A Saint’s First Holy Communion

Congratulations to our students making their First Communion this Sunday. I have been praying for this celebration in our parishes. The First Holy Communion is exciting and powerful. I feel the power of God rushing into the hearts of our beautiful children. I also recognize the union they will all have with the angels, saints and Catholics around the world. One saint has given us an account of her First Holy Communion. This took place on 8th May 1884. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower shares her experience and inspires us to renew our Holy Communion.

 St. Thérèse had a beautiful encounter with Jesus at her First Holy Communion. She could not even talk about it. She said, “I would not tell you everything, even if I could, for there are certain things which lose their fragrance in the open air, certain thoughts so intimate that they cannot be translated into earthly language without losing at once their deep and heavenly meaning”. St. Thérèse will be at our First Holy Communion Mass. As we invoke the saints and angels singing holy holy holy, we are united with all the saints during Holy Mass. St. Thérèse said during her First Communion she felt so much love. She also felt a closeness with her mother, who died when she was little. She was able to tell Jesus in response, “I love You, and I give myself to You forever.” I pray we all are able to do this at every Holy Communion.

 St. Thérèse has a few prayers we could all use to grow our love of Jesus during Holy Communion:

 To Our Blessed Lady :

O my dearest Mother, to thee also I confide the little garden of my heart. Come and make it bloom with beautiful fragrant flowers with which to make a cradle of love for Jesus, and let this cradle make thee forget the cold crib of Bethlehem.

To St. Joseph:

Dear St. Joseph, do not seek any longer a home for the Divine Child. The time of the straw and the cold is over now. The stable must not be there anymore. Jesus will be born in my heart in the midst of lilies and roses.

 May all the saints and especially St. Thérèse pray for us, to always have a powerful and loving encounter with Jesus Christ during our Holy Communion.

Jesus thy kingdom come! In my heart through Mary!     Fr. Gabriel