My daughter is slated to receive her 1st communion this spring. I am doing her catechism classes myself and am frankly don’t know what to do about the situation. She has let me know that she believes in reincarnation. Now, I know that this is contrary to the teachings of the Church. I’m not exactly an expert in the Catholic faith, and since it caught me completely off guard, I didn’t know how to answer her. (FWIW, she is going through a difficult period where she is opposing much of what we say, talking back, throwing tantrums until she gets her way - which we don’t give in to… 8 going on 13 is more like it!)
Obviously, I need to explain this to her in more certain terms. Could anyone help me find a way to make her understand this teaching?
The whole situation is truly disheartening because… If she refuses to believe in what the Church teaches, then she may not receive her sacrament, correct?
correct, if she does not believe in and accept the church teachings(which doesn’t mean to understand them all or completely) then she cannot receive communion,
here is some of what canon law has to say about it -
*Can. 913 §1. The administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children requires that they have sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so that they understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity and are able to receive the body of Christ with faith and devotion.
§2. The Most Holy Eucharist, however, can be administered to children in danger of death if they can distinguish the body of Christ from ordinary food and receive communion reverently.
Can. 914 It is primarily the duty of parents and those who take the place of parents, as well as the duty of pastors, to take care that children who have reached the use of reason are prepared properly and, after they have made sacramental confession, are refreshed with this divine food as soon as possible. It is for the pastor to exercise vigilance so that children who have not attained the use of reason or whom he judges are not sufficiently disposed do not approach holy communion.*
if you need some help in educating your child, check out these very helpful and trustworthy Catholic resources -
www.tanbooks.com
www.fraternitypublications.com
www.audiosancto.org
youtube.com/user/CatholicClips#g/p
keepthefaith.org
archive.org/search.php?query=Teacher%27s%20handbook%20to%20the%20catechism
i don’t know if you send your child to public or private school, or if you homeschool? the most common place for a child to develop such an attitude or rebellion is simply from friends and other bad influences(such as tv, books, internet, and music)
if a child, who is not well educated and protected in the faith, is sent out into the world to fend for themselves, then they are more than likely going to be taken more to the world and of worldly things than they are to be taken to the church and God, and why? well because when we are young we are very undisciplined and weak, a child is much less likely to resist their evil inclinations, which we all have from our fallen human nature, and yet how much more so in spirit, which we are even more young and undisciplined in?
but i think with your daughter, it may fall under something like this - perhaps her friends belittle the church, after all, children are very perceptive to what their parents say, and we all know the scandals going on today concerning the church,
when a child is educated in the world before the church, things like this are bound to happen, and the only reason i say that is because i’ve been there, it wasn’t that long ago that i was in school, or out with non-religious “friends”, i know how it is first-hand, and believe me, private or not, schools nowadays are not Catholic and are not “good” for our children,
and although the answers to these problems are not always easy ones, but the truth of the matter is, we were not sent to this world to live in it, or to gain “social skills”, we were sent here to choose between heaven and hell, between loving God or hating Him, and it matters very little what we make of ourselves in the worlds eyes, it only matters what we make of ourselves in Gods eyes, despite what others may think of us.
well, i’m kinda just rambling, so i’ll stop there, but my advice is, just educate yourself first, perhaps with those links i gave, and always first and foremost pray on it, because without God we can do nothing,
and the reason i say educate yourself first, is because your daughter is going to learn most from your own example,
although if i could make one more recommendation, get this book -
amazon.com/gp/product/B0007J780E
my sister got that, and i read a little bit of it, and i can say that it is really the best book on raising our children to be Catholic that you can find, it is simple, but very effective and very informative,
it addresses on the concerns your having now, plus it teaches you how to help your children approach each of the sacraments, and how to raise them to be good Catholics overall.
as for some help in correcting your daughter on reincarnation, check out these short(but very good) articles -
catholicapologetics.info/apologetics/buddhism/reincarnation.htm
catholicapologetics.info/apologetics/buddhism/carnate.htm
catholicapologetics.info/apologetics/buddhism/incarnate.htm
so, i hope this helps, take care, and i will be praying for you and your daughter.
). But it broke the possibly unhealthy obsession until my emotional maturity could catch up a bit and be able to distinguish fantasy and reality better.