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

Educating the Youth to Live the Mass

(slightly edited by Fr. Boulet)

B. HOLY COMMUNION

      1. PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION.

The purpose of all preparation is to teach the children to receive Our Lord with the right dispositions. On this depends in great measure the effect of the sacrament and of the whole of their Eucharistic education. And though preparation will differ according to age, yet it must never be neglected. The better the dispositions, the more fruitful will the sacrament be.

Preparation for Communion is both remote and immediate.

a) Remote Preparation includes everything that leads to the right dispositions for a fruitful reception of the sacrament. Such things are a good life, a firm determination to avoid sin, even venial sin; a sincere desire to acquire virtues, especially those virtues which have a special relation to the reception of Communion such as charity towards one's neighbour, love of Christ and humility. Children should be told to think about this holiest of acts not only when they are preparing themselves immediately for Communion but also at other times, as, for example, when they visit the Blessed Sacrament, or on the evening before they are going to receive. Even the virtues which they practise, and the temptations which they must overcome, they can in a certain manner link to Holy Communion by turning their attention to the fact that they are going to receive and that this necessitates that the soul be well prepared.

This remote preparation must be prudently urged. It must be urged so that the children are aware of the importance of the sacrament and take its reception seriously. Otherwise it can easily degenerate into pure routine with little preparation and little profit. It must be urged prudently, for it is possible to make the condi¬tions too difficult and gradually repel rather than attract them to the Blessed Sacrament.

b) Immediate preparation comprises everything necessary to produce desirable dispositions in the communicant at the time of actual reception of the sacrament. Generally two ways of making this preparation are proposed:

1. The Mass itself with the various prayers is considered the best of all preparations for Holy Communion. Since the Mass is terminated by Holy Communion, the prayers which precede and prepare it are naturally to be considered the most suitable form of preparation. However, as a matter of fact, both adults and younger people can often prepare themselves more easily and effectively by using other prayers.

2. Therefore the type of preparation which concerns itself with Holy Communion alone seems to be preferable for children. In this the acts necessary for a worthy and fruitful reception are clearly and abundantly expressed so that the children can under¬stand them readily and elicit them in their hearts. It is indeed very desirable to link this method with the Mass and to follow the liturgical year. For smaller children, preparation generally should be made in common. For older ones, some time should be given for private preparation during which they can talk to Christ in their own words.