Receiving first communion, a child’s first reception of the sacrament of the Eucharist, is a significant celebration for all Catholics, but for 1,400 children, the ceremony will be even more memorable.

“I will receive my Eucharist in the presence of the Pope,” nine-year-old Christian Makhamreh said, referring to Pope Francis’ Mass at the Amman International Stadium on May 24.

Father Imad Alamat, parish priest of the Latin Church in Fuheis, 20km northwest of Amman, told The Jordan Times that 120 children from his parish, aged between eight and nine, will be among the children receiving their first communion at the stadium next week.

“The relationship in communion is a two-way process; the child receiving Christ, and Christ coming into the child’s life,” he explained.

Preparations for this rite include both the children and their parents, and started four months ago, Alamat said, adding that hour-long classes are held every Friday where religion teachers and nuns help the children understand and appreciate the sacrament of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist, the third of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, is the last of the initiation rites in which Catholics partake of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, according to Christian belief.

Eight-year-old Sara Al Wir said the priest and her religion teacher taught her that “the more we love each other, the more we should help others, but surely not in the exams”.

During the classes, stories from the Bible are read and explained to spiritually prepare the children, according to Salam Hattar, a religion teacher.

“We start with the story of Adam and Eve and its significance for repentance, moving on to the story of the prodigal son, which shows how we are all sinners, but with repentance and accepting Jesus by the Eucharist we are saved,” Hattar said.

The teachers also explain the significance of the white clothes that children usually wear during such a ceremony as a symbol of purity.

Father Rifat Bader, director of the Catholic Centre for Studies and Media and official spokesperson for the papal visit, noted that Pope Francis is not giving the communion himself.

“The children will stay in their places, and bishops, clerics, priests, deacons and nuns will approach the children and give them the communion,” Bader told The Jordan Times.

Next Saturday’s Mass will mark the third to be held at the Sports City; the first was performed by Pope John Paul II in 2000 and the second by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, according a CCMS statement.

Around 50,000 tickets for the Mass have been distributed, Bader said in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, adding that 500 young volunteers will be working as ushers at the ceremony.

Entry cards are available at churches across the governorates, he added.

Meanwhile, around 50 students from Rosary schools in the capital are also attending classes preparing them to meet the pontiff.

Sister Lilian Naber, principal of Rosary School in the Marj Al Hamam area in Amman, said the children were chosen based on their commitment to attending the Sunday mass, performance in the classroom and on teachers’ positive feedback.

She and Sister Clara Muasher, head of the elementary school, meet with the children and train them on the rules of etiquette in the presence of the Pope.

“The Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church worldwide, and the successor of Saint Peter,” Muasher said during a class held on Friday.

“Between me and myself I know how lucky I am,” said eight-year-old Karam Habaibeh, one of the children selected to meet the pontiff.

“I am not going to see an ordinary man, but the superior of all priests.”