Page 11 - First Eucharist

We Gather and Celebrate
First Eucharist 1, page 4, 10 minutes
The children will participate in a prayer ritual that celebrates the beginning of their preparation for First Eucharist.
Objective
1. Invite the children to remember their own life journeys. Have them return to their work area. Direct them to look at the drawing on page 4. Have them use the five scenes to remember and share events that have happened as they have grown up. Encourage them to tell special things about themselves as you go through the scenes.
G What do they know about their Baptisms?
G What do they know from their families about learning to walk or talk when they were very little?
G What beautiful things such as the butterfly do they remember noticing?
G What do they remember about friends and things they did together?
G What do they remember about starting school?
G Ask them to draw themselves receiving First Eucharist in the blank scene frame.
2. Have the children color their Our Father scrolls. Write each child’s name on the blank. Help them roll and tie the posters with yarn. Have them write their names on the outside of the scroll lightly in pencil. Collect them and put them near a Bible where you can hand them out during the prayer ritual.
the leader. Encourage parents to come. If no parents can attend, do their part. Explain that you are standing in for the children’s parents.
Taking Home
Remind the children to interview a member of the parish and to ask their parents to help them complete the Baptism information on page 2.
3. Rehearse how your group will celebrate the We Gather and Celebrate prayer ritual.
If you plan to do this at the end of the lesson, show the children where to stand or sit in a circle. Point out the Leader and Children sections in the prayer service, and how the Children parts are read in unison. Plan on being
5. A parish may choose to have children presented at Sunday Masses.
4. Celebrate the We Gather and Celebrate prayer ritual.
Children need a moment of silence before beginning. Reverently celebrate the prayer service.
the Lesson
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We Gather and Celebrate
Leader: Children, do you wish to prepare for Confirmation and First Eucharist?
Children: Yes. Our parents have taught us how much God loves us. We are old enough to hear what Jesus asks of his followers.
Leader: Parents, we invite you to bless your children. Parents: We bless you in your growing up and in
your preparing for Confirmation and First Eucharist.
Leader: Children, receive this Bible. The Bible tells many stories about Jesus, his Father, and the Holy Spirit. You will take parts and tell Bible stories as you prepare for Confirmation and First Eucharist.
Class representative receives the Bible.
Children: We will use our eyes to read the stories about Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We will use our ears to hear all Jesus asks. We will use our bodies to act out the stories.
Leader: Receive this prayer which we call the Our Father. Jesus’ first friends asked him how to pray. Jesus taught them this prayer.
Each child comes forward and receives an Our Father scroll.
Children: We will use our minds to learn this prayer. We will use our voices to pray this prayer often. We will open our hearts to live the words we pray.
Leader: Welcome to Confirmation and First Eucharist preparation. Together we will get ready to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Together we will get ready to gather around Jesus’ table, the altar, where you will receive Holy Communion for the first time.
Draw yourself receiving First Eucharist.