First Communion Retreat: Embracing Jesus’ Loving Sacrifice Present in the Eucharist by J

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First Communion Retreat: Embracing Jesus’ Loving Sacrifice Present in the Eucharist by J. David Franks, PhD, and Angela Franks, PhD, The Theological Institute for the New Evangelization of Saint John’s Seminary, Boston

Purpose • from the Binding of Isaac (Gn 22:1-19) and crayons This three-hour retreat is meant to provide spiritual, catechetical, and personal formation for children Preparation preparing to receive First Communion • Mark the Bible at Genesis 22:1- and for their parents. It focuses on 19. bringing the retreatants into a deeper • Procure a T-shirt. knowledge of the sacrifice of the • Arrange to have the liturgical Eucharist and of the real presence. vessels available in the church. • Find and print out or purchase Materials Needed children’s and adult’s examinations of conscience for • Bible each retreatant. • T-shirt • Have snacks ready in the parish • Liturgical vessels, especially the hall. paten and chalice, waiting in the • If doing optional coloring church activities, find pictures of the • Photocopies of a children’s and Binding of Isaac and of St. an adult’s examination of Thérèse and photocopy them. conscience • Print out a picture of St. Thérèse • Picture of St. Thérèse of Lisieux from the Internet, perhaps onto from the Internet or a book card stock. Select a few facts to • Supplies for sacrifice beads: 11 tell students about her. beads, a 25-inch length of cord • Order supplies or premade kits (such as that used for rosaries), a for sacrifice beads. crucifix, and a medal of St. • If not using premade kits, put Thérèse for each child, OR a together supplies for sacrifice prepurchased kit beads in boxes, ready to be • Optional: photocopies of a handed out to each child. Print coloring page showing a scene out instructions for sacrifice

beads from Students may color pictures of the www.thelittleways.com or Binding of Isaac during the discussion. another source. Make one set of sacrifice beads ahead of time and Break/Transition place with the sacrifice bead supplies. (10 minutes) On the way to the church, encourage Overall Schedule the children to explain to their parents (if present) what they have learned Welcome (10 minutes) about sacrifice. Opening Activity (20 minutes) Break (10 minutes) Second Activity (60 minutes) Second Activity Break (20 minutes) (60 minutes) Third Activity (40 minutes) The Phenomenal Liturgical Closing Prayer (10 minutes) Time Machine Ideally, a priest or a deacon will lead Welcome and Gathering this activity. The leader will show the (10 minutes) children the sacred vessels used for the Eucharist and discuss how the Eucharist Begin with a prayer. makes Jesus’ sacrifice truly present. The Leader: Eternal Father, who gave real presence of Jesus and the fruition your only-begotten Son for the of that presence in the hearts of those salvation of all and especially for the who have received him will also be salvation of little ones, we humbly discussed. There will be time for quiet beseech you to send your Spirit to prayer and an examination of prepare the hearts of these children conscience. Consult Resource B. here today to receive your Son at their First Holy Communion and to renew the strength of their parents to fulfill their Transition, Break, and dearest responsibility of nurturing the Optional Snack (20 minutes) eucharistic faith of their children. Return to the parish hall or Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, classroom. Have parents lead groups of who lives and reigns with you in the students to the bathroom, if needed. unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. All: Amen. Third Activity (40 minutes): Little Sacrifices Out of Great Opening Activity Love for Jesus (20 minutes) This activity will help children What Is a Sacrifice? understand how they can carry the sacrificial love of Jesus into the world, Lead the children in a discussion of focusing on the example of St. Thérèse sacrifice, using Genesis 22:1-19. Consult of Lisieux. The activity involves making Resource A for a sample dialogue. sacrifice beads, a strand of ten beads

