“The Body and Blood of Jesus is fully present in both the consecrated bread and wine.”

“Even if we only receive the host at Communion, we still receive both Christ’s Body and Blood, and share in his Death and Resurrection.”

Source: MagnifiKid!, April 29, 2018. Pages 8-9. Vol.15. Part 5. Section 6

For Parents to Teach to Their Children

We State What We Believe–The Nicene Creed– The Profession of Faith

“I believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven, (All bow until “…became man.”)
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.”

Source: A Missal for Children Page 27

Introduction to the Eucharist Prayer

“The Eucharistic Prayer is the central and most important part of the Mass because it contains the Consecration of the bread and the wine that will become the Body and Blood of Jesus. It begins by an exchange of words between the priest and the congregation to lift up our hearts to God.”

Excerpt from the Eucharist Prayer 1

P. “The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

P. Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Lord.

P. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right and just.”

“We now arrive at the most important moment of the Eucharistic Prayer, the Consecration: the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, his last meal before his passion. Standing in for Jesus and speaking in his place, the priest repeats the words of Consecration over the bread and wine. They are then transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus.”

“The Virgin Mary, the angels, and the saints are always near to us during Mass. We ask them for their help.”

Source: A Missal for Children, Pages 36-38

The Seven Sacraments Revisited

A friend of mine told me a sweet story about sitting next to her seven-year-old grandson as they waited for his First Holy Communion Mass to start. The little boy turned to her and asked, “Grandma, am I getting married?” She replied, telling him that this was his First Holy Communion and not his marriage. I laughed when I heard this story, but I also thought, “How did that happen?”

Young children can have wildly incorrect understanding of many things. I remember my sister, when she was about the same age as the grandson, sing the “Stars Spangled Banner” starting with the line: “Jose, can you see?” She had learned it by hearing the song and singing it in class, as opposed to reading the text to the song. Somewhere along the line, my friend’s grandson, got his Sacraments mixed up, and thought he was about to march down the aisle to his wedding.

As adults, we can’t assume that children are assimilating material that we adults are teaching them. Moreover, the preparation for First Holy Communion is complicated, needs to be taught over and over using different modalities–reading a child’s book out loud, telling a story, inviting children to write words and pictures, coloring, crossword puzzles, and learning through song and art. A review of the Seven Sacraments is a good idea in these last days before First Holy Communion.

Here are some wonderful resources for children preparing for FHC, starting with a charming book on the Sacraments.

Click on image to enlarge.

A Missal for Children–A beautiful book with the Order of the Mass and more!

Child’s Guide to the Seven Sacraments
The Mass Coloring & Activity Book
Child’s Guide to First Holy Communion
A Communion of the Heart
A Missal for Children
The Mass Book for Children

We Learn from Reading Scripture

“I am the vine, you are the branches.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John Source: USCCB.org

“Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.'”

The Parable of the Vine

The Cenacle Church in Jerusalem Contemporary Stained Glass Window- Vine and Branch

“Jesus uses the parable of the vine to say that he is the vine and God the Father is the vine grower. Each of us is a branch of that vine. If we live according to Jesus’ commandment of love, we will grow and bear fruit, like a good vine.”

Source: Magnifikid! Page 15

We Learn Through Song

“Take and Eat” Source: CatholicHymn.com

Take and Eat

“Take and eat; take and eat:
this is my body given up for you.
Take and drink; take and drink:
this is my blood given up for you.

I am the Word that spoke and light was made;
I am the seed that died to be reborn;
I am the bread that comes from heav’n above;
I am the vine that fills your cup with joy.