My son recently received his First Holy Communion. It was a very exciting moment for our family but there was so much to do leading up to that day. My son prepared at school by learning about the sacrament, participating in activity days and attending daily practices in the church to make sure all the kids knew where to be and what they were supposed to do. There were also the practical items of planning the party, sending out the invitations and finding clothes, not just for my son (which was harder than it should have been), but also for my wife and I and our three girls. The party itself had its own to do list as we had invited over fifty people – in our family the big events are Baptisms, First Communions and Weddings. We had to plan the menu, do the shopping, cook the food and decorate the house. We wanted everything to be perfect for this special day.
While all of these things were important, as we wanted to celebrate this wonderful event with our family and friends, it was easy to lose sight of what we were preparing for – The gift of our son receiving the Holy Eucharist for the first time. Since he was a baby, he has been coming with us as we receive Communion at Mass each Sunday. Some weeks he would participate by receiving a blessing from the priest but mostly he would just walk up with us and then go back to his seat. It was just a routine for him. In the weeks prior, we had many discussions with him about what it would be like to receive Communion for the first time. As we were preparing for the sacrament and discussing the significance of what he was about to experience, it occurred to me that, on many occasions, it had become routine for me as well.
I am presented with this wonderful gift each time I go to Mass but sometimes I find myself just going through the motions and not thinking about what I am receiving. The Eucharist is the central sacrament of the Catholic Church. Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper as a remembrance of Him and the sacrifice of His death and resurrection. The Church was built upon Jesus’ sacrifice and we should remember this each time we receive the Eucharist. As Pope John Paul II stated in his encyclical letter, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, “The Church draws her life from the Eucharist” and the Eucharist is at the center of the Church and the center of the celebration of Mass. I know these facts to be true but with our busy lives and many distractions, especially attending Mass with young children, it can be hard to put myself in the right frame of mind.
Just as our bodies need nourishment on a regular basis to grow and be healthy; our souls need nourishment as well. Jesus gave us His body and blood, the gift of Himself, as food for our souls. At each Mass that we attend, when we go up to receive Communion, we are receiving Christ present in the appearance of the bread and wine. It is through the Eucharist that we receive the spiritual nourishment we need on our path to salvation. Some sacraments, like Baptism and Confirmation, can be received only once but we are given the opportunity to receive Communion on a regular basis and that is by design. We need this continuous nourishment to live out our lives as disciples of Christ.
As everything started to come together, I looked forward to this day with renewed appreciation for the gift my son was about to receive. At our parish, the parents are allowed to go up with their children so they can be present at the moment they receive Christ for first time. I love that they allow us to share this experience with them. It was also a special day because my uncle was able to come to town to concelebrate the ceremony. My uncle is such a blessing to our family. He has been a mentor, a spiritual guide and friend to me over the years and his impact on my life has been immeasurable. He celebrated our wedding, baptized all four of our kids and gave me my First Communion many years ago. I thought of that day often in the weeks prior and I knew that this was going to be emotional day for many reasons.
So as my son approached the altar to receive his First Communion, I will admit that I started to cry. It was such a beautiful moment and I was overcome with emotion. I know at his age he may not have had a full appreciation for what was happening, and a lot of what was on his mind was probably making sure he did and said the right things, but my hope is that as he grows older, grows in his faith and grows closer to God that he will come to fully understand the true significance of this day.