Knowing that they have been called by name by their Good Shepherd, knowing His great love and mercy, and desiring to follow Him, the child around the age of seven begins to know also the faithfulness of God's love and mercy. How much each of us has been loved by God! How much love and how many gifts surround us in our daily lives! Preparation for the sacraments begins by increasing the awareness of these many gifts.

​

Reconciliation: The sacrament of covenant

As the child of this age ponders his/her relationship with God, a covenantal relationship that makes the participants a family, he begins to realize that the greatness of the love, the multitude of gifts in their daily life and throughout history,  calls for a response.  In pondering the greatness of God's love for him/her, the child begins to consider how much and how well he/she has loved Him. In other words, the child of this age has an awareness of sin, sin which is like a block that prevents one from fully receiving the love and gifts of God. The Sacrament of Reconciliation removes these blocks so that one can freely receive the fullness of God's love.

​

Eucharist: The Sacrament of Gift

Such a great gift as the sacrament of Reconciliation calls for a great and joyful celebration: the sacrament of First Communion. At the Eucharistic banquet, we receive the fullness of the resurrected life of Jesus, His Body and Blood under the signs of bread and wine.