On this page you will find the resources to continue working through the First Holy Communion programme at home.

This is for children at both Christ the King and St Kentigern schools.

Session 9

20/05/2020

Welcome to the final session of our First Holy Communion Preparation. It's definitely been a different one!

This week, with the children, we are going to look at what to do before we receive Holy Communion, how we receive Holy Communion and what to do straight after we receive Holy Communion. It seems a bit strange to be talking about this when we're still separated as a parish community but we'd like you to talk to the children about starting out with a good habit so that when they do celebrate their special day they start with a good routine which will continue each time they come to Mass. Encourage them, when the time comes, to have some quiet time with the Lord. Be quiet, pray and thank Him for coming to them in Holy Communion. At the moment, during our live streaming, we're making a Spiritual Act of Communion which could be a bit difficult for the children to understand at this stage as they haven't yet received the Lord physically.

We've set them a word search to begin with and we ask that you help them with pages 42 & 43 in their workbook. There are some exercises to do and some prayers to learn. We have been encouraged by all the work that has been sent in during lockdown and it is nice to see that so many of our children and families are still keeping up with the programme. Please keep working in the books. Re-read them, look at any areas again that you didn't understand. If you need to talk to anyone about it, please contact the Parish Office at [email protected] and we will contact you.

Let's pray that we can soon be together as a community again and that we can receive the Lord, Body, Soul and Divinity, together again.

Session 8

06/05/2020

Today we will be looking at pages 40 and 41 in your Jesus Comes To Me book.

This session will focus on Real Presence and we begin with a word search for the children.

Set some time aside and watch the videos that we've linked and then read page 40 together. This is a topic that can sometimes be difficult to explain and understand but Jesus' words and our faith work together and we know that Jesus wants to be our source of strength and so when we receive Holy Communion we become like him. He gives us the spiritual nourishment we need to be good disciples.

This coming Sunday will be our 8th week of not being together physically at Mass but we have been encouraged by the photos you have been posting of your prayerful activities. Please keep sending them in.

There are a couple of activities to do on page 41. Fr Andrew and Fr Stephen will also make the domino game and we'll get a photo of them playing it for you.

In the 'more to do' section make sure you practice making the Sign of the Cross and genuflecting and let's all pray that the lockdown will ease and that we'll all be able to come to Mass together soon.

We're really looking forward to seeing you all again soon. God bless and keep safe.

Session 7

22/04/2020

It seems such a long time since we were all together at our last session and we hope that you have been keeping up to date with the chapters in your yellow book. We miss you all very much and we are praying that we can be together very soon.

Thank you to all the children who have sent us cards, paintings and photos. We were very happy to receive them and we are glad to see that you have been following us online for Mass at the weekend. There is always a children's liturgy video uploaded for you after the Sunday Mass has been live-streamed where you can listen the Bible readings and get to know Jesus a little more each week. Thank you Caroline for all your support.

Today we will be reading from page 36 to page 39 of your Jesus Comes To Me book.

Set some time aside to watch the children's video at the top of the page and then read the story on page 36. Discuss the Easter story with the children. Let them fill in the missing words on page 37 and help them to do the word match on the same page. There is an activity for you to do on this page. If you can't physically make an Easter Garden, please encourage the children to draw one instead.

Pages 38 and 39 focus on 'We go to Mass'. Although the church building is closed, the "Domestic Church", your home, is open and alive. Talk to the children about how they have felt about not being at Mass. Ask them what they've missed, reassure them that we're looking forward to the churches opening again. Fill in the section on page 39. Talk to the children about the time we will be together again. Encourage them to learn the Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts. The to do activity on this page will involve some colouring, cutting out and talking about what the priest wears at Mass.

Please send in your photos of what you have made and we will post them online. We're really looking forward to seeing them.

Fr Stephen has also produced a video for the parents (see link above) so please have a look at this too.

We're really looking forward to seeing you all again soon. God bless and keep safe.