First Communion

It was my daughter's request to make her first communion, the beginning of my journey back to the Catholic Faith.  Four years have passed since that day, I decided to enroll her in her preparation classes.  Not only was she being prepared for a big event in her life, but I was also preparing for my return back to the Church. 

As we get closer to our third anniversary, I wanted to share with you pictures of that day with you.  Next month my son will also do his first communion.  We are already preparing for that day.  Mom got some beautiful table decorations. 

This past Saturday we attended a family retreat for First Communion and Confirmation participants.  My son's soon to be God-Parents attended also. His God-Parents will be my Sister Idalia and her Husband Salvador. 

My daughter's God-Parents are my sister Erica and her husband Adan.  Both of my children chose who they wanted to be their God-Parents.  Their Baptismal God-Parents are from my husband's family, so I was very happy my children chose from my side of the family for their First Communion sponsors.

The day I made my first communion, my sister Erica also made her first communion.  And it was a joy for both of us to see our daughters make their first communion on the same day too.

THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION



The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the foundations of every Christian life. "The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity."

As a mother, I make a commitment to always guide my children in God's ways.  To always teach by example the importance of fullfilling the Sacraments of iniciation.  I pray for them often, that they will always have a personal relationship with God. 

And as a Cathechist, I promise to always teach my students that God loves them and cares for them.  I will pray for each child and their parents to draw closer to God and be active members within the church.

The Eucharist

According to the Cathechism of the Catholic Church here is a brief explanation of what the Eucharist is and what it means to a Catholic.


ARTICLE 3 - THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST
1322 The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist.

1323 "At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.'"[133]

The Eucharist is the term used by the Catholic church for the Holy Communion.

In order to be able to receive Holy Communion, for the first time within the Catholic Church. A Catholic has to first had received the sacrament of Baptism which is the initiation sacrament into the Church. It is also common to start Holy Communion preparation at around 7 or 8 years old. A child has to be able to know how to read and write in order to be prepared for the sacrament. It might take up two years for the preparation process.

During preparation a child will learn all about the Mass and the traditions of the Catholic church. They will learn about each sacrament. They will learn prayers. And they will learn what the Eucharist is and what it means for us to receive Holy Communion. When the child is ready for receiving Holy Communion, first they need to fullfill another sacrament. Reconciliation or first confession. The child is taken to the priest, to confess his or her sins. You are probably saying what sins does a child have? Well, perhaps none, but it is a process that needs to be met and this teaches the child that Reconciliation is necessary to be able to receive Holy Communion. I will explain more later.

The day of the First Holy Communion is now here. The children are very anxious and excited about this very special moment. And why is it so special? As Catholics, we believe that God is ever present in the blessed Holy Eucharist. When we receive the Eucharist we receive Christ. That is why, it is so important to receive him with a clean heart. He abides in us. To us Catholics, Holy Communion is not just a symbol, to us is a very special moment.

The Eucharist to me has lots of meaning. I feel closer to my Lord every time I receive communion. Jesus is there present in the bread and the wine. His love surrounds me at that moment and I am filled with His Spirit. Is such an amazing time for me.

I do not partake of the Eucharist if I had an arguement with Husband or I am mad with someone. I discipline myself by abstaining from the Eucharist until I have reconciled with my Husband. The day that I am not able to receive my Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I feel sad. I know that God is forgiving and he call us to his table. But I rather not partake if I know that I have sinned.

I have not gone to confession in quite a long time. And I feel I need to go soon. Reconciliation or confession is not an obligation but it is necessary for your well being. When you release your sins and receive forgiveness from them, you feel much better. I will probably write about each sacrament on my next posts. For now I wanted to let you know how the Eucharist has been the one thing that has brought me closer to God and to have a better understanding of my Catholic faith.

Now I invite you to visit Holy Experience for more encouraging posts.

Every Wednesday, we Walk with Him, posting a spiritual practice that draws us nearer to His heart.