A Word on Liturgy and Community
Liturgy is messy. It never goes exactly according to plan; there's always a little glitch, a small, unexpected something (a fire alarm, a dropped host, an out of place prayer) - but we keep going. Liturgy is the "work of the people." It is the right, privilege, and work of the faithful to be able to assemble as a community to share God's Word and the Eucharist, share our faith and grow together in love as Jesus directs us. If any one of us was asked if we believed that we all have a right to come to Church, not one of us would disagree. No one would ever say, "You have a right to be here, but you don't." No one would presume to say that God would want even one of His children to feel unwelcome in his house.
And yet, sometimes our actions say something different. Sometimes we are not as welcoming to one another in God's house as we should be. Our actions may say, "It is my right to be here, but not yours." Something as simple as glaring at an active child, or grumbling about having to move further into the pew, or making a comment about how someone is dressed, says to that person that you don't think they should be there.
It is easy to become distracted by the behavior of others. It is important to keep a few things in mind when we are tempted to get angry about it. First, every one of us here has been a distraction at one time or another - at the very least, when we were kids! Perhaps by being grumpy, annoyed that we have to be here, or by doing something other than worshiping we have distracted someone who was trying to participate fully. Second, there are members of our community who simply cannot control themselves at all times. Children get antsy. That might pass very quickly, making it silly for a parent to take them out. Obviously, if there was prolonged crying or fighting, the child should be removed until they can become calm. But, by never having them in the pew, they will never learn how to behave properly.
Some of our members may have physical issues that prevent them from moving quickly, or being able to sit too long, or stand too long. Others may not feel comfortable sitting in the middle of the pew in case they need to get up suddenly (nature calls at the strangest times). Some people cannot move in because they are serving in a liturgical capacity. Some of our children and adults are living with issues like Autism, which may prevent them from responding to situations the way we think people should, or behaving in a way that we would describe as age appropriate. In each case, we might not be fully aware of why someone is behaving the way they are, and should not use our ignorance as a reason to judge. All of these are opportunities for us to love others as Christ and, maybe, to say a little prayer for the frazzled parent, the active child, the person obstructing your path, or whoever is distracting you.
The word "Catholic" means "universal," which means that it is for everyone. All people are welcome in our church regardless of their age, ability or attention span. God invites and calls each of us by name to worship, and we must approach the altar with hearts open to each beautifully, wonderfully made person that God has called to this place.