Preparing Your Child for Holy Communion: A Guide for Parents

By Betti Meenattoor

First Holy Communion day is the most important and memorable day in the life of a Catholic child. Eucharist is the ineffable gift, and Holy Communion is the fusion between us and Jesus. Children start longing to receive Holy Communion at an early age but have to wait till they reach the age of discernment. In preparation, they attend a yearlong classes and training, either through the Catholic School or the Sunday School Faith Formation classes. At the end of this lengthy preparation, we still ask the same question: Are we really ready?

Family is the domestic church, and parents are the primary catechism teachers. Knowledge is power and education is empowerment. Being involved actively in faith formation, in Holy Communion preparation, being a teacher and director of religious education for the past several years, answering the parents and reassuring them again and again, I thought of putting it together, hence this book, Preparing Your Child for Holy Communion: A Guide for Parents.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781098098315

Book preview

Chapter 1

Introduction

Dear parents,

Congratulations! You have taken an important decision about your child’s growth in the Catholic faith. As parents, you have decided for your child to receive Holy Communion. You have entered the most serious phase of preparing your child to receive Jesus. Family is the primary unit of the church and parents are the primary catechism teachers for their children. Through this book, I have genuinely tried to answer most of the questions parents have during this time of preparation for Holy Communion. It is quite normal to have some doubts and questions. Reading the signs of the day, I realize parents need help to be on the driver’s seat when it comes to preparing their children for this important day. What I am doing is simply empowering the parents to do their job with confidence. Several questions arise, such as the following:

Is my child really ready?

Is the preparation adequate?

Does the child need to memorize all the prayers?

What prayers does the child need to learn by heart?

Is the child ready for the sacrament of reconciliation (confession)?

Who will teach my child?

Where can I look for more information?

How can I learn more about the Sacraments?

With the help of the vicars (pastors) and CCD teachers, parents grow in search of knowledge in order to prepare their children for Holy Communion. Years of experience in preparing the children for receiving sacraments, your inquiries, and the ability to share your anxieties, doubts, and searching for answers together are what made me feel confident and compelled to write this book.

As you turn the pages, you will experience God’s love in creating us, God’s providence throughout the journey of human being, and God’s plan for our salvation through which we enter into eternal life in heaven.

Chapter 2

Preparation to Receive Holy Communion

When do we really start preparation? Parents are the primary catechism teachers for their children. Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) emphasizes this important responsibility of each parent. Parents start this preparation from the birth of their child. As soon as the child sensed your love, the child has started knowing Jesus. When you prayed, talked to your child about Jesus, and whenever you took your child to the church, your preparation continued. In the church, you talk to your child about Eucharist. You explain to your child about the presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. You tell your child about Jesus’s desire to come and stay in his/her heart. All these help to generate an aspiration in your child. Whenever you receive Holy Communion, your child starts aspiring to receive Jesus. Many times your child walks along with you to the aisle when you receive Holy Communion. But you tell your child that he or she is not of age. You tell your child that he or she has to wait a few years more. Sometimes, this disappoints your child. The preparation has already started. Your child is eagerly waiting for the day when he/she can receive Jesus in his/her heart.

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