Mark Allen found no suitable published book to prepare his son for First Holy Communion.

First Holy Communion in the Roman Catholic Church is something of the greatest significance equivalent to confirmation in the Church of England or Bar Mitzvah for Jewish children. A lot of the material published is trite and worst of all tends to patronise the children for whom it is intended. To help parents and teachers answer questions about the ceremony Mark Allen offers readings and background from scripture and catechism.

Children can be hard-headed tend to like stories and facts. The narrative of the Bible provides facts, events which happened, and along with them the objective truths of revelation. The Mass is our sacramental encounter with the person of Jesus. Preparation therefore should be based on him and on the Gospel story of His life. The preparation should reflect the unity of the mass, its liturgy of the Word and the Eucharistic Rite, the mystery of Christ in our community as Church.

Routine is the key aid to progress. The course provided in this book is based on a series of half hour sessions for parent and teacher with the child. It is thus both practical and down to earth.

The author presents over 40 topics for consideration. Each consists of a key extract from the Bible, followed by a series of reflections on the reading. These extracts are aimed principally at the parent, with key ideas written in bold....Even more than that, the book also helps the parent to re-evaluate their own faith. * The Universe *

Mark Allen studied Arabic at Oxford and worked in the Foreign Service 1973-2004. He served in the UAE, Egypt and Jordan and his work took him all over the Arab world. He is a special advisor to BP plc and a senior associate member of St Antony's College, Oxford. He was made CMG in 2002 and knighted in 2005.