Fun and Celebration! Pt. II
Here it finally is... part II of our couple weeks of fun and celebration. As you might remember, we claimed success on our road trip for my brother's wedding. We returned home on Sunday, only to leave again for downtown to watch the long-awaited Walking With Dinosaurs live arena show. We paid a pretty penny for the tickets, but let me just say that it was well worth the money. The boys and their parents were mystified, and this is one family outing we won't soon forget!
The following Saturday, David received his First Holy Communion. Part of the reason it has taken me so long to write this post is because I wanted to make sure I took the time to explain the importance of this event. In our Catholic faith, Communion is not merely a symbol or remembrance of Jesus' Last Supper. We believe that when we receive Holy Communion, or the Eucharist (which is Greek for "thanksgiving,") we receive not bread and wine, but the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is one of the Church's seven sacraments that give us grace--that is, a sharing in God's life and a means of sanctification. And when we receive the sacrament, we are in communion with Christ and all of our brothers and sisters in Him. But it was only through His death and resurrection that we were granted this beautiful gift.
We may receive the sacrament worthily at every mass, which is most certainly each Sunday, and even more often if we attend daily mass. And it is customary to participate in Holy Communion for the first time in the second grade--a time when most children have reached the age of reason and can begin to grasp an understanding of the sacrament.
Get it? Maybe not. Does David "get it"? Probably not. Do I "get it"? Most certainly not! But I believe it. Even the most learned church scholars cannot fully wrap their minds around the Eucharist or the many other mysteries of our faith. The human mind cannot fully understand the divine. But we believe--we believe because this is the faith left to us by our God, by Jesus himself. And his friends, the Apostles, passed it down through the bishops. We believe that each time we receive Holy Communion, God is transforming our soul and drawing us closer to Him. Just as we don't see anything right away when we plant a seed, we might not see the "fruits" of the sacraments initially. But we keep receiving, and we start growing "roots" to anchor us in our faith. So when we practice good virtue, persist in prayer, and continue to receive the sacraments, God's graces will bear fruit in our lives. And though David and I may not fully understand the sacrament of Holy Communion, little by little we will begin to grasp its meaning, until one day in Heaven God will fully reveal to us the beauty of the Eucharist and of all that He is.
Phew!
So here are some pictures of David's big day, his FIRST big day. For as Father told the children in his homily, they should be not so excited about their FIRST Communion, but about their second, and their third, and their fourth, and their fifth, and so on. Only by continuing to practice their faith will they draw closer and closer to Jesus.
David with his way-SO-AWESOME second grade teacher! Oh, how I wish she would move up to 3rd grade next year!
Lining up before mass.
David's little friend Morgan, whom I am recruiting as a future daughter-in-law.
With our parish priests after the ceremony. (You can tell David is ready for his party.)
With Mom, Dad, and Sammy on the altar.
We celebrated the occasion after mass with a luncheon and cake reception. The six-foot sub sandwich we ordered from Wal-Mart was ENORMOUS (more like 7 1/2 feet,) and we had this much left over at the end of the day:
We were able to feed all the residents at a local Ronald McDonald House with what we couldn't eat! (Does this remind you of when Jesus multiplied the loaves?)
God's work was clearly evident to our family on that beautiful day, and David will fondly remember his First Holy Communion for many years to come.
The following Saturday, David received his First Holy Communion. Part of the reason it has taken me so long to write this post is because I wanted to make sure I took the time to explain the importance of this event. In our Catholic faith, Communion is not merely a symbol or remembrance of Jesus' Last Supper. We believe that when we receive Holy Communion, or the Eucharist (which is Greek for "thanksgiving,") we receive not bread and wine, but the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is one of the Church's seven sacraments that give us grace--that is, a sharing in God's life and a means of sanctification. And when we receive the sacrament, we are in communion with Christ and all of our brothers and sisters in Him. But it was only through His death and resurrection that we were granted this beautiful gift.
We may receive the sacrament worthily at every mass, which is most certainly each Sunday, and even more often if we attend daily mass. And it is customary to participate in Holy Communion for the first time in the second grade--a time when most children have reached the age of reason and can begin to grasp an understanding of the sacrament.
Get it? Maybe not. Does David "get it"? Probably not. Do I "get it"? Most certainly not! But I believe it. Even the most learned church scholars cannot fully wrap their minds around the Eucharist or the many other mysteries of our faith. The human mind cannot fully understand the divine. But we believe--we believe because this is the faith left to us by our God, by Jesus himself. And his friends, the Apostles, passed it down through the bishops. We believe that each time we receive Holy Communion, God is transforming our soul and drawing us closer to Him. Just as we don't see anything right away when we plant a seed, we might not see the "fruits" of the sacraments initially. But we keep receiving, and we start growing "roots" to anchor us in our faith. So when we practice good virtue, persist in prayer, and continue to receive the sacraments, God's graces will bear fruit in our lives. And though David and I may not fully understand the sacrament of Holy Communion, little by little we will begin to grasp its meaning, until one day in Heaven God will fully reveal to us the beauty of the Eucharist and of all that He is.
Phew!
So here are some pictures of David's big day, his FIRST big day. For as Father told the children in his homily, they should be not so excited about their FIRST Communion, but about their second, and their third, and their fourth, and their fifth, and so on. Only by continuing to practice their faith will they draw closer and closer to Jesus.
With Mom, Dad, and Sammy on the altar.
We celebrated the occasion after mass with a luncheon and cake reception. The six-foot sub sandwich we ordered from Wal-Mart was ENORMOUS (more like 7 1/2 feet,) and we had this much left over at the end of the day:
God's work was clearly evident to our family on that beautiful day, and David will fondly remember his First Holy Communion for many years to come.
What a special day for David! Great explanation of Eucharist and sacraments in general... I've never heard the plant analogy, but I like it! It's good to see more Catholic's sharing the faith in blogland... I don't see it very often! Maybe if we continue to explain, the faith won't be so misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteAnd the post with the syrup... OMG... I would've had a fit! I can't imagine cleaning that mess up! You must have the patience of Job!