Bringing children to savor the wonders of the Real Presence

When it comes to Catholic education, the young people in our diocese receive some of the finest there is available, because they receive Jesus, their eternal savior. Thankfully, many of our local Catholic educators understand that there is no authentic Catholic education without the presence of Christ, especially in the Most Holy Eucharist.
           
“The children who attend our school are given the gift to understand the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist at a very young age,” said Sr. Chiara Thérèse Jacobson, Atrium Catechist at Christ the King Catholic Montessori School in Mandan, and member of the Servants of the Children of Light. “This, of course, often begins with their parents. However, in the school, we begin by introducing the young children to the great mysteries of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The children come to understand the gestures of the Mass, the liturgical year and the mystery of the consecration, all which deepens in them the desire to receive Him in the Most Holy Eucharist.”
           
In a variety of ways, teachers at Christ the King School help bring the infallible teaching of the Real Presence of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ in the Eucharist deep into the hearts, minds and souls of their students.
           
“We know that children desire true witnesses of the faith, and as a school community, we desire to be this for them; living witnesses that bear in mind the treasure we have every time we enter the church or receive Him in the Holy Eucharist,” Sr. Chiara commented. “The children are always welcome to make visits during the school day to Jesus in the church. We also have a specific time set aside each week for the older children to go to adoration, as well as for our weekly all-school Mass. The school Mass provides a beautiful moment for the children to come together as a school community and share a common love and reverence for Jesus.”
           
In the end, they find their efforts truly rewarding and inspiring.
           
“The children often comment on the peace and joy they feel after their time spent with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,” Sr. Chiara said. “They recognize the font of fulfillment that they can only receive from Him. I can tell by the light in their eyes that His presence has become real and tangible to them.”
           
Further, preparing the children to receive their first sacraments is an essential aspect of Catholic education, and bringing them to savor the presence of Our Eucharistic Lord is its foundation.
           
“My most cherished moments with the children are preparing them to receive their first Holy Communion,” Sr. Chiara shared. “I desire to ignite in them the desire for Him and Him alone. This moment in the life of the children is a culmination of their preparation. They have come to know the love Jesus has for them, and they can hardly wait to receive Him in the Eucharist. These moments spent together contemplating the mystery of His immense love for us, and how it is still realized in His Presence in the Holy Eucharist, imparts on the children a long-lasting desire to revere Him in this Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.”
           
According to Sr. Chiara, the ideal time to begin teaching children about the doctrine of the Real Presence is when they are very young.
           
“We know the immense value of parents simply taking their children with them to Mass every Sunday,” Sr. Chiara said. “If the gift of this knowledge is imparted at a young age, the child will naturally absorb this as part of their being; as part of the culture they have been born into. Allowing children to come to know and love Jesus in the Eucharist in an organic and harmonious fashion will leave an everlasting impression, not only in their mind but also in their soul.”
           
Because children are so open to the workings of God's grace in their hearts, they can receive the truth about the wondrous mystery of the Eucharist in a profoundly refreshing way.
           
“We can never underestimate the gift of learning about the Eucharist will be for the rest of their lives; it will always help them know Who is the font and source of their joy and happiness, Who is the one to turn to in times of trial, and with Whom they can rejoice at the gifts the world imparts,” Sr. Chiara said.
           
In addition, for parents such as Bismarck residents, Brad and Christa Wiederholt, teaching their children about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist fits perfectly into their homeschooling way of life. For 12 years, Brad and Christa have been teaching their children; Sam, 16; Gabriel, 13; Nicholas, 10; and Juliana, 6.
           
“We include into most of our school days something I call ‘family school,’” Christa explained. “During this time, we explore different subjects altogether. We do much of our religious education during this time and have many discussions about religious topics. I have loved how the older kids give reflections which the younger kids can learn from, as well as how the younger kids sometimes offer insights that the older kids learn from.”
           
Like the students at Catholic schools who attend Mass together with their classmates, the flexibility that homeschooling provides gives many families an opportunity to encounter the presence of Christ in a meaningful way at the sacrifice of the Mass attended together as a family.
           
“The main way we have taught the children about the Real Presence is by going to Mass regularly,” Christa said. “Since they were all babies, we have tried to get to at least one daily Mass each week. Daily Masses are shorter, so this has provided a good opportunity for training them to behave at Sunday Mass, as well as teach them about what is going on during Mass.”
           
Brad and Christa enjoy driving home the beautiful message of the true presence of Our Lord at the Masses they bring their children to. Sharing a love for Christ in the Holy Eucharist together unites them to their children in a powerful, ethereal way, like nothing else can.
           
“Whispering to them, ‘Jesus is here now,’ over and over during the Consecration helps them to understand this truth,” Christa said. “We also attend the Traditional Latin Mass once or twice a month, and our boys serve Mass there. Our boys also serve Mass frequently at the Cathedral, which gives them the opportunity to be with many different priests, deacons and seminarians. These men have all been such good examples to our children on their love for the Mass and for Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist.”
           
By bringing their children to spend time with Jesus humbly exposed in Eucharistic adoration regularly, they help them understand how much He really wants to be part of their lives. Sometimes it comes to leading children by our example to always seek Jesus.
           
“There was one summer when we had a one-hour break between baseball practices,” Christa recounted. “I took all the kids to Adoration during this time, fully geared up in their baseball uniforms. I think it taught them that Jesus is always available to us, even during baseball days. However, I believe the times Brad takes them to adoration has mattered the most. Having their dad lead by example teaches the boys what men do—they go to Jesus.”