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A PRIMER IN THE

MYSTICAL BODY





Author: Rev. William Peil

Ata wo

A PRIMER IN THE

MYSTICAL BODY

Illustrator: James McBride



The purpose of this booklet will declare itself the moment you pick it up and glance

through its pages. It aims to present to the mind of the child, as fully as possible, what

it means to be a member of the Mystical Body of Christ. This is no easy task. Those
who are blessed with the privilege and burdened with the obligation of teaching our children

the profound and mysterious truths of holy faith will certainly welcome every available aid

in performing this most important work.

Especially is this observation justified in regard to the doctrine of the Church as the

Mystical Body of Christ, a doctrine greatly emphasized in our time but yet too little

appreciated even by many adult Catholics. While the stark simplicity of the method em-

ployed by the zealous author of this booklet is obviously designed to meet the needs of

the very young mind, I venture to think that a better understanding of our total relation-

ship to Christ and to each other as members of His Mystical Body would result from a

thoughtful reading of this booklet by mature people. I am, therefore, happy to recommend

it to those who have need of it and I am confident that they will find it helpful.

+ Leo A. Pursley

Bishop of Fort Wayne

Nihil Obstat:

Rev. Edward A. Miller

Censor of Books

Imprimatur:

-|-Leo A. Pursley

Bishop of Fort Wayne

Deacmed August 2, 1958



GOD is like the ocean.

WE are like a grain of sand.



But He wanted to get real close
to us,

so we could be real close to God.

How could He do that

when He was so great as the ocean

and we

so small like sand ? .



5

He would come down from heaven

and become small like us, o



6

would bring God's life down to

earth and give it to people.

He'd call it GRACE.

It'd be God's very life!



And when He was on that terrible cross

He gave it out (nobody saw Him'}.



AND He's been giving it out ever since—

till the end of the world.

To everybody

who is sorry for his sins end obeys God.



9

So you see, some people have Grace^

(God's life

.

t Some don't.

Know how to get it ? t

You must be BAPTIZED!



10

AND believe everything Jesus

From that time on,

know what you're

said, and His Church says.

like?

You're like part of a

BODY!



You, and Jesus, and

like you are like a

O

n

Let's call it a

MYSTICAL BODY

(miss -tea-call).



12

Q <f] JESUS is the HEAD.



13

NOW - let's see

where we are so far-

*God is great

*We are small

*Jesus made Himself small for us

*He brought us a gift

*It is God's real life

*It is called GRACE
*We get it when we are Baptized

*It makes us part of a body with Jesus and others

*It is called mystical (miss -tea-call) Body

*Or - the CHURCH
*It is like a Human Body

*Jesus is the Head

*We are the Members



14

\
V i /,

sf/is'

When you hit somebody

his HEAD is hurt.



15

The seme is true in the Mystical Body.

IF you hurt anyone of the members you hurt

YOU JOHN JESUS



16

If you help somebody, his heed feels good.



The same is true in the Mystical Body.

you help someone of his members you help JESUS,

because He is the Head.

0HERE'S ADRINK OF
WATER

You JOHN JESUS



18

Isn't that wonderful? There are so many ways to

help Jesus today because there are so many members



19

But isn't it sad?

There are so many ways to hurt Jesus because

COMMUNISTS MEMBERS OF CHRIST



20

So many ways to make Jesus

MOTHER, (r JESUS

ARE ONE.



21

But $o many ways to moke Jesus

feel bod.

^ f I DIDN’T DO
(^) [n DADDY!

YOU^
ARE
lying

TO
oimmy

DAD &JESUSARE ONE



22

Jesus doesn't thunk us or punish us now . He waits.

Especially till the end of the world.

The very last day

When the sun goes down the last time.



23

Then his angels Mill separate the good people

from the bad people.

OVERT

HERE



24

To those on his right side He will soy

"Come Into Heaven

Because

When I was thirsty you gave me something to drink

When I was hungry you gave me something to eat

When I was in jail you came to see me
When I was sick you came to visit me

When I didn't have clothes you gave me some.



