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Forming those who form others

The Word was made Flesh

The awe and wonder of Emmanuel, God with us, with which we identify so well at Christmas time in Primary schools with Nativity plays, carols and lumpy throats at the sight of Reception class transformed into angels, is at times quite lost when we are in the presence of Emmanuel today. Our Lord told us ‚‘I am with you always’, and the way which he chose to be present among us is in the Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament of the altar which is reserved even when the Mass is over so that he can be with us still.

The Sacrifice of the Mass and the Real Presence in the Eucharist are an extension of the Incarnation, so how is it that our receptivity for the sacred which leads us to kneel at the Christmas crib can so easily evaporate once that feast is over, hindering our passing on to our children the sense of adoration and wonder in the presence of Christ in our Churches?

How do we convey to children a sense of the Real Presence?

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Amette Ley writes the regular 'On the Spot' column for The Sower. She was born in Sussex, England, and is married with four children. Amette trained as a teacher of religious education and has taught in Catholic schools for many years, having converted to Catholicism more than 30 years ago. She completed a BA in Divinity and MA in Theology at Maryvale Institute, degrees validated by the Pontifical University, Maynooth, Ireland. She also holds an S.T.L from the Pontifical University, Louvain and is currently undertaking doctoral studies at the Pontifical Athenaeum 'Regina Apostolorum' University in Rome. She now writes and edits religious education curriculum materials and is on the Catechetics and Theology faculties of Maryvale Institute.

This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]

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Categorized Under:

Catechizing Children

Sacramental Preparation

Issue:

33.4

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About Franciscan Catechetics

The Catechetics Degree Programs and the Catechetical Institute (CI) at Franciscan University of Steubenville work in concert to prepare clergy, religious and laity to join the “army of catechists” called for by St. John Paul II, eager to help the Church in her mission of making all nations joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. We combine a thorough formation in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and Magisterial documents with training in effective pedagogical techniques to help those we serve to grasp the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Father’s plan, and to bear witness to others faithfully of the wonderful life of grace in the Holy Spirit.

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