that can be moved one at a time when a. Have you ever given anything up the child makes a sacrifice. Students for Lent? Was it hard? Why was it a may also color a picture of St. Thérèse. good thing to do? While the activity is going on, or b. Are there other times you have immediately after, confessions may be done something hard for the sake of offered. Consult Resource C. If it could someone else? [Explain that sacrifice is be arranged, eucharistic adoration something that overflows from our love would make a most fitting conclusion. for parents, friends, Jesus, our heavenly Father. The more our desire is healed, Closing Prayer (10 minutes) say, through Lenten sacrifices, the more easily we can do the right and beautiful Settle the children and be sure that thing. Examples: obeying parents or they have their materials to take home. teachers right away even when it is Leader: Eternal Father, who this day unpopular or frustrating for your plans; has led these children more deeply into letting a sibling have a toy that you the heart of Jesus, we humbly beseech were having fun with; without being you to fashion us all into ever more asked, putting down a video game you splendid tabernacles of your Son in the are playing or a book you are reading to world, to make us all shine brightly help your mother by playing with a with his sacrificial love, and to prepare sibling who is getting fussy; doing a these children to receive the Body and chore that needs to be done, but doing it Blood of your Son at their First secretly, so that only God knows the Communion. Through our Lord Jesus good you’ve done; putting some of your Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns money in the St. Vincent de Paul box.] with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, c. What are the hardest things to one God, for ever and ever. give up? [Help children to see that these All: Amen. are things we love the most. Examples: our own plans, things that make us Resource A: What Is a happy.] Sacrifice? (20 minutes) d. Summarize: What is a sacrifice? [Answer: giving up something or doing Optional: Pass out pictures of the something difficult for the sake of love.] Binding of Isaac for the children to color 2. Read Genesis 22:1-19. while you discuss. Do an Internet image 3. Discuss: search or consult a Web site such as God the Father wanted to show us www.silk.net/RelEd/lessonplans4.htm. how totally Abraham trusted in him and Parents are encouraged to be present how completely obedient Abraham was and to sit with their children. One of to his will. Other religions at Abraham’s them might be invited to read the Bible time sometimes involved sacrificing passage. children to idols. This is an abomination 1. Have children reflect on the to God; that is not at all what God really meaning of “sacrifice.” Ask them wanted from Abraham. He wants us all questions such as these: instead to see the sacrifice made by Abraham in his heart: the fact that Abraham was willing to give everything

to God, willing to surrender his dear CRMNTL/kidsexam.htm. An adult child, in whom were contained all of his examination can be found at hopes and dreams. www.kofc.org/un/en/resources/cis/devo But there’s more: what God doesn’t tionals/2075.pdf. ask us to do, he does himself! God does 1. Help the children understand not want Abraham to sacrifice his son. liturgical presence, perhaps through the But God the Father will sacrifice his following questions: own Son, Jesus Christ, for our sake! a. Have you read books or seen 4. Read John 15:13: “No one has shows involving a time machine? What greater love than this, to lay down one’s does a time machine do? [Evoke life for one’s friends.” responses.] Do you know anyone who has laid b. Have you ever wanted to travel down his life for every single person in back in time? Whom would you like to the world? [Evoke responses.] That’s meet? [Evoke responses, from the right—Jesus did! He loves us despite parents as well.] Have you ever wanted our sins and gives up everything to to meet Jesus? Have you ever imagined make us his friends. He sacrificed all he what it would be like to be present at could give on the Cross when he gave the Last Supper? Or at the Crucifixion his life for us, when he sacrificed his with Mary and John at the foot of the feeling united with his Father, who is Cross? his whole life, in order to love us even c. Well, did you know that you can in the midst of the darkness of our sins. be present at the Cross? It’s what 5. Read John 3:16: “For God so happens at the Mass. In the Mass, loved the world that he gave his only though, it’s an even more amazing, Son, so that everyone who believes in phenomenal time machine: God doesn’t him might not perish but might have move us through time; he moves eternal life.” through time and makes the sacrifice of How much does God the Father love Jesus on the Cross present right now. us? How much does God the Son love 2. Shift the discussion to explore in us? what way exactly the sacrifice of the Cross is made present. Resource B: The Phenomenal a. But we don’t we see Jesus dying on the Cross in front of us. How exactly Liturgical Time Machine is Jesus’ sacrifice present? [Evoke (60 minutes) responses.] [Please note that saying that If at all possible, this activity should Jesus is present “in our hearts”—a likely take place within the church, with a answer—is insufficient. He is, but only priest or deacon leading. When the because of his sacramental and real participants enter the church, they presence in the Eucharist.] should be reminded to genuflect toward b. Did you know that Jesus’ sacrifice the tabernacle before sitting. A children’s is present in the Eucharist, in what examination of conscience can be found looks like bread and wine? This online at websites such as the following: presence is called the “real presence,” www.domestic- because it is more than a spiritual church.com/CONTENT.DCC/19990101/S presence in our hearts. Jesus’ own Body

