Archbishop Raymond Burke claims that “playing Mass” as a kid led him to where he is today.
This from Zenit:
Church’s Smallest Members “Playing” Mass
Wee Believers Toy Line Nourishes Faith, Vocational Awareness
By Kathleen NaabINDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, DEC. 10, 2009 (Zenit.org).- When the prefect of the Vatican’s highest court was a little boy in Wisconsin, probably no one imagined all he would have accomplished by now, 61 years later.
And yet, at least Raymond Burke’s family shouldn’t be entirely surprised. The little Raymond delighted in “playing Mass” — something which helped him along the journey that led to his priestly ordination at age 27. It was 33 years (almost to the day) after his ordination that he was called to Rome to be the prefect of the Apostolic Signature. By then he’d served as the bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and the archbishop of St. Louis, Missouri.
But the seeds of such a great mission really did put down roots in the early 50s, with young Raymond’s choice of childhood entertainment.
He recounted: “When I was in first grade, I used to like to play Mass with the participation of my siblings and neighboring children. My parents bought for me a Mass kit for children, which was available at the time. [...] To this day I feel badly that it was lost somewhere along the way. [...] I can tell you that the little Mass kit played its part in fostering my vocation to the priesthood.”
. . . keep reading
If you are still in need of a great Christmas idea, here are two very different Mass Kits to choose from:
For ages 3 to 8: Wee Believers — My Mass Kit+Booklet
For ages 3 to 12: Our Father’s House — Baptismal Set, Mass Kit, Child-size Monstrance and more.
