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September 9, 2004
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Greetings and welcome
to Faith Formation Update,
a free monthly e-newsletter for catechetical leaders with a focus
on parish catechesis beyond textbooks and classrooms. I'm Judith
Dunlap. In each issue I offer a brief starter
and my "Every Family" column.
My co-worker and fellow religious educator Joan
McKamey offers video resources and ideas in her "Seen
and Heard" column. Our co-worker Chuck
Blankenship suggests other faith formation resources for adults
from St. Anthony Messenger Press in his column, "Sowing
Sampler." Finally, we encourage YOU to share views and
program ideas about this month's topic on our online bulletin
board, "Faith Formation Forum."
Blessings on your work!
—Judith
Dunlap
p.s. You're receiving
this either because you signed up, or because you're a loyal customer
of St. Anthony Messenger Press. We will never send you unwanted
e-mail. There is an unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page.
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Most Catholics have clear memories of their First Communion and, probably
tucked away somewhere, a photograph of themselves on that day. Our family album has four generations of such
pictures, certainly a testimony that my family, like so many other Catholic families, considered First Eucharist
to be a major event. With a little planning, this family/church celebration can be a teachable moment, not
only for second-graders and their parents but also for the whole parish.
Remember, First Communion, along with Baptism and Confirmation, is a sacrament of initiation.
Therefore, using the baptismal catechumenate as an inspirational model is more than appropriate. As often as you can,
include the community in the preparation and celebration.
Sometime this fall introduce the first communicants to the parish. This can be done by
asking the children and their catechists to stand up for a blessing at each Mass on a particular weekend.
In order to emphasize the fact that parents and parishioners have a responsibility in catechizing the youngsters,
ask the parents, and then the congregation, to stand up for a blessing as well.
Celebrate the sacrament at regular Sunday liturgies. Let youngsters sit in the
front pews with their families. If you keep the number of recipients to a dozen (or so) at each Mass, there is room for
parishioners to witness the happy event. First Communion can be celebrated throughout the Easter season. Just make
sure you have at least one Mass each weekend (well-publicized) with no special celebrations. That way, parishioners have a choice.
Plan a reception after each Mass, or host one large reception at the end of the
Easter season. Invite youngsters to wear their First Communion clothes so that parishioners can congratulate
them individually and make them feel special. In my book,
Practical Catechesis,
I suggest other ways of helping our first communicants feel special. (Click here to find other ideas.)
At one of the parishes where I worked, I came to know a woman who brought her grandchild
to Mass each weekend. The child had been baptized, but her newly single mom no longer attended church.
After witnessing one of the First Communion celebrations, the child asked if she could be part of a group.
The next year, with her mother’s permission, grandma began bringing the youngster to religious education
classes. Her mom came to her First Communion Mass and to Mass every Sunday afterward. She joined the parish
and is still active today. As I said in the first paragraph, First Communion can certainly be a teachable moment.
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Like all of you, I spend much time each year persuading parents to accept their
essential role as the primary person responsible for the faith life of their children. I kept wondering why this
was such a difficult concept for parents to accept, and then I read (many years ago) Dolores Curran’s article,
“Who Me? Teach My Child Religion?”
Ms. Curran talks about the fact that until fairly recently parents weren’t expected to
teach their children religion. We sent our children to church for that. “The unspoken conclusion was that
the church taught religion because the parent couldn’t.” Parents got the subtle message and didn’t even
try. She goes on to talk about how teaching children religion is just a basic part of every day life, using the
example of how we teach our children about cleanliness. (Click here to read from Ms. Curran’s article
reprinted in the book, Keeping Kids Catholic, Servant Publications.)
Share this insight at a parents’ meeting. Ask them to come up with examples of how
they teach their children faith and values throughout the week. You might ask them to reflect and discuss
the following questions, taken from the book, Keeping Kids Catholic.
