Msg Base:  AREA 3  - ASK FATHER (AMDG)
  Msg No: 127.  Wed 10-21-92 20:03  (NO KILL)
    From: Father Mateo
      To: Bill Boutin
 Subject: Preparation & Sacraments

BB|Forgive me Father, for I am CINing  (I wish that were original). Anyway,
  |my daughter is 9 and my wife says she needs to attend Catchesism class so
  |she can take her first Communion.  One of her relatives told me that her
  |children attended classes for two years.  Obviously, my family is Catholic
  |and I'm not.  My questions are these: 1) What is this class for? 2) Why do
  |children have to attend before Communion? 3) Can they accept(?) Communion
  |without attending?
  |I'd appreciate some insight into this.  Sadly, my only real knowledge of
  |the Catholic church involves the Spanish Inquisition and the Father
  |Koesler mysteries, neither of which shed any light on this subject.
  |Thanks.
 
 
re: Preparation for Confession and Communion
 
Dear Bill,
 
St. Peter in his first epistle (3:15) teaches us: "Always be ready to
give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your
hope."  Before a Christian can give someone else a reason, he must
first be convinced in his own mind and heart of the truth of his
religion.  Hence the need exists for religious instruction.  Growing
in knowledge of Christ, his teachings, and his commandments is a
lifelong process, but the solid foundation is laid during childhood.
Catechism classes in preparation for First Confession and First
Communion aim to provide this foundation.  Two years is not a very
long time when the children are being prepared for eternity.
 
Perhaps you would enjoy and profit by reading the Scriptural
foundations for Holy Communion.  In John's gospel, chapter 6,
verses 22-71, Our Lord promised to give us his flesh and blood as our
spiritual food and drink and as our guarantee of eternal life.  He
repeated this promise four times (verses 51, 53f., 55, 56), to the
mounting dismay of his listeners (verses 60,66).  He made the
connection between Holy Communion and eternal life also four times
verses (51, 54, 57, 58).  Very many people were aghast and left him
(verse 66).  Far from withdrawing from the literal meaning of his
words, he let them depart and even challenged the Twelve to go if
they were so minded (verse 67).  Peter as spokesman for the
Twelve proclaimed their faith in Christ, even in this most difficult
doctrine (verse 68f).  But the gospel broadly hints that at this point
Judas lost his faith in Christ (verse 70f).  He should have been
honest enough to leave, but he stayed on to become the arch-traitor.
 
Christ fulfilled his promise at the Last Supper the night before he
died (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20).
 
St. Paul in 1st Corinthians 11:23-29 repeats the tradition for the
instruction of his first generation converts, insisting in verses
27-29 on the reality of Christ's body and blood in Holy Communion.
Verse 28: "A person should examine himself, and so eat...." suggests
that self-examination (the ordinary preparation for confession) is
necessary before Holy Communion.
 
If no one has invited you to become a Catholic, so that you can join
your family at the altar, the table of the Lord, let me do so now.
Perhaps you and your daughter will make your First Communion
together.  I will pray for that.  Meanwhile, perhaps you would like
to graduate to sounder books on the Catholic faith than are mystery
stories written by an ex-priest.  A very solid and readable book is
F.  J. Sheed.  Theology for Beginners. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Servant
Books, 1981.  ISBN 0-89283-124-3 (paperback). This is available from
Servant Books, Box 8617, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107.
 
                                        Sincerely in Christ,
 
 
                                        Father Mateo