My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We have just completed our first half term of the First Communion programme for the children in our parish. Over 20 children are taking part in a 6 month programme of lessons, events and sacraments this year in which they will learn about and experience our faith.
We have been focusing on reconciliation and the children have learned all about saying sorry to God for what they have done wrong, about being forgiven and about being saved by Jesus. We have given them each a small handout to help them prepare for the sacrament of reconciliation and we thought that you might like to take a look at it. It is of course designed to help the children prepare for their first reconciliation (or Confession) but if you haven't been for a while it's a very simple reminder of the prayers and the format that the sacrament takes.
The course is brilliantly put together and teaches big and complex theology, but it's always with simple and clear language that the children understand. It's been a real joy for Emma and myself to teach and lead the programme.
One of the first things we ask the children to do is to pray everyday. We will be teaching them several prayers over the programme but the first prayer is called 'I Belong' and it's a prayer we will say together every week at the start and the end of the lesson.
We would like you to pray for the children taking part in the programme and for yourself. We all need to prepare to receive the Eucharist whether that's for the first time or the thousandth time. Maybe you will join the children in their prayer 'I belong' tonight before you go to sleep.
