This document discusses preparing children for First Communion by teaching them about the gift of the Holy Eucharist through parental example and experience. It emphasizes that children are influenced most by what their parents and teachers do, so if parents pray regularly, children will follow. It outlines three main aspects of the Eucharistic mystery - Real Presence, Sacrifice of the Altar, and Holy Communion - and explains their significance. It stresses that understanding the gift of the Mass is vital for spiritual and human life.

1. Preparation
for First Communion
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3. "All that I am or ever
hope to be, I owe to
my angel Mother." --
Abraham Lincoln

4. "Of all the rights of
women, the greatest
is to be a mother." –
Lin Yutang

5. "By and large, mothers and
housewives are the only
workers who do not have
regular time off. They are
the great vacationless
class." -- Anne Morrow
Lindbergh

6. "The mother's heart is
the child's
schoolroom." –
Henry Ward Beecher

7. "The most important
thing a father can do
for his children is to
love their mother."

10. St. Josemaria Escriva
answers the questions:

11. I think it is precisely the best way
to give children a truly Christian
upbringing. Scripture tells us about
those early Christian families
which drew new strength and
new life from the light of the Gospel.
St Paul calls them 'the Church
in the household' (1 Cor 16:19).

12. Children learn to place God first
and foremost in their affections.
They learn to see God
as their Father and Mary
as their Mother and they
learn to pray following their
parents' example.

13. In this way one can easily see
what a wonderful apostolate
parents have and
how it is their duty to live a fully
Christian life of prayer,
so they can communicate
their love of God to their children,
which is something more than
just teaching them.

14. This is the way to ensure that God
is not regarded as a stranger
whom we go to see in the church
once a week on Sunday.

15. He will be seen and treated
as He really is, not only in church
but also at home, because our Lord
has told us, 'Where two or three
are gathered together in My name,
I am there in the midst of them'
(Matt 18:20).

17. 3 Ways to learn Prayer:
By example
By experience
By education

19. Children are primarily influenced by
what their parents, caregivers and
teachers do.
If those who have the greatest
influence over them pray regularly,
children will follow.

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33. Sense of
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42. Scriptures reveal the gift…Scriptures reveal the gift…
““And when the hour came, he sat at table, andAnd when the hour came, he sat at table, and
the apostles with him. And he said to them, "Ithe apostles with him. And he said to them, "I
have earnestly desired to eat this Passover withhave earnestly desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat ityou before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it
until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." (…)until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." (…)
And he took bread, and when he had givenAnd he took bread, and when he had given
thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying,thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying,
""This is my body which is given for you.This is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of meDo this in remembrance of me .." And" And
likewise the cup after supper, saying, "likewise the cup after supper, saying, "ThisThis
cup which is poured out for you is thecup which is poured out for you is the
new covenant in my bloodnew covenant in my blood ..” (Lk. 22:14-21)” (Lk. 22:14-21)

43. ""This is my bodyThis is my body
which is given forwhich is given for
you. Do this inyou. Do this in
remembrance of meremembrance of me..““
""This cup which isThis cup which is
poured out for you ispoured out for you is
the new covenant inthe new covenant in
my bloodmy blood..””
The Gift…

44. Jesus Christ gives us aJesus Christ gives us a “miracle“miracle
gift”gift”
The sacraments areThe sacraments are
efficacious signs ofefficacious signs of
grace, instituted by Christgrace, instituted by Christ
and entrusted to theand entrusted to the
Church, by which divineChurch, by which divine
life is dispensed to uslife is dispensed to us..

45. Jesus Christ gives us aJesus Christ gives us a “miracle“miracle
gift”gift”
The visible rites by which theThe visible rites by which the
sacraments aresacraments are celebratedcelebrated
signify and make presentsignify and make present
the graces proper to eachthe graces proper to each
sacramentsacrament. They bear fruit. They bear fruit
in those who receive themin those who receive them
with the requiredwith the required
dispositions.dispositions.

