Isn’t there always a certain excitement associated with February and ‘back-to-school’? Much preparation happens before the start of Term 1. Teachers think about the content and process of their lessons; students prepare new uniforms and books, and think about re-uniting with friends , and meeting new teachers; and parents do their very best to make certain that their children are ready to maximise the opportunity good education offers. And everyone has a different way to prepare, as our children are initiated into the experience of a new school year.
The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has announced that this year, 2013, the Catholic Church will celebrate a Year of Faith. This is an opportunity for every Catholic to turn towards Jesus Christ, encounter Him in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and rediscover our Faith and Church. So, as our children commence the school year at this significant time, I thought we might look together to see what this means for them, and for each one of us.
It is timely to think about the many children in our Diocese this year who, having already been baptized, will commence their preparation to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation. This is another form of initiation for our children, as these Sacraments combine to initiate our young people into the fullness of life in the Church.
Pope Benedict in his apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis reminds us of the importance of these sacraments:
‘we need to ask ourselves whether in our Christian communities the close link between Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist is sufficiently recognized’ He adds that ‘our pastoral practice should reflect a more unitary understanding of the process of Christian initiation. The sacrament of Baptism, by which we were conformed to Christ, incorporated in the Church and made children of God, is the portal to all the sacraments’ (46).
As Catholics, we believe that Baptism makes us part of the one Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). Still, it is our participation in the Eucharistic sacrifice which perfects within us the gifts given to us at Baptism. The Eucharist, then, brings Christian initiation to completion and represents the centre and goal of all sacramental life. It follows that preparation for reception of the sacraments should be a special time in everyone’s life.
However, some do raise concerns that throughout the world there is a clear variation between, on the one hand, the ecclesial customs of the East and the practice of the West regarding the initiation of adults, and the procedure adopted for children to receive these important sacraments. Since the 1990s here in Australia, some dioceses have decided to change the sequence and have established the celebration of Confirmation prior to the Sacrament of Eucharist. The content and process of these preparation programs must necessarily reflect this timing, in order to ensure the understanding of the children. Some remain concerned about the ability of seven-year-olds to participate appropriately in preparation for Confirmation, and their capacity to learn the details of the sacraments. Those parishes opt for the sequence of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist somewhere between 7 and 8 years of age, with the reception of Confirmation when there is an increased capacity to understand, generally between 12 and 15 years of age.
In Australia, whatever the age of the children, we know well, that in our pastoral work it is always important to make Catholic families part of this process of initiation. Receiving Baptism, Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation, are key moments not only for the individual receiving these sacraments, but also for the entire family, which should be supported in its educational role by the various elements of our Catholic community.
In this Year of Faith, I would like to emphasise to parents how important it is that they reflect seriously about the celebration of the sacraments with their child, and to ensure that they understand the significance of the sacrament. It can often be difficult to keep a focus on the sacramental journey on which your child has embarked and not to get carried away with the trappings of the celebration itself. It can also be a challenge to respond to the call to be vibrant and full members of the Church after the reception of the sacraments, and not just in the period of preparation. Your school, our priests and parish community are here to help you in this task.
In particular, I would like to emphasize the importance of First Holy Communion. For many this day continues to be memorable as the moment when, even if in a rudimentary way, we first came to understand the importance of a personal encounter with Jesus. I urge everyone to ensure that our preparation of children in our schools and parish pastoral programmes to make the most of this highly significant moment.
The Year of Faith offers an invitation to everyone in the Church to celebrate and renew their faith - individually, in families, in parishes and schools, in our Diocese, our country and across our global Catholic community. To help us to do this, we might reflect on the following questions:
• As disciples of Jesus Christ and as members of his Church through our parish, school, home and diocesan communities how can we enter into this Year of Faith in 2013 and bring it to life?
• How can we put our faith into action in the service of others, with a special focus on our children?
• How can we grow in our faith understanding and as witnesses to the teaching of Christ and his Church?
• We are being called to GREATNESS in faith and service. If each of us considers this in the context of the Sacraments, what can we do to ensure the reception of the sacraments of initiation into the fullness of Christian life, is a special and faith experience for the young?
• And, perhaps we should ask ourselves the question: In 2013, what will I do in my life to renew my faith commitment?
- Bishop Les Tomlinson, Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst, Febuary 2013
