CATECHESIS/ CATECHETICS

Leading the Little
Ones to the Eucharistic
Heart of Jesus

by J. Marianne Siegmond

Jesus Christ, our Divine Lord and Redeemer, waits for us to approach Him, day and night, in the Sacrament of His Love. Christ instituted this Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist in order to remain with mankind until the end of time (Jn. 14:18). He desires to comfort man, to lighten his burden by giving him new strength to carry his cross, and to draw him closer to His Sacred Heart, burning with love for all humanity. The devout Catholic who has savored His Eucharistic Presence for years knows the treasury of graces which Christ lavishes upon souls who approach Him in this most august Sacrament.

How might one hand on to his child or student the knowledge and love of Jesus' Eucharistic Presence? The love of Our Eucharistic Lord inflames our hearts with a desire to see Him praised and adored everywhere, thus making His words also our own: "I am come to cast fire on the earth: and what will I, but that it be kindled?" (Lk. 12:49).

In order for a child to approach Jesus Christ, truly Present in the Blessed Sacrament, he must first repent of his sins by acknowledging them and making restitution for them. Knowing that this is the first step toward following Christ, St. John the Baptist preached repentance to his disciples. "And he came into all the country about the Jordan preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins" (Lk. 3:3). John also warns citizens about the vices of self-justification and pride which hinder man's repentance: "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of penance and do not begin to say, 'We have Abraham for our father.'" (Lk. 3:8). Moved to compunction of heart, the people ask John: "What, then, shall we do?" (Lk. 3:10). He fittingly responds with exhortations to amend their lives according to each one's particular circumstances (Lk. 3:11-14). Thus, the Baptist's role in salvation history is to prepare the people to accept Christ and to follow Him when He comes. One accepts Christ inasmuch as he has contrition for his sins.

St. John's task was to lead the people to Christ. He accomplished this by demanding conversion of heart and restitution for one's sins. Likewise, it is the adult's task to lead his own child or student to Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Therefore, when beginning to explain the infinite value of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, one first leads the youth to acknowledge his sinfulness and perform acts of penance appropriate to his age and ability.

In the eleventh chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, Christ indicates the importance of doing penance for one's sins. After receiving two disciples of John the Baptist, Jesus turns to the crowd and summarizes the Baptist's role in preparing others to follow Him. In order to reach eternal life, one must do "violence" to himself by works of penance, for "the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away" (Mt. 11:12). Christ then laments the obstinate refusal of particular cities to repent and believe in Him. "Then He began to upbraid the cities wherein were done most of His miracles, for they had not done penance" (Mt. 11:20).

Humble and sincere repentance of heart draws down God's merciful forgiveness upon the sinner. In the Old Testament, one reads the beautiful prayer of David:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity. Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. ... To my hearing Thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice. ... Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit (Ps. 50: 3, 4, 10, 14).

David's prayer for mercy exemplifies the joy of the contrite sinner upon returning to God. Confident that the Almighty forgives him, he rejoices in the merciful love He showers upon his soul. In the New Testament parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, Christ Himself teaches that contrition and humility of heart gain God's merciful forgiveness. How pleasing is the humble action of the tax collector, for he "would not so much as lift up his eyes towards Heaven!"(Lk. 18:13). A wise soul makes the simple yet moving prayer of the publican his own: "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." (Lk. 18:13)

In the beautiful and pure heart of a child, humble repentance comes easily. For indeed, Christ counsels His disciples to "be converted, and become as little children"; those who do not, "shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven."(Mt. 18:3). Jesus continues, "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of Heaven"(Mt. 18:4). Those who are childlike shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven. A child is simple, pure and humble, quick to seek forgiveness for transgressions and anxious to please others. To these little ones has God revealed the mysteries of His kingdom (Mt. 11:25). God draws the simple and childlike soul into a close relationship with His Heart, for He loves him so tenderly and does not desire "that any of [them] should ever perish"(Mt. 18:14).

Frequenting the sacrament of confession and establishing a sense of daily sacrifice provide fertile ground for humble and sincere repentance. Aware of the purity of soul which results from sacramental confession, Holy Mother Church asks that first confession be administered before one receives the Body and Blood of Christ for the first time. Forgiven of his sins, the child begins to desire a deeper friendship with God and longs to be in His Presence. Thus, receiving the infinite love and mercy of God in confession is fundamental in leading the child to joyful union with his Eucharistic Lord. Friends want to be together and rocky is the friendship which is impaired with numerous offenses.

How important it is, then, to cultivate in the child a love for Eucharistic Adoration! When one teaches the singular importance of reverently kneeling before the Eucharistic King, he shall already find an eager openness on the part of the youth who repents of his sins frequently and returns to the simple, childlike joy found in loving Christ. To establish the habit of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in the heart of a child is especially vital before he is even capable of committing mortal sins. The grace of God moves the heart of the little one to contrition rapidly, on account of his humility and eagerness to please. Once the child has a humble and simple disposition toward Christ, he shall not reject His Eucharistic Presence. Recalling always God's merciful love and forgiveness and the deep joy of loving God in return, the child comes to Jesus earnestly as He calls him:

Come to Me, all you that labor, and are burdened, and I

will refresh you. Take up My yoke upon you, and learn

of Me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you

shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is sweet

and My burden light (Mt. 11:28-30).

Christ bids the child and the childlike, the simple, the pure of heart, to come to Him, especially in His Eucharistic Presence, for rest, refreshment, and the graces necessary to persevere in carrying one's daily cross. Christ's lessons draw one closer to Himself, the Source of all that is truly good. One learns about meekness and humility of heart from the Heart that has been broken and has been pierced for man's salvation. When one comes to the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Christ listening to Him, speaking to Him and learning from Him, one finds "rest [for his] soul" (Mt. 11:29). Christ Himself, Who once carried the heavy cross up the rugged hill of Calvary, now helps the child to carry his own small cross on the path leading to eternal life.

