STAND FAST IN THE FAITH

New Zealand Tablet, 21 August 1913, Page 3

STAND FAST IN THE FAITH

(A Weekly Instruction specially written for the N.Z. Tablet by ‘Ghimel’.) FREQUENT AND DAILY COMMUNION.—IV. THE COMMUNION OF CHILDREN (1) To commence with, it must be made clear that in this matter of frequent Communion children who have come to the years ox discretion are on exactly the same footing as adults: they, as well as the children of a larger growth, belong to the body of the faithful, and Pius X. lays down that frequent or daily Communion is open to ‘ all the faithful,’ provided they fulfil two simple conditions. Some doubts having arisen on this point in connection with the Pope’s Decree of December, 1905, the following answer was given by the Sacred Congregation of the Council, 15th September, 1906, in reply to some questions: ‘ According to the first article of the Decree, frequency of Communion is to be recommended even to .children, once they have been permitted, in conformity with the instruction of the Council of Trent, to approach the Holy Table, and they are not to be prevented from frequently partaking, of the Holy Eucharist; but on the contrary they are to be encouraged to do so, and all contrary practices are condemned.’ There is nothing surprising in all this, when we recall the subdued yet melting description of our Lord’s blessing the children: ‘ And they brought to Him young children that He might touch them. And the disciples rebuked them that brought them. Whom, when Jesus saw, He was much displeased, and saith to them: Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen, I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter into it. And embracing them, and laying His hands upon them, He blessed them ’ (St. Mark x., 13-16). , (2) ‘The golden opportunity,’ writes Father Zulueta, ‘ for carrying out the earnest exhortations of Pius X., and training “the hope of the future’’ in authorised notions of Eucharistic practice is, obviously, when wo are preparing the little ones /or their First Communion, and direct them concerning the frequency with which they are to receive after making it. The candidates should be taught to begin their communicant life from its very start with daily Communionthat is to say, as far as spiritual and ascetical considerations are concerned. Physical reasons may, of course, exist in individual cases of delicate health, for a shorter measure of Eucharistic devotion; but all should be carefully grounded from the first in the right principles without abatement. With regard to disciplinary reasons, every-: thing possible should be done to arrange the school order so as to fit in with the Christ-like desire of the Holy Father, that little ones should be suffered to come freely to our Lord, and not hindered from His sacramental embrace.’ If the child is trained on these lines in the Catholic school, religion will be twined round every fibre of its heart, and the Blessed Eucharist will become the centre of that religion. Could we desire anything better? (3) No doubt many good parents, anxious to do everything possible for their children, fear to let them use their rights in this matter. Are not children lightminded, it is said, very liable to distractions, and therefore likely to be wanting in that spirit of reverence with which we should all approach this Most Holy Sacrament ? May not familiarity lead to carelessness ? Honor, of course, is due to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and no honor can be too great; but He Himself, as Pope Pius has pointed out, wishes us to put our needs in the first place, even before the reverence due to Him. For that reason He is content with what we can give. And so, though children are frivolous—He knows that as well as we do —yet they can come to Him with the warm affection and the sweet innocence of their hearts. Small defects of character and disposition will be prevented from becoming vices by the strengthening

waters of divine grace. The Sacraments, we know, infallibly produce or increase grace when there is no obstacle in the way, and surely there is not much reason for anxiety on that score here. Further, children need to be forearmed, seeing that, as the Imitation reminds us, 1 the senses of man are prone to evil from his youth, and unless Thy divine medicine succor him, man quickly falls to worse.’ Holy Communion, according to the Council of Trent, is a most efficacious remedy against mortal sin, for besides giving the all-important blessing of divine grace, it forms habits of prayer and self-control, which in the case of children will readily take possession before the passions awake and corrupt the heart. The robe of baptismal purity is most likely to be kept spotless, when by frequent Communion the child abides in Christ and Christ in it.