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

Published in 1962 by the Central Office of the Eucharistic Crusade, Rome

Educating the Youth to Live the Mass

(slightly edited by Fr. Boulet)

2. THANKSGIVING:

The words of Pope Pius XII in Mediator Dei give us the best explanation of what thanksgiving after Communion should be.

“It is therefore an error to say that thanksgiving aught not to be prolonged after the ending of Mass, on the ground that the Mass itself is a thanksgiving, and also that it comes under the category of private devotions and is not directed to the benefit of the community. On the contrary, the very nature of the sacrament requires that Christians should become holier by receiving if (…) If at all times we must thank God and never cease from praising Him, who shall dare to find fault with the Church far urging her priests and the faithful to remain for same time at least after Communion in converse with the Divine Redeemer, and far having inserted in the liturgical books special indulgenced prayers far priests to recite in preparation for Mass and Communion and in thanksgiving afterwards?”

Special emphasis should be placed on the importance of personal colloquy with God after Communion. Such intimate converse, to which children can be introduced, helps greatly in leading them to true familiarity with Christ. Neglect of it is one of the chief reasons why Holy Communion often produces so little fruit, and why participation in the sacred liturgy often brings no increase of intimacy with Christ. Education in the correct reception of Communion requires that Directors give much attention to the way children receive Communion and what they do afterwards. For both preparation and thanksgiving demand internal effort from the children and adolescents and so they are easily inclined to omit them or to make them without due attention. To help to overcome these difficulties, Directors therefore must frequently help them especially by putting forward motives that will move them to zeal and to love of this most Blessed Sacrament. However if too much is said on this subject, the children can easily become tired of it and ignore the advice. To avoid this, the other practices of the Crusade should also be used to help to preserve and increase zeal for Holy Communion.

(to be continued)

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

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