Excerpts From the Manual of the
Eucharistic Crusade of the Apostleship of Prayer

Educating the Youth to Live the Mass

 

TEACHING CHILDREN TO PRAY:

2. STAGES IN THE TEACHING OF PRAYER.

Second Stage: The second stage usually covers the years from seven to ten or eleven. During this stage attention must be given to the development and perfection of what has already been learned in the first stage. Since these things are usually dealt with in catechetical instruction, the Crusade should rather attend to supplying or perfecting what may have been there neglected or omitted.

1. It is very important that children understand prayer and make use of it as something that is normal and appropriate for man, and indeed a great honour for him. The idea of obligation should not be stressed so much as the privilege and happiness of prayer. Because of the weakness of human nature and its tendency to evil, the obligation to pray has to be brought home to them; but only in such a way that the children will pray because they .like to and because they consider themselves fortunate to be able to talk to God.

2. If this is to be done, the children must have as attractive an idea as possible of God, of Christ, of the Mother of God, and of all that concerns our Faith. In the religion class at school, all must be done to attract them to their heavenly Father. Even more should the instruction in the Crusade capture the hearts of the children and fill them with delight and lead them with joy to God the Father and to Our Lord.

3. The instruction in the practice of prayer at this age has a double purpose: a) That the children learn to use their own words when talking with God, and b) That they learn set formulas of prayer and their correct use.