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| Two of our Acolytes next to Father Mathew and our two Deacons |
If you are like me, you served as an altar boy when you were young. I actually served all the way through my high school years. I remember enjoying to put on the cassock and the surplice (these are the black and white garments that look like the priest's); it made me feel "priestly." In fact, while I never formally discerned for the priesthood, serving as an altar boy gave me pause to think about the priesthood as a vocation (of course I didn't know at the time that was what I was doing). I remember thinking that serving on the altar was serious stuff.
Fathers & Sons
I have very strong opinions about the need to get more young men and boys active as altar servers. I believe this is the training ground for future priests. The purpose of this post is not to criticize the relatively recent move to permit girls as altar servers. Instead, I am simply saying that it is an opportunity to give young men a glimpse into the possibility of the priesthood as a vocation. Countless priests have said their vocations began on the altar, serving as altar boys. I believe fathers have a responsibility of encouraging their boys to serve in this capacity. Two things we can focus on : 1) they will be serving God and their community and 2) they will belong to a special team. Boys like belonging to teams.
Altar Server Training
Perhaps one of the things that needs to happen in altar server programs is a careful focus on the formation of the altar servers. They need to know what and why they are doing what they are doing. Can you imagine how truly awestruck they will be when they really comprehend that they are on the altar when the bread and wine transform into the Body and Blood of Christ?
The following video from Kolbe1019 is a must see for altar servers and I dare say for anyone who serves on or near the altar.
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