Cultivating the habit of frequent and regular confession leads to Eucharistic devotion. The child who learns to say "I am sorry" to God in sacramental confession, in penances, and in good works, quickly befriends His Eucharistic Redeemer. What is the next step in teaching devotion to the Holy Eucharist? One learns most by the example of another. The parent or teacher must beg the Heart of Christ for a deep love of His Eucharistic Presence and visit Him often. Faithfulness to regular visits of Our Eucharistic Lord leads the parent or teacher to cherish the silent moments in His Presence as a foretaste of the joys to come in blessed eternity. When the child sees the adult's example, he will want to visit Jesus also. The youth loves to imitate the pious actions of his elder whom he holds in such high esteem.

A child loves to receive presents or special awards. In order to foster a love of Our Eucharistic Lord, the adult explains, in terms that the child can understand, that if he comes to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament he receives more than he can ever imagine. Since the child cannot see or hold God's abundant graces, the parent or teacher enumerates and explains them to him as appropriate to his age or maturity. Easily moved to love others, the child quickly embraces the lessons of God as a sign of the adult's genuine concern for him. When he ponders the immense love that God has for mankind, he readily responds to that love and returns it with a generous heart. The parent or teacher points out numerous manifestations of God's divine love for mankind particularly as shown through creation, the Incarnation, Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ, and the many blessings God has bestowed upon the soul-including the Holy Eucharist and the other sacraments. In addition, the child learns gratitude for the grace to be a Catholic, to have God's own mother as his spiritual mother, for Sacred Scripture, and for family, friends, a good education, and the temporal necessities of life. Not only does Jesus love mankind and give him so many graces and blessings, but He also wills to remain with him in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

The parent or teacher must then take the child before his Lord in the tabernacle in order that he might learn to converse with the Eucharistic Heart of Christ. Leading the child in a meditation involving the four parts of prayer helps introduce the youth to converse with Jesus in a reverent and familiar manner. Introduce prayers of praise or adoration, thanksgiving, reparation for one's sins and those of others, and petition. For example, say: "Let us turn our attention to Jesus, Who is really present here in the Blessed Sacrament. Let us adore Him as our God and sing His praises with the angels. Thank God for all the things He has given you." List several things within the child's experience for which he should be grateful. "Remember that God has given you all these gifts because He loves you and He wants you to use them well. Now that we reflect on how much God loves us, let us recall the last time we did something wrong. Think of your sins which have hurt Jesus and others. Let us ask Jesus to forgive us and help us not to sin again. Tell Jesus that you want to love Him more and more each day so that some day you can adore and thank Him forever in Heaven. Let us decide on one sacrifice we can make for Jesus to show Him how sorry we are for our sins and the sins of others."

Give the child a few ideas then pause a few minutes while he makes his resolution. Depending on age level and God's grace, the child may only have a few venial sins for which to make restitution. Remind the child that he can also make up for the sins of other people or he can sacrifice for the souls in Purgatory. How beautiful and meritorious will the innocent prayers and sacrifices of the little ones be to the Heart of Christ! The adult continues, "Now, let us ask Jesus for the graces we need to please Him." List some ideas such as salvation of his own soul, the souls of loved ones and of those who do not love us. Encourage the child to pray also for other spiritual graces and the needs of the Church, the Holy Father, priests and religious, the souls in Purgatory, dying souls, the sick, elderly, and any other intentions, temporal or spiritual, that the child may have. Remember at first it is better to make the visit with the child to the Eucharist too short a visit than too long a visit. The length of time which the child will spend in front of the Blessed Sacrament will increase in accordance with his response to God's grace.

Another way of leading the little one to our Eucharistic Treasure is to help give him a sense of the sacred by instructing him on how to behave in the Eucharistic Presence of his Lord. Upon entering the chapel, one genuflects and makes the Sign of the Cross with Holy Water. He kneels or sits quietly, showing God that he loves Him by the way that he acts. Rather than talking to friends or turning around to look for them in the chapel, he focuses his attention on Christ. Teaching the child to look at the tabernacle, the crucifix and statues helps draw his attention to conversation with Jesus. The parent or teacher can also aid in enkindling a sense of the sacred in the child by not only acting respectfully in His Presence, but also by dressing in a manner that is appropriate in order to kneel before the King of kings. One's attire not only declares how one regards himself, but also conveys a certain respect or lack thereof for others.

In addition to frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament, the child learns about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Christ's infinite love for man is more deeply impressed upon the minds and hearts of the young as they study and participate at Holy Mass on Sundays, Holy Days, and as often as possible.

The knowledge and love which one bears toward Christ's Eucharistic Presence is a vehicle by which He draws mankind to Himself. Others, particularly the young, look upon one's personal example as a living testimony to the words which he professes. Just as the people followed Christ upon earth and crowded around Him, so also does the multitude come to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, for man labors, and is burdened; he needs refreshment and rest for his soul. The childlike come to Him, for the Psalmist declares: "The Lord is the keeper of little ones: I was humbled, and He delivered me. Turn, O my soul, into Thy rest: for the Lord hath been bountiful to thee" (Ps.114:6-7). The child's heart is full of gratitude as he comes to His Eucharistic King with joy. The infinite treasures of the Holy Eucharist enkindle in man's heart a fiery love for Christ which no one can take away from him. Can anything separate man from the love of Christ which he comes to know so profoundly in the Holy Eucharist?

Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? or distress? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the sword? As it is written: 'For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' But in all these things we overcome, because of Him that hath loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:35-39).

Miss J. Marianne Siegmund is a catechist in Dallas, Texas.