Madeline, out of the blue: Mommy, what’s the Eucharist?
Oh, boy and I thought explaining what jails were recently and what an emergency was the other day was tough.
Me: Okay, let me think how to explain. It’s about giving thanks to Jesus. You know when I go up for Communion and you get blessed?
Madeline: Yes.
Me: Well, I’m receiving the Bread of Life, Jesus, nourishment. Kind of like how the food you eat helps your body and helps you feel strong. The Eucharist helps my soul. It gives me strength. It helps me live my life better, with more love. Wait, let me go get a book I have.
(I race to a nearby bookshelf and pull off Catechism for Kindergartners. HELP! I peruse the section on the Eucharist. Hmmmm…it has a lot of big words for a 3-year-old.)
Me: Okay, Madeline. Let me read this to you, but it has some pretty big words that you may not understand. But, you know, there are a lot of things about our faith that I don’t even understand. Sometimes you just have to believe with your heart.
Madeline: Don’t worry. I’ll understand. I can say big words like “John Jacob Jingleheimer Smit.”
Oh, then you’ll have no problem understanding things like the Most Blessed Sacrament and transubstantiation.
I have always wondered about the children going up to receive the Eucharist who were obviously too young to partake. Is that what it’s for?
Hi, Evenshine. Thanks for your great comment. I hope my little anecdote wasn’t seen as sacrilegious in any way. That certainly wasn’t my intention.
I’m a big believer in bringing children to up to get blessing during the Eucharist. Can they completely grasp what’s going on? Probably not. Really, can any of us? I’m not sure. The Eucharist really is a divine mystery.
To me it’s about introducing your child to the gift of Mass and showing them how much it means for Mom to receive the Eucharist. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” He wants children of all ages to be at Mass. He wants them to know Him
from a very young age. What better way to do that than have them come to Mass and approach the table of the Lord even if they don’t yet partake in the eating of the bread? We celebrate our children’s first birthdays, even if they’re too young to know why everyone is making such a big fuss. I can see no reason then not to celebrate Mass with them.
My daughter was silly on this day, but other days she’s asked when she will be ready to receive “peace” too. She has always referred to Communion as peace. I don’t know where she got this from, but I think it says a lot about what this Sacrament is already starting to mean to her.
Does that make any sense? :)