Little Catechism on the Eucharist

by Fr. Roberto Coggi

This pocket-sized book, with an Imprimatur from Bishop Fabian W. Bruskewitz, first gets to the root of some important What do we believe about the Holy Eucharist? How do we prepare for Holy Communion? What is the correct way to receive Holy Communion? How do we show reverence to the Blessed Sacrament?After improving the reader s understanding of the Holy Eucharist, the book then guides the reader s participation in the Sacrament through the inclusion of a glossary, prayers to recite before the Blessed Sacrament, and a list of Indulgences that can be gained in relation to Eucharistic Devotion. Recommended in Catholic Heritage High School Fr. Roberto Coggi 125 pages, paperback 10+ New Hope Publications 978-1892875303

109 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Tracy L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. It was easy to read. The information was written simply to understand easily. The section on saints was exceptional. It covered a lot of important teachings that somehow haven't been continually taught, revisited to remind us of our faith.

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some excellent ideas here for teaching basic truths about the Eucharist to children. There is some higher-level abstraction that would make it difficult for younger children, but the Little Catechism is an excellent foundation for about the sixth grade. About half of the attractive little book is taken up by Question-and-Answer, and this section is greatly assisted by well-made illustrations. The Question and Answer section also introduces the student to the very basics of Thomistic philosophy which can be built apon in later years. The penultimate section of the book treats Eucharistic miracles, and the final section contains stories of several saints who were deeply devoted to the Eucharist (including quite a few child-saints). In short, this book would make great supplementary material for a sixth-or-seventh grade CCD class when teaching on the Eucharist.

Quotables:

"The Mass makes the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross present to us. The sacrifice that occurred on Calvary, outside Jerusalem, twenty centuries ago, is mysteriously made present again here and now ever time Mass is celebrated" (pg. 32).

Q: Why would there be no Mass [If there was no Resurrection]?"
A: Think of the words of consecration: the priest does not say, 'This is the Body of Jesus'; he says, 'This is my body.' He does not say, 'This is the Blood of Jesus'; he says, 'This is my Blood.' This means that Jesus is the one who really says there words. Jesus consecrates the bread and wine through the priest; in other words, the priest lends Jesus his mouth and hands" (33).

"The Eucharist increases charity and forms saints. Padre Pio used to say that if we understood the immense value of the Mass, the churches would be so full that we wouldn't be able to get in" (108).

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this for First Communion prep, and it is best suited for a slightly older student. My son really likes the sections on Eucharistic miracles and the saints, but the catechism section has worked best when I paraphrase.