and Blood are the only reality present If the Eucharist is really the Body after the Holy Spirit changes the bread and Blood of Jesus, we want to treat it and wine into the Eucharist through the with love and honor, right? That’s why words of the priest. It tastes like bread, we kneel at important parts of the Mass. but it is Jesus and only Jesus. It is also why these vessels we use to 3. Help the children understand hold the Body and Blood of Jesus are so this crucial point about the real beautiful. presence. 5. Next, point out the tabernacle. a. Start with a reverse example. a. What is in there? That’s right: Hold up a T-shirt. Ask a variety of Jesus in the form of the eucharistic host questions to get students to think about (what looks like a wafer). That is why different things that could happen and we genuflected to the tabernacle when how they would affect the shirt: What is we entered. We recognize and love this? That’s right; it’s a shirt. Would it Jesus, who has sacrificed everything still be a shirt if I washed it and shrunk and makes himself present in the it? [Yes, it would just be smaller.] Would humble form of a wafer because he it still be a shirt if it got wet? loves us. [Along these lines, remind b. Such changes in the way the shirt children and parents this is also why we looks or feels do not change the shirt bow before receiving Communion.] into something different from a shirt. b. The phenomenal time machine of Wet or dry, smaller or larger, the shirt is the Mass is continued in the tabernacle: still a shirt. The reality is the same, we can come into the presence of Jesus’ even if the appearance is different. sacrifice on the Cross any time. c. The Eucharist is the exact c. Would it be nice to contain Jesus’ opposite: the reality changes, but the Body the way the tabernacle does? appearance stays the same. The reality [Evoke responses.] Think of this: will of the bread and wine we bring up for you ever contain Jesus’ Body and Blood our offering is changed from bread and too? [Evoke responses.] That’s right: at wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. your First Communion. But the Body and Blood of Christ still d. Suppose someone is sad and look and taste like bread and wine. We needs Jesus. Can that tabernacle get up cannot do something like that on our and walk down the street to bring Jesus own, but God can do it. The almighty to him or her? [Evoke answers.] So how divine power of Christ works through can all the people in the world who the priest when he pronounces the need the presence of Jesus get it? That’s words of consecration. Notice that these right. The tabernacle cannot move words have everything to do with Jesus’ around, but you can. You can carry total sacrifice of himself: “Take this, all Jesus into the world. Jesus inside you of you, and eat of it, for this is My Body, transforms you. He did this at your which will be given up for you.” Baptism, and each time you receive him 4. Bring the liturgical vessels to worthily in Communion, his sacrificial each child, so that he or she can handle love fills you with the strength of God’s them. While doing this, lead them in a own love, so that your actions can discussion: become the acts of Jesus: you can say the kind word and do the hard thing

