What is Meeting Jesus in the Eucharist?
Meeting Jesus in the Eucharist is a sacrament preparation program written for children who are preparing to receive First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. The materials are faithfully Catholic, steeped in Scripture, and designed to bring your child into a deeper relationship with Christ. The style of the lessons is conversational and intended to ignite curiosity and encourage open, fruitful dialogue about the Mysteries of our Faith. The companion journal provides a hands-on way for children to further meditate on and assimilate the beautiful truths behind these Mysteries as he encounters them in the lessons.
Click here to pre-order Meeting Jesus in the Eucharist.
How do I know that the content is faithful to Catholic Church teaching?
Meeting Jesus in the Eucharist (including the lesson book, child journal, tear-out books, and cardstock pack) has been reviewed in its entirety by the Censor Librorum for the Diocese of Charlestown, South Carolina (where Catholic Icing is based), and has been granted a Nihil Obstat, an assertion that nothing contrary to Catholic Church teaching on faith and morals is present in the publication.
Who is this program ideal for?
This program is perfect for parents desiring to enter more deeply into sacrament preparation with their child, whether the child is homeschooling or attending school. This program could also be implemented by an involved grandparent or godparent, or used in a more intimate group-class setting. While the content covered in the lessons is similar in scope to many 2nd grade religious education texts, these lessons could easily work for a range of ages. However, for children younger than 7, it is possible they may not yet have developed the fine motor skills necessary to fully enjoy the journal pages, and the pace of the lessons may need to be altered to make sure the child is able to stay engaged.
What does “At Home Edition” mean? Is this a homeschooling program?
The “At Home Edition” is not designed exclusively for homeschoolers, but rather for anyone desiring family-based catechesis. The Catholic Church emphasizes the crucial role and responsibility of families in passing on the Faith to their children, asserting that “Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith” (CCC 2226). The program materials for this edition are designed to work best in a home or small-group environment with the flexibility to meet more than once a week.
Will there ever be a classroom edition?
We have plans in the works to develop an edition of the program that will be better suited to a traditional classroom environment and schedule. Currently we have two experienced Catholic school teachers and parish catechists working with us to adapt and test our materials for classroom use.
Has this program been tested with children?
Several of our own children were the first guinea pigs for this program, and the reason we began developing these materials in the first place! We were also blessed to receive invaluable feedback from a group of test families, who helped us improve and strengthen the program before putting it in your hands.
What is the scope and sequence of this program?
You can find the program’s scope and sequence, along with a few sample pages here.
This seems like a lot of material to cover. Is all of this necessary for sacrament preparation?
For a baptized Catholic, the most basic essentials for sacrament preparation are very simple and truly come down to a matter of the heart: believing in the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and desiring to receive Him. However, we have found with our own children that, as they reach the age of reason, their curiosity explodes, and they become very eager to explore their faith and understand more about God’s plan and their place in it. As children reach this new stage of development, they also become very interested in synthesizing all the stories they have heard throughout their young childhood. They have almost certainly learned about Creation, angels, Mother Mary, Baptism, etc., but this program offers a place to revisit all of these gifts, revealing how they unfold as part of a unified story of God’s Love for us, each part revealing and culminating in the gift of Jesus Himself in the Holy Eucharist.
How difficult is this program to implement? Is it open-and-go?
Meeting Jesus in the Eucharist is designed to be very easy to use, with essentially no preparation or planning required. However, we do highly recommend that parents or teachers take a few moments to read over the lesson ahead of time. We also encourage you to look up the passages from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Scripture listed in the “Reference Reading” section for each lesson.
Are the program materials consumable or can I re-use the program with multiple children?
The main lesson book and audio CD are non-consumable and may be reused with any number of children. The consumable student pack consists of three parts: 1) My First Holy Communion Journal, 2) Tear-Out Books, 3) Cardstock Pack. You will need to purchase a separate student pack for every child you take through the program.
Can I order just the child journal?
No. Although the child journal is a beautiful and vital element of the program, the impact of the pages is significantly reduced without first introducing the child to the related content in the lesson book. Also, most of the journal page instructions are found in the main lesson book. The two books are intimately related and designed to be used hand-in-hand.
Can the Sing with the Saints CD be purchased separately?
We do have plans to offer the audio CD for independent purchase beginning in November 2023.
Will you be releasing any additional full-year religious education programs?
At this point we have no plans to create any additional full-year religious education programs. If you enjoy family-based catechesis, we highly recommend Into the Deep’s full-year resources as a precursor and/or follow-up to a year of Meeting Jesus in the Eucharist. Level I of Into the Deep is intended for grades 1-3, and Level II is geared toward grades 4-6. Level III is in development at this time.
More questions? Feel free to email Theresa at fhc@catholicicing.com.
