Teaching Children About the Eucharist

teaching children about the eucharist Question from on 05-05-2006:

Dear Fr. Levis, As a member of the sacramental team for our parish I expressed dismay at the content of the proposed parish based program on the eucharist for children. There was nothing about the real presence,the eucharist as food for our souls. the worthy reception of the Eucharist or the sacrifice of the mass. Instead the children are told about gathering,listening, sharing a meal and that " the eucharist is a special meal in which we remember Jesus". I brought along some copies of other mater ials I have used to teach my own children in order for others to compare. I was told this is all children can understand about the Eucharist at this stage of their spiritual development, although one of the two priest said the reference to bread and wine troubled him a bit. I wanted to be involved in teaching the children but if this is all that will be taught there doesn't seem to be any point. What should I do ?

Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 05-06-2006:

Dear Louise, Yes, you have a mighty but worthwhile fight on your hands. YOu are so correct, so don't leave the battlefield just to avoid controversy. I suggest this: get yourself a copy of the new Compendium of the Catechism, and insist that its content is the only valid explanation of the Mass for every age of the student. Fight! Louise, the children are brighter than many think. Fr. Bob Levis

I came across this post today on Catholic Q & A at EWTN. I have a feeling we used the same First Communion program in our parish as this lady is referring to in her question. When I was given the book and program I'd be working with to help the First Communion class prepare for their First Holy Communion I was also disapointed. The book is called "We Celebrate the Eucharist" and each chapter is titled "The Eucharist is about . . ." The chapters included belonging, celebrating, listening, caring, making peace, giving thanks for creation, giving thanks for new life, sharing a meal, and making the world a better place. No where did it say "The Eucharist is about Jesus!"

Indeed, these topics should be a part of the Christian life, but I would have liked to see a greater emphasis placed on Christ's presence in the Eucharist and how the Eucharist is about all these other things because Christ is truly present to us in the Blessed Sacrament. This being said, I had little say in what program is used in the parish and I couldn't switch the books, so I decided to supplement what I was given with what I thought was essential and lacking.

One of the things that I incorporated into my catechism class was beginning and ending each class with prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. I made sure that the children understood why it was that we were kneeling before the tabernacle before and after each class and that Christ was present with us listening to our prayers and petitions. I reminded them that Christ loved them and that whenever they came before Him in the Blessed Sacrament they should remember to tell Him that they love Him too. I also instructed the children to genuflect whenever passing before the tabernacle. This may seem obvious to most people, but in the parish I attend sadly very few people genuflected when entering the pews or passing before the tabernacle (which is set off to the side). I think that one of the most precious moments for me this past year was when I saw one of my little girls passing before the tabernacle with her mom. The little girl paused and genuflected before going by, yet her mother just walked by without apparently acknowledging Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. The little girl noticed that her mom hadn't genuflected when she did and tugging on her mom's dress she pointed to the tabernacle and then walked back with her mom and they genuflected together.

Another thing I did to supplement the catechism program that I was given to work with was to introduce the children to a different saint at the beginning of each class. We talked about how the saints are our close friends and how they help us to love Jesus. I made a point of presenting saints particularly related to the sacraments the children were preparing for. For instance, when we were preparing for their First Confession I talked about St. Padre Pio and St. John Vianney, among others, and about how much they valued the sacrament of Reconciliation and why they thought it was important. I did the same in preparation for First Holy Communion, introducing them to a handful of the saints with particular devotions to the Blessed Sacrament. I brought in a picture of each saint so that the children could see them, recognize them, and understand that they were real people just like you and I. It's amazing how much of these stories the children remember.

Furthermore, I also spoke to the children on numerous ocassions about the priest as Persona Christi in the sacraments. This is an aspect that was essentially neglected by the material I was given to work with. I thought this was important for the children to understand.

There is so much to touch on and so much that could be said when preparing children for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion but there's only so much you can do when you only have an hour a week for eight months to instruct the children. That being said, their minds are like sponges and they absorb far more than you'd expect.

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