CHILDREN'S BOOKS

The Holy Eucharist for Young People

by Kathy Buckley

Nowadays there is a phenomenon in the Church of Catholics who do not necessarily disagree with Catholic teaching as much as they simply do not know it exists.

Story of the Eucharist

by Inos Biffi

Ignatius Press

125 pp., sewn hardcover, $17.95.

1-800-651-1531

The First Sacraments

by Inos Biffi

Ignatius Press

125 ppp., sewn hardcover, $17.95

1-800-651-1531

The feast of Corpus Christi was instituted by Pope Urban IV in 1264 to augment the Eucharistic devotions of his time and to combat Eucharistic heresies. He set the feast for the Thursday after Trinity Sunday and wrote:

On that Thursday let the devout masses of the faithful hasten to church out of love. There let clergy and laity join in joyous hymns of praise. Let hymns of salutary joy spring from their hearts and hopes, their mouths and lips. Let faith rejoice, hope exult, devotion pay homage. Let purity be jubilant, and let sincerity be filled with joy.

Yet now, over 700 years later, why is it that on the feast of Corpus Christi "the devout masses of the faithful" are not "hastening to church?" The meaning of Corpus Christi and of the Blessed Sacrament itself seems to be lost among many Catholics today.

Nowadays there is a phenomenon in the Church of Catholics who do not necessarily disagree with Catholic teaching as much as they simply do not know it exists. Recently, while teaching a Confirmation CCD class, I was astonished at how many of the students had never heard of the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. These students were not in disagreement with the Church; they had just never been told of her teachings. These Confirmation students, who are entering the Church as "adults," should understand the teachings of the Church as adults.

While there is a distinction between what can be taught to 8th graders and what college students can learn, Catholic theology does not need to be diluted for young adults. The beauty of the Truth is that it can be expressed simply enough for a second grader to grasp, yet profound enough to keep St. Thomas Aquinas occupied. Well-meaning teachers who withhold the truths of the Faith on the grounds that it is "too difficult" for children, are actually doing them a disservice. By not teaching Catholic children the Faith, we end up with Confirmation candidates who have not learned First Communion catechism.

Increasingly, Catholic parents realize that Catholic elementary schools and catechetical programs are not adequate to educate their children in the Faith. Inos Biffi's Story of the Eucharist is an excellent supplement to school or parish catechetical programs.

This book covers the theology of the Eucharist from the Old Testament, through the life of Jesus, to the development of the Mass with the first Christians, and finally up through the centuries with the Eucharistic devotions of saints and doctrines declared by the Magisterium. The text weaves salvation history into a Eucharistic story, and unites Christians with the common devotion to Christ. The Eucharist is shown to be the great gift left by Christ.

The Old Testament shows the preparation for and prophesy of the Eucharist through the manna, the sacrifice of Abraham, and the Passover. The New Testament chronicles the fulfillment of the Covenant and the completion of Christ's redeeming sacrifice.

Inos Biffi beautifully completes this picture by showing how the body of Christ, the Church, is drawn together by the Eucharist. The major statements on the Blessed Sacrament are explained and the final section of the book, "The Catechesis of the Mass," clarifies our role in the eternal Eucharistic celebration.

The Holy Eucharist is named a mystery because it is impossible for the human mind to comprehend. The appearances of bread and wine do not change during the consecration; we cannot sense any difference. This is one aspect of the Faith that must truly be taken on faith. But that does not mean that man cannot come to a greater understanding of the Eucharist. This is a requirement for any development of a personal spirituality. Catholics who truly love Christ must have a devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. But with this miracle so understated in the Church today, it is difficult to cultivate such devotion.

Biffi, in The Story of the Eucharist, gives young people an arsenal with which to combat the ridicule of modern society. The Eucharist is not a mere symbol, as some continually attempt to argue. It is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. Biffi examines the writings of the Church Fathers on the Eucharist, which shows that our Eucharistic beliefs stem directly from the original followers of Christ. Biffi quotes St. Justin Martyr (second century): "We call this food the Eucharist. We do not take it as ordinary food and drink. According to our doctrine, this nourishment, consecrated with a prayer of thanksgiving composed of Christ's words, is the Flesh and Blood of Jesus."

The Story of the Eucharist also includes many of the denunciations of the heresies throughout the history of the Church. It explores the Medieval scholastic debates over whether the Eucharist is a mere symbol or the Real Presence of Christ, and gives St. Thomas Aquinas' explanations, which would later be used to combat the errors of the so-called Reformation. The liturgical adaptations called for by Vatican II are also discussed, with an explanation of what the Council Fathers desired to see.

Inos Biffi clarifies the teachings of the Church on the Blessed Sacrament in a contemporary style, beautifully illustrated with drawings that add to the content of the text. The book is wonderful for junior high students; the illustrations can teach volumes to younger Catholics, and the theology is so rich that adults will be able to renew their own understanding of the Eucharist: "The whole mystery of the universal Church on earth and in heaven is included in our celebration, however simple and solitary it may be. It is not our rites that give the Eucharist its value. That comes from the love of Christ, who drew all men to himself on the Cross in order to incorporate them in his Mystical Body."

Inos Biffi's second volume, The First Sacraments, follows the same sequence through the scriptural, historical and spiritual aspects of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist and Penance. In this book, he again incorporates with illustrations to bring the sacraments to life for students. Once the historical significance of the first sacraments is understood, respect and love for them can flouirsh.

The Story of the Eucharist and The First Sacraments together create a wonderful catechesis on the sacraments for students.

Kathy Buckley is a student at the Ignatius Institute of the University of San Francisco.