This collection of First Communion stories has delighted and inspired children since the original volumes first appeared in 1919 and 1920. Their enduring appeal is easy to understand: they are wonderful stories—and they really happened.
Here children meet boys and girls from many different circumstances whose love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament transformed their lives. Some long eagerly for the day when Jesus may come to them for the first time; others make surprising sacrifices to receive Him worthily; still others discover that First Communion is not an ending, but the beginning of a friendship they want to preserve for the rest of their lives. Some stories are joyful, some humorous, and some deeply moving, but all have the power to awaken in young and old alike a renewed love and reverence for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
Written with a remarkable understanding of what captures a child's imagination, these stories never need exaggeration to make holiness interesting. Their heroes are real children—and even several familiar saints—whose examples quietly ask the young reader what he or she might be willing to do for love of Our Lord.
This edition brings together under one cover Julie du St. Esprit's two original collections: True Stories for First Communicants and First Communion Days. Later editions replaced Wilfrid Pippet's original artwork with new illustrations, but we have returned to the earliest editions and meticulously restored Pippet's beautiful black-and-white illustrations throughout.
5.25" x 8" paperback 198 pages
NOTE: For younger children preparing to receive Our Lord for the first time, My Picture Book of First Communion makes a natural companion to these stories. Its beautiful illustrations and simple explanations help children understand who comes to them in Holy Communion, why He comes, and how to prepare their hearts to receive Him with love.