46. The Catholic Church Teaches…The Catholic Church Teaches…
Our Saviour, (…) institutedOur Saviour, (…) instituted
this sacrament, in which Hethis sacrament, in which He
poured forth, as it were, thepoured forth, as it were, the
riches of His divine loveriches of His divine love
towards men, making atowards men, making a
remembrance of Hisremembrance of His
wonderful works; (…)wonderful works; (…)
(Council of Trent, Sess. xiii. cap ii)(Council of Trent, Sess. xiii. cap ii)

47. The Catholic Church Teaches…The Catholic Church Teaches…
(…) and He willed also that this(…) and He willed also that this
sacrament should be receivedsacrament should be received
as the spiritual food of souls,as the spiritual food of souls,
whereby may be fed andwhereby may be fed and
strengthened those who livestrengthened those who live
with His life, who said: 'He thatwith His life, who said: 'He that
eats me, the same also shalleats me, the same also shall
live by me,'(John 6:58)live by me,'(John 6:58)
(Council of Trent, Sess. xiii. cap ii)(Council of Trent, Sess. xiii. cap ii)

48. The Gift of the Holy Eucharist…The Gift of the Holy Eucharist…
Center of all theCenter of all the
otherother
sacramentssacraments..
Mystery of faithMystery of faith
around whicharound which
revolves therevolves the
whole Catholicwhole Catholic
liturgyliturgy

49. The Gift of the Holy Eucharist…The Gift of the Holy Eucharist…
toto ““give thanksgive thanks”;”;
names - Lord'snames - Lord's
Supper, the Table ofSupper, the Table of
the Lord, the Holythe Lord, the Holy
Sacrifice, the Holy ofSacrifice, the Holy of
Holies, the BlessedHolies, the Blessed
Sacrament..Sacrament..

50. Vitalizing coreVitalizing core
of the Churchof the Church
and theand the
ChristianChristian’s Life.’s Life.
((Ecclesiæ deEcclesiæ de
EucharistiaEucharistia))
A Dynamic and Transforming Gift…

51. Three mainThree main
aspects of theaspects of the
EucharisticEucharistic
mystery, asmystery, as RealReal
PresencePresence, as the, as the
Sacrifice of theSacrifice of the
AltarAltar, or as the, or as the
sacrament ofsacrament of
HolyHoly
CommunionCommunion..

52. Real Presence:Real Presence:
the greatestthe greatest
miracle of ourmiracle of our
timestimes..
Real Presence:Real Presence:
the greatestthe greatest
miracle of ourmiracle of our
times.times.
The Miracle Gift of the
Transubstantiation

53. Sacrifice of the Altar:Sacrifice of the Altar:
one priest and oneone priest and one
victim – the work ofvictim – the work of
salvation continuessalvation continues

54. Fruits of Holy Communion:Fruits of Holy Communion:
-increases our union-increases our union
with Christ and withwith Christ and with
His Church.His Church.
-preserves and renews-preserves and renews
the life of grace andthe life of grace and
makes us grow in lovemakes us grow in love
for our neighbor.for our neighbor.
-strengthens charity,-strengthens charity,
wipes away venial sinswipes away venial sins
and preserves fromand preserves from
mortal sin in the future.mortal sin in the future.
(Compendium #292)(Compendium #292)

55. There will be aThere will be a
crisis in our livescrisis in our lives
when we fail towhen we fail to
understand the Giftunderstand the Gift
of the Mass.of the Mass.
2)2) We are cut off from the vine of charity, that is
our spiritual and human life-source.
1) Doubts about the mystery of the Realystery of the Real
Presence closes man to what is spiritual andPresence closes man to what is spiritual and
transcendental.transcendental.
3) We then onlyWe then only “have eyes” for what is“have eyes” for what is
material and temporal.material and temporal.
4) Fails to be the hub of our daily activities
and dealings with our neighbor.

56. Preparing ourselves and ourPreparing ourselves and our
ChildrenChildren
1) We cannot give what we
don’t have.
2) We must make the Mass
our Mass.
3) In order to make it our Mass
we must know and love what
the mystery contains.

57. Some suggestions…Some suggestions…
1) Let1) Let’s not only’s not only attendattend Mass, let’s strive toMass, let’s strive to
continually pray and live the Mass.continually pray and live the Mass.
2) Try taking a2) Try taking a “piece of this miracle” with us“piece of this miracle” with us
and appreciating it in a concrete moment.and appreciating it in a concrete moment.
3) That moment could be our prayer, work, rest3) That moment could be our prayer, work, rest
and family life.and family life.
4) Foster deep devotion to Mary, Our Mother,4) Foster deep devotion to Mary, Our Mother,
the first Tabernacle.the first Tabernacle.

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