Meet Christ with Joy is primarily a book for parents and children to enjoy as they journey together in faith towards Eucharist. Whether part of a parish- or school-based preparation programme, it forms a complete and personal record of this special time.

Parents have the first responsibility of the education of their children, a responsibility lovingly accepted and lived out in the home. It is in the home that children learn through experience what love is, how to share, forgive, show respect, be truthful... and much more. It is in the family that children learn to pray simple bedside prayers. It is in the family that they first hear about Jesus from pictures, statues and crucifixes in the home, and from books and story-telling. How natural that parents who brought their children to be baptised should be the first to share their faith with them and bring them to know Jesus.

The meaning of many of the things we do at Mass - the actions, the prayers, the words we use - are not meaningful for children unless we can relate them to their lived experience. This is what Meet Christ with Joy attempts to do. It leads the child through awareness of self and identity within a human family to an understanding of membership in God's family, the Church. Through activities, prayers, Scripture stories and celebrations, the children are prepared for the joy and wonder of meeting Christ in the Eucharist.