25

Then the good people will soy:

[

"Lord, when was it that we gave You

food and drink and clothing and visited

You when You were sick and in jail?"

A



And then you know what JESUS will say ?

He will ^"As long as you did it to Members of
my Mystical Body the Church, you did



To those on His left side He will soy

"Go away from Me forever

Because

When I was thirsty you didn't give Me anything to drink

When I was hungry you didn't give Me anything to eat

When I was in jail you didn't come to see Me

When I was sick you didn't come to visit Me

When I didn't have any clothes, you didn't give Me any. "



28

Then the bed people will say

:

"Lord, when was it when we

didn't give You food and drink

and clothing, and didn't visit

You when You were sick and

in jail ?
"



29

And then you know what JESUS will say?



30

And then the only happy ones will be Jesus



Because they're the

during this life,

not hurt Him.

only ones who helped Jesus

31



Be careful what you do

NICE JESUS l)

to Jesus during this life.

0 0

PARENTS

PLAYMATES



NICE JESUS 0
& 1

NICE JESUS)}

33

BROTHERS & SISTERS

TEACHERS



Everyone who is baptized and believes and follows

everything Jesus and His church says is a member

of His Mystical Body.



They have God's life which Jesus

came to bring us.

t
EARTH



36

And each one is

And it's all true,
CO

I lly another Jesus!

cause HE SAID SO!



Now, let's ploy a game of "WHATSHALLITELLTHEM

First, read the following stories;

then answer the question, O

“WHAT SHALL I TELL THEM?"

(Answers on last page upside down)



38 1. John is playing a game of basketball in St. Mary's grade school.

Another boy, George, trips him on purpose. John feels like waiting

till George comes running by and then tripping him back. "He has

it coming", says John.

2. Janie is sick in bed for a week. Joannie lives next door, but she

says she is too busy to go and to see her. "Besides" she says, "I

have a lot of other things to do after school. "

3. The Thanksgiving Clothes collection is on at St. Michael's school.

Clotilda has a pretty blue sweater, which is a little too small for

her. When her mother suggests she give it to the collection for

some little girl overseas, Clotilda says: "I like it very much. I

want to keep it. Besides, nobody would ever know I was the one who

gave it. "

4. Joey saw a woman carrying a lot of packages down Main Street. He

went over and said: "Can I help you?" She said "yes", so Joey

carried five packages for almost three blocks. Afterwards, the woman

took the packages back and didn't say anything. Joey was mad. "She

didn't say even 'thank-you'" he said. "I'll never help anybody again. "

5. Mr. John Q. Public, a member of the Mystical Body, committed a mortal

sin. "Didn't hurt anybody" he said.



39

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1. "Don't hurt Christ, John. Remember, George is a member of Jesus'

Mystical Body like you are, and whatever you do to George you are

doing to Jesus. "

2. "Joannie, if you visit Janie, it will be counted as if you did it to

Jesus Himself. "

3. "Clotilda, Jesus needs clothes, and anyone with Jesus' life like you

should be ready to give up something she really doesn't need. If

you are giving it for Jesus' sake, He will know it. "

4. "Joey, you should have had a better reason for helping her in the

first place. You should have helped her because you wanted to help

Jesus who was loaded down with packages, not so the woman would

thank you, or give you money, or something like that. You would

then get your thank-you from Jesus on the last day. "

5. "Mr. Public, you did too hurt somebody, even if no one saw

you do it. You hurt Jesus and all the members of His Mystical Body,

the Church. You are like a sore thumb or a sick stomach which

makes the whole Body feel bad, and it won't feel good again till you

are sorry and have made a good confession and have Jesus' life again."

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the End
ofthe

Copies of this booklet may be ordered from:

Grail Publications, St. Meinrad Abbey

St. Meinrad, Indiana.