that makes the love of Jesus present to good resource is your family and friends and others you www.catholic.org/saints. come in contact with. You can be a 1. Introduce the life of St. Thérèse. golden tabernacle acting in the world by Pass out pictures to color (optional). the power of Jesus. a. Has anyone heard of St. Thérèse 6. The last step is to point out the of Lisieux? What do you know about crucial role of Mary. her? Jesus wants to love others through b. Hold up a picture of St. Thérèse. our actions. In fact, the Church requires Give some facts about her life. us to come to Mass every Sunday Emphasize that St. Thérèse taught that because she knows that Jesus thirsts for we can all become holy if we focus on our presence. He wants to give himself doing small things with great love. to us in the Eucharist to make us saints. 2. Introduce the idea of sacrifice There is a special person we should ask beads and note how it relates to St. in each Mass to prepare our hearts to Thérèse’s “little way” of holiness. receive Jesus. Which person literally 3. Make sacrifice beads and carried Jesus inside her? [Evoke perhaps also color a picture. responses.] Mary, the Mother of God, is the great Tabernacle. And she is truly Handout for Parents: “The your spiritual mother. She wants to make us each into glorious tabernacles Eucharist and My Family” of her Son. It is she, in fact, who feeds us when Holy Mother Church feeds us the What Is the Eucharist? Eucharist. This is why many people The retreat today went over some receive the Eucharist on the tongue. basic truths about the Most Holy 7. Give the children and their Eucharist, which your child will be parents some time for quiet prayer and receiving in First Holy Communion. an examination of conscience. You may Here are some passages from the wish to include something along these Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), lines: which reinforce what your child was Heavenly Father, send your Holy taught today. Spirit to lead us to confession when we have sinned so that our souls can be 1. The Eucharist makes the sacrifice made loving again, tabernacles ready of Christ on the Cross truly present now. for Jesus. [Pass out examinations of “Because it is the memorial conscience. Read over at least a [liturgical enactment] of Christ’s selection of the questions in the Passover, the Eucharist is also a examination and pause after each.] sacrifice. . . . In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which He gave Resource C: Little Sacrifices up for us on the cross, the very blood Out of Great Love for Jesus which he ‘poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’” (CCC, no. 1365). Pictures and biographies of St. “The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice Thérèse can be found on the Internet. A because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the cross, because it is

its memorial and because it applies its while the qualities of bread and wine fruit” (CCC, no. 1366). that we notice (such as look, taste, 2. The Eucharist is the real presence smell) stay the same.] of Jesus Christ through c. What is sacrifice? Do you want to transubstantiation. try to use your sacrifice beads? “By the consecration of the bread 2. Deepen your family’s prayer life. and wine there takes place a change of a. If you do not attend Sunday Mass the whole substance of the bread into regularly, now is the time to start. You the substance of the body of Christ our and your child are hungry for Christ. Lord and of the whole substance of the Ask God for the grace to be faithful to wine into the substance of his blood. the most sacred parental duty: to foster This change the holy Catholic Church our children’s unity with Jesus. has fittingly and properly called b. During family prayer, include an transubstantiation” (CCC, no. 1376). intention for the child receiving First Communion, that he or she will grow in How Can You Help Your Child Prepare intimacy with Jesus. Daily prayer for First Holy Communion? together as a family, including at bedtime, builds family unity. 1. Ask your child about the retreat. c. Start the day together as a family Here are some good questions: with a morning offering. (See a. How is the liturgy like a time www.apostleshipofprayer.org/dailyOfferi machine? [Possible answer: Because it ng.html for ideas.) brings the sacrifice of the Cross present to us at every Mass.] b. What did the example of the T- Reference shirt show? How does the Eucharist Catechism of the Catholic Church compare to that example? [Possible (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Libreria answer: We can change the different Editrice Vaticana–United States qualities of the T-shirt, and the reality Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000. stays the same—it’s still a T-shirt. The Eucharist is the opposite: the reality is changed from bread and wine to Jesus,

Scripture texts used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, copyright © 1991, 1986, and 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC 20017 and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, copyright © 2000, Libreria Editrice Vaticana–United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved.