Good morning boys and girls, my dear friends in Christ,
Today is a very special day for you boys and girls, because what you will receive today will change you forever. By accepting this simple gift from God, by eating this bread and drinking from this cup you will accept with thankfulness the life of God in you.
Eating no other food can do this. Receiving Holy Communion will help you remember three very important things in your life, that
- God loves you
- That you be thankful to God for loving you
- And that I love Jesus with my whole heart, with my whole soul, with my entire mind by loving my neighbor.
Parents, The Eucharist is not a moment in your child’s life; it is your child’s life. It is a new attitude about life. It orients the person toward self-sacrifice, humility before God, and caring for the dignity of every human person.
If you do not join the great procession of the saints to receive Holy Communion every Sunday and Holy Day, what we do here today will mean nothing to these children. The Eucharist is everything but if we treat it as an occasional nicety then First Holy Communion becomes for your child a cultural event and not a spiritual reality.
Our parish statement, “Worship God first above all things and then go out and make disciples,” echoes the thoughts of Saint John Paul II who reminds us that Communion involves, Message, Unity and Service with Charity. Jesus loves and cares for us in our own humanness. The communion of saints in whom we share Christ’s life through word and sacrament, supports and encourages us to work for unity with one another, and to be of service to fellow human beings as thanks for God’s love.
These elements of evangelization are brought together in the mystery of the Eucharist, that we ask our children to accept in their lives today. The reason why we ask them to receive Holy Communion will need to be clarified for them through your example. Let them see the importance you place on the Eucharist in your life, how you cannot live without the support of the People of God. And how your faith moves you to becoming more perfected in Christ.
Boys and girls, Trust your parents to be good examples for you in receiving Holy Communion every Sunday. Do what they do because they believe what you accept today will change your life and the life of the world.
Being in Holy Communion will help you remember three very important things in your life:
- God loves you
- That you be thankful to God for loving you
- And that I love Jesus with my whole heart, with my whole soul, with my entire mind by loving my neighbor.
Congratulations to you and your families! Our parish and the whole Church gives thanks through Mary our devoted Mother who offers us this very special gift-the whole life of her Son because He loves you that much.