Today I heard my first Children's mass at Sacred Heart Church. When I went to church at 4pm, the huge amount of kids were noticeable. The lector was a little boy, the readers were kids, even the choir was composed of very young, and very gregarious singers who were less than 12 years old. (Which explains the uber high pitched voices - castrata choir, anyone?)
Admittedly, it was a bit disconcerting for me. The most obvious difference between a regular mass and a children's mass was the absence of a homily from the priest. In lieu of that, there was a stage play - led by kids, of course - that explained the essence of that Sunday's gospel. For an adult, it was really odd hearing the gospel being interpreted using the words: "mga berks," "sobrang hindi cool" at "doncha forget that."
The couple seated beside me - also greenhorns in this "children's mass" biz - were equally perplexed. But they obviously had less patience than I did. In the middle of the homily, they both decided to leave, and the husband said that he'd rather have a priest explaining the essence of the gospel rather than trying to decipher kids' speak.
It just goes to show how different adults and kids think. What's simple for adults can be difficult for kids, and what seems easy and entertaining for kids turns out to be difficult for adults. And while the children's mass really might really be more engaging and enlightening for kids, I'm way beyond the age limit of 12. In advertising parlance - i'm no longer their target market.
Next time, i'll wait for the 5pm mass.
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