Wow, what a great start to the day for All Black fans!
Despite another early morning most of us were in very good spirits today.

In the kids session today we did our best to give them a lesson in metaphysics to explain transubstantiation. Lots of big words and big concepts but with the help of Darth Vader we talked about the difference between ‘accidents’ and ‘substance’.

Accidents are the things we use our 5 senses for. We looked at a chair and described it. If we change the colour, height, fabric etc it is still a chair. What something actually is, is called its substance. Even if the accidents change we’d still recognise a chair when we see one. When David mysteriously became Darth Vader the kids could recognise that although the accidents of David had changed, it was still David. The substance had not changed.

So, at the point of consecration, when the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus, we can say that the accidents are the same but the substance has changed. It still looks and tastes the same as bread and wine, but it is no longer bread and wine. If we could put on glasses that allows us to make visible the spiritual world around us (angels, souls etc) we could see that the substance has changed.

We also talked about the Last Supper, and went through the order of the second half of Mass.

I didn’t show this video to the kids, but thought it was worth putting up here for parents, and of course you can show your kids if you like.

Next week we will be having a practice run with how to receive Communion, with unconsecrated bread and wine. And hopefully answer any questions you or your children may still have about the Sacrament of the Eucharist.