Finally, consider quoting Ms. Curran’s concluding remarks from the above-mentioned article:
Let’s begin by understanding that our ancestors, far less talented and educated than most of us, accepted the challenge just as they accepted that of teaching their children plowing and cooking. They didn’t make a big thing out of it. It was an integral part of their lives. They didn’t go into nervous spasms at the thought of teaching their children religion. They merely put aside the pea shelling and whittling, and began teaching. Are we willing to admit that we, living in this country in this age with all our resources, cannot do what they did? |
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When I was a child, my family gathered for holiday meals at my grandfather’s home.
I was one of the older cousins and longed for the day when I would no longer have to eat with the little kids at the
children’s table. But I do have to admit to one perk in eating with the kids: We were first in line for the food.
Our Church family could seem cruel, by comparison, making its young members wait until the
age of reason to be fed at the Lord’s table. There is a big difference though, in the kind of food we share
at the Eucharist. Young children who are baptized already share in the life of Christ. We want their experience of
Jesus in the Eucharist to be as meaningful as possible, so we prepare them through instruction and experiences that will
help them understand this great gift they are receiving and celebrating.
Just as I longed to join the adults at the grown-ups’ table, children’s anticipation and
longing for the Eucharist grow as they near their First Eucharist day. They know it’s special—and
not just because of the special clothes, party and gifts that often accompany a First Eucharist celebration. They know
that receiving Christ in the Eucharist is an extraordinary way to grow closer to Jesus. They also know that their
status within the community changes upon their reception of the Eucharist for the first time. They become more
completely initiated into the life of the Church. They get to eat at the grown-ups’ table.
We help them whet their appetites for both this personal closeness with Jesus and connection
with the community when we show them how important these relationships are in our own lives. Our modeling helps
make First Eucharist much more than an event that becomes a treasured memory. If the adults in a child’s life
truly celebrate Eucharist, then that child’s First Eucharist is more likely to be just the first in a lifetime of
meaningful encounters with the Body of Christ.
Pope John Paul II has declared October 2004 through October 2005 as the “Year of the
Eucharist.” What better time to take a fresh look at First Eucharist preparation in your parish? An important
element in any children’s sacramental preparation process is the parent formation. The video
program First
Communion: Taking Your Place at the Table was designed with parent meetings in mind. This four-segment program
(story, witness, teaching and music video) offers parents a basic foundation as they help their
children approach the eucharistic table for the first time. Click here (RealMedia | Windows Media) to
see a video clip from the teaching segment of this program. A special feature of this video is that parents
and children can view the story segment, “Welcome to the Table,” separately or together.
Those looking for a more comprehensive approach to parent formation on Eucharist will find
the companion videos
Eucharist: Celebrating
Christ Present and A
Walk Through the Mass especially helpful. The program planner
Experience Christ Present
helps catechetical leaders use segments from the three Catholic Update Videos mentioned above in a variety of approaches
to parent and catechist formation on Eucharist.
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Often when parents bring their children forward for Sacraments of Initiation,
we find that they are in a particularly receptive frame of mind regarding their own catechesis. In my own parish,
when my wife and I brought our youngest daughter forward for her preparation for First Eucharist, we were surprised to
find, along with the usual handouts and worksheets and schedules, a copy of a delightful little book about the Eucharist
by Father Gerard Weber, The
Eucharist: A View From the Pew. Little reference was made to the book, other than to draw our attention to the
gift. But that little book turned out to spark some lively discussion in our family in the subsequent weeks.
Father Weber’s descriptions of the meaning and rhythms of the Mass helped the whole family—even our teenage
son—come to a better appreciation of what it means to participate in the Mass, rather than just “go” to Mass.
As Catholics, we’re often reminded of the beautiful gift of the Real Presence we celebrate in the
Eucharist. Servant author David Pearson has compiled a marvelous collection of interviews with nine men and women—ordinary
Catholics—who describe how their lives have been changed by the practice of regular eucharistic adoration.
No Wonder They Call It the Real Presence
can help you remember what a truly special gift the Eucharist is to the Church. And for those who want to enhance
their experience of eucharistic adoration, Servant author Paul Thigpen has compiled another helpful little
book, Jesus, We Adore You: Prayers Before the Blessed Sacrament.
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Share your ideas on adult faith formation at our online bulletin board. Our editors will screen and post your thoughts, and you can learn from others' ideas. Submit your ideas by clicking here. |
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