First Holy Communion

This weekend, 39 of our children will receive their First Holy Communion. Watching the kids prepare to receive the Blessed Sacrament for the first time, their anticipation and excitement, their wonderment at what the day will hold for them, is a reminder to us all of the inestimable gift we have in the Eucharist. 

Have you considered lately that, as Catholics, we have daily access to Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist? Familiarity breeds contempt—that is to say, laxity, casualness, and inattentiveness toward something can lead to a loss of respect for it. It’s amazing that we have such immediate access to Christ. So as our first communicants celebrate their First Holy Communion, here are three ways we can be more attentive to this gift. 

First, consider regularly that there are parts of the world that do not enjoy the celebration of the Mass on a daily basis as we do. Many parts of the world have very limited access to priests, let alone the rest of the Sacraments. Consider what it would be like if that were our case. How might we act differently today in light of that consideration? Perhaps one grace to come from the recent pandemic was a harsh reminder that access to the Sacraments are not necessarily guaranteed. A regular reflection of this kind can help us not take the Eucharist for granted. 

Another way we can avoid familiarity and contempt for the Blessed Sacrament is to observe the Eucharistic fast one hour before receiving. This is not a recommendation but a requirement (note, however, that it does not apply to those who are sick or elderly). The fast fosters spiritual discipline and aligns our physical hunger with our spiritual hunger for the Bread of Life. It awakens an awareness that the Eucharist is spiritual food that not only our souls but even our bodies must be prepared to receive. 

Finally, we can avoid familiarity and contempt for the Blessed Sacrament by examining ourselves before we receive. This means that if we are conscious of serious sin on our soul, we must not receive Holy Communion until we have received absolution in the Sacrament of Confession. Not receiving at Mass can be uncomfortable at times, but remember that we all sin, and if the person next to you opts not to receive the Eucharist at Mass, admire them for their respect for the Sacrament. When someone does not receive Holy Communion, the charitable thing to do is simply to assume they have not kept the one hour fast. 

May God shower His graces upon our first communicants this weekend, and may we all acknowledge the incredible gift we have of Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist as we receive Him with devotion and attention. 

- By Fr. Michael Garry