativity stickers and handed them out to "needy parents" at Christmas Eve Mass. And our priests, because they are awesome and love children and have empathy for parents, said "go for it!".

So if you're going to be at Mass on Christmas Eve in the trumpet room at 4pm and you want some stickers for your small children, look for me! I'll be the one with the two super wild boys and the really handsome husband. Lucky me, right? Trust me, I know it.

And if you plan on going to Mass at 4pm in the Church or at Richie Park or to one of the 6pm Masses or one of the Christmas Eve masses and you'd like to take a bundle of stickers and hand them out, email me! I have enough to share and I want to do it.

It's my Christmas Gift to all the moms who need a hand and all the other parishoners who put up with my children at Mass every week. Without the love and support of our Catholic community parenting would be so much harder. Life and love are so much easier when you have God and family and friends to support you. We are all so lucky.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Photo:  Christmas wrapping by Rennings