With four kids who have now made their First Reconciliation, I have seen a wide range of First Reconciliation resources offered through our Parish, our school and many Catholic conferences.
Bridget made her First Reconciliation last November, but I’d like to take her for her Second Reconciliation this Easter….just before she makes her First Communion this May!
This is what I love about Kendra Tierney’s Little Book about Confession for Children, available at Ignatius Press.
It’s little. It’s 7″x5.25″ and it’s appealing with its inviting cover illustration of Jesus with the children.
It has fancy little fold out covers to bookmark where you left off and these covers have easy reference material of the format of Confession, Act of Contrition and Examination of Conscience.
I like the question and answer format and the fact that many of the questions were prompted by Kendra’s own kids.
It has good questions and good answers…of good solid Catholic substance.
Years ago, our first two kids were assigned a particular 53 page Reconciliation Prep Workbook as they prepared for First Reconciliation through our Parish program. It had nice pictures and stories in it, but didn’t really explain the concept of sin. In fact, it didn’t mention the word sin until the last 2 pages at the end of the book with a couple prayers and the official format of Confession.
I think our kids can handle the facts…and Kendra’s book presents them gently but accurately.
I like the five profiles of key Saints teaching us about struggles and Jesus’ Mercy and forgiveness and how to approach the Sacrament of Confession. I really like how Kendra presents their lives and would love to see Kendra’s version of other saint stories…maybe in her next book?
The final section of the book explains the 10 Commandments and offers a question-based examination of conscience, looking closely at how we stray from the commandments through our actions, words and attitudes. These are easy-to-relate-to questions, prompting a thorough examination and proper formation of conscience.
The whole book is written tenderly while faithfully presenting the teachings of the Church with consistent references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church
The book presents simple explanations of true teachings of the Church, including original sin, venial and mortal sin, articulates the 10 Commandments with respect to relatable actions or attitudes and teaches about God’s Mercy and forgiveness through Bible Stories and the Saints.
This is a beautifully crafted book…a treasured resource inviting children to the awesome Sacrament of Reconciliation and fostering a life of virtue and Faith.
While it is excellent for First Sacrament Preparation, A Little Book about Confession for Children will also provide a concise and informative refresher resource between subsequent confessions. Although it is clearly geared to younger kids making their First Reconciliation, all the information is nicely presented for even teenagers to appreciate.
Awesome Catholic resources like this are very important to me…and the intention to present our rich Catholic Faith in appealing ways…is close to my heart.
Our Catholic Faith, Traditions and Teachings are so rich…and I think it’s a mistake to assume that kids can’t yet grasp or appreciate them. We don’t need to downplay the Church teachings about sin…but by presenting them perhaps in a simplified manner we give kids the opportunity to grow into their Faith and engage their Faith where they’re at, while knowing there is a plethora of teaching and meaningful tradition to guide them throughout their lives.
With proper instruction and exposure to the tenets of our Faith, we can foster love and reverence for all things Catholic. There will always be Mysteries of our Faith…that even the doctors of the Church have grappled with, but it comforts me to know that our Church has thought about every issue we will ever encounter and has the wisdom and depth to understand the ramifications.
I recently compiled the Reconciliation Prep Craft Kit, packed with basic ‘sneak peek’ templates and worksheets and I think both A Little Book about Confession for Children and the Reconciliation Prep Craft Kit are helpful Sacrament preparation and refresher resources!
You can purchase A Little Book About Confession for Children by Kendra Tierney at Ignatius Press. I received two copies of this awesome book in exchange for my honest review…and I’m excited to give one to my daughter Bridget…and the other to my Godson, also making his First Holy Communion this Spring!
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