Hello again:

As a complement to my previous post of the spiritual exercises for Confession by Saint Alphonsus, I thought it appropriate to attempt to disseminate similar exercises he devised especially for children.

This is taken from the third chapter of the Saint's work The Exercises of the Missions, found in the 15th volume of "The Centenary Edition" of the complete works of St. Alphonsus de Liguori, translated by Rev. Father Eugene Grimm, and published in 1890 at New York, Cincinnati and Chicago by Benziger Brothers, with the approbation of the Rev. Father Elias Frederick Schauer, Provincial of the American Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (12 May 1889, Baltimore).

I had to attach the pages as Joint Photographic Experts Group files. A PDF file would have been too large to attach.

This could be useful for Priests, parents, catechists, and for all of us who need to be reminded of the great truths of our faith in the language of holy simplicity.

This reminds me of one our children at the age of 6 (many years ago) insisting on talking to our priest.  This child wouldn't tell us (parents) what it was about, but the next time we went to church, we told the priest.  After speaking to our child, the priest asked us if we would give permission for an early confession.  Confession and Holy Communion were normally received in 2nd grade and this was a first grader.  At the advice of the priest we said, "certainly".  Our child's conscience was already forming and confession was, of course, a perfect way to prepare for Holy Communion. I've always been glad that we knew enough to say yes to the advice of our priest.  Perhaps Our Lord was calling our child to the Sacrament of confession early.  

I would tremble in my shoes if we had postponed any of our children's receiving the Sacraments.  I've seen a few kids over the years make their 1st Holy Communion very late at age 12 or so.  If I were those parents, I'd be very fearful of Judgment Day.  

Parents have a very serious responsibility to prepare their children for the Sacraments, or to make sure that the training is being done by a good religious teacher, whether that teacher is a priest, nun, or lay person.

Please don't put off your children's religious training and their reception of the Sacraments.