Children’s Sacramental Preparation

“God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son, and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph #1)

Sharing in the blessed life of the Holy Trinity, is the gift Jesus gave the Church through the Sacraments. The love between the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in us and make us holy that we may know, love and serve God here on earth and be happy with him in Heaven. As Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John 10:10, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Working with parents to help their children learn more about who Jesus is and why he desires their participation in the life of the Church through the reception of the Sacraments is the focus of religious formation at Most Precious Blood Parish.

Children’s preparation for the First Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Eucharist begins in the fall. Parents, with the support of the clergy and the Director of Faith Formation, are responsible for preparing their children to receive the sacraments. Children must be baptized in the Catholic Church and are typically in the second grade for First Reconciliation and the third grade for Confirmation & First Eucharist.

How does it work?

The Church has long held that parents/guardians are the primary educators of their children in all things, especially in faith. Preparing to receive the Sacraments is a beautiful opportunity for families to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ as they show their children the way to the Father through the loving, merciful arms of our Savior.

With the support of the clergy, the Director of Faith Formation and volunteer catechists, parents and children receive instruction at two Saturday morning catechesis sessions for each sacrament. Children preparing for First Reconciliation will receive the sacrament at their Day of Reflection on a Saturday in January. A Day of Reflection for children preparing for Confirmation and First Eucharist occurs on a Saturday a week or two prior to the Masses where the children receive both sacraments. At least one parent must attend all catechesis sessions and the Day of Reflection.

These mandatory sessions bring together all the families of the parish whose children are preparing for sacraments regardless of where the children are enrolled in elementary school.

Additionally, to help the children feel more comfortable and prepared prior to receiving the Sacraments, parents will schedule an interview for their child with a priest, deacon, seminarian or the Director of Faith Formation following the completion of the children’s books. The interviews are not “tests,” and the parents are most welcome to be present with their children during the interview.

The Church teaches, and we believe, that the family is the home of the “domestic church.” This is where daily family life tills the soil that prepares children to receive the Word of God and opens their hearts for sacramental formation. The clergy and staff of the Office of Faith Formation considers it a privilege to walk with parents on this journey.

Why Are Children Confirmed in the Third Grade?

Initiation is the word we use to describe the process of being welcomed into a group. The Sacraments of Initiation solemnly mark the full entrance of an individual into the Christian community. This initiation signifies that the person has died to sin and is reborn in Christ. Through Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist, one becomes a full member of the Body of Christ, the Church. Since Archbishop Aquila moved the age to receive Confirmation and Eucharist to the third grade, the process has been referred to as “The Restored Order.” The restored order of Confirmation and First Eucharist highlights the primacy of the Eucharist as the fulfillment of Christian initiation.

Many people ask how we can confirm kids so young given most Catholics have been confirmed in middle and high school over the last 50 years. Confirmation has been viewed as a sacrament that allows candidates to choose for themselves the faith that was chosen for them by their parents at Baptism. This understanding of the sacramental theology of confirmation unintentionally diminished the work of God who is completing what he began at Baptism. As the Catechism of the Church, para. 1285 states, “… By the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to defend the Church by word and deed.”

Therefore, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the bishop (or his delegate) confirms the sacramental journey of faith begun at Baptism and initiates candidates into the Greater Church community. The celebration of the holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation and allows for a greater participation with the whole community in the sacrifice of the Mass.

In accordance with the mandate from the Archdiocese of Denver, Most Precious Blood has transitioned to celebrating the Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation. This means that children celebrate their First Reconciliation in January of the second grade (typically). Children begin preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation, followed by preparation for First Eucharist in the fall following their First Reconciliation (typically in third grade). In the spring during the Easter Season, the Rite of Confirmation precedes the celebration of First Eucharist within the same Mass.

First Reconciliation:

  • Families register for FAITH and for the First Reconciliation Sacramental Preparation program.
    • ** Children enrolled in Catholic school are not required to register for FAITH.
  • Parents and children attend two mandatory Saturday morning catechesis sessions.
  • In January, baptized children prepare for and celebrate their First Reconciliation at the conclusion of the Day of Reflection.
  • In the spring following Reconciliation, families are given information to begin preparing children for Confirmation and First Eucharist in the fall.
FIRST RECONCILIATION

Confirmation & First Eucharist:

  • Families register for FAITH and children and their families continue working with Confirmation and First Eucharist materials.
    • ** Children enrolled in Catholic school are not required to register for FAITH.
  • Parents and children attend four mandatory catechesis sessions; two in fall and two in the spring and the Day of Reflection.
  • The exact dates for the Confirmation & First Eucharist Masses are approved by the Archdiocese and should be confirmed to us by early fall.

CONFIRMATION & FIRST EUCHARIST

CONFIRMATION & FIRST COMMUNION