Just as the Easter Vigil is a privileged time for the celebration of Baptism and other Sacraments of Initiation for adults, the season of Easter has become the traditional time of First Communion for our young people. First Communion is an encounter with our Risen Lord that brings about a profound transformation in the lives of the boys and girls who receive him in this way. From this time forward, their faith lives are sustained and renewed whenever they receive the Eucharist. Along with the amazing graces, it is our deep wonder and awe of the miracle of the Eucharist that are the reasons we may so vividly remember today our own First Communion.
With the theme of “Remember,” centered on the Eucharist for this first Diocesan Golden Jubilee preparatory year, it is very fitting that we should allow ourselves to be drawn in and reminded again of the tremendous gift of the Eucharist within the Liturgy of the Mass. When we gather at Mass, all the baptized faithful join in the great celebration through the acclamations, responses, songs, actions and gestures of the liturgical rites. We join our minds and hearts together in the great Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass. So powerful is the Eucharist that all who are present are strengthened by the liturgy, even those who cannot receive. As Pope Francis says, “This is the grace and the fruit of sacramental Communion: we are nourished of the Body of Christ to become, we who eat of it, his Body living today in the world” (General Audience March 7, 2018).
Therefore, to our young people who are celebrating their First Communion this year, I offer my heartfelt congratulations. You have prepared yourselves for this powerful moment through prayer to our loving God and study of our faith in Jesus, our Savior. Within this sacred gift, you receive Jesus Christ himself. He is truly and really present. When you receive Holy Communion, Jesus helps you to grow strong in faith, hope and love. Treasure this gift and be Christ living in the world by loving and forgiving your friends, your family members and anyone who offends you. Share the peace of Christ by always imitating him in the way you treat others.
To the parents of our new communicants, thank you for your faithfulness to the promise you made at your children’s Baptism to raise them in our Catholic faith. Thank you for being the first and best teachers of your children. You have prepared them for this joyful day by your own prayerful example and witness as Christ’s disciples in the world. Participating in the Sacrifice of the Mass as a family has been important leading up to this time and will continue to nourish and sustain your family life as your children grow. Continue to come frequently to the Eucharist as a family, especially on Sundays and holy days. Your example of faithfulness is essential to your children’s continued growth. Receive the Body and Blood of the Lord so that he may transform your frailties, fill you with his love and peace and nourish you to bear witness to him in the world and live always as a holy family.
