Today was the big day for my second grade class (and the "RCIC" kids). First Confession is nerve-wracking, but sweet; chaotic, yet peaceful, too. While supervising the children going in and out of the confessional, I lit a candle for each and every one of them. The responsibility of each and every soul weighs on my conscience. I love them all. They are wonderful children and I pray and hope for the best for all of them.
For anyone else new at teaching 'first Sacraments' class--don't forget to teach them to make the Sign of the Cross whenever it is said by the priest. That is the one thing my students kept forgetting to do. We'll make sure we teach it next year. We will also practice it in class during our First Communion portion of the class.
Father does not want us to practice communion using anything that looks like a communion wafer, so as not to trivialize the Body and Blood of Christ. So, I bought matzos which actually look like giant crackers. They are made with flour and water. Period. So this way they can get an idea of what communion bread tastes like, but not make communion wafers trivial. Matzos are also an appropriate symbol, anyway. It is very similar to the bread Our Lord Jesus Christ actually did break and eat with His disciples. The unleavened bread is 'striped' with holes representing the whipping the Egyptians inflicted on their Jewish slaves. What could be more appropriate to represent Jesus' flesh which would endure such whipping not many hours after declaring the bread to be His Flesh?
Well, First Confession down, First Communion to go. I'm nervous already.
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