The Rite Of First Communion

The rite of First Communion in the Holy Church leads all the way back to when Jesus walked the earth. Children meant a lot to Jesus, “People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:15-17) In some older Roman Catholic churches it was okay to give younger children small pieces of leftover communion from the adults. Later, this sharing with the children no longer took place in the Church. On August 15, 1910 a decree re-establishing an old Church law covering the topic of First Communion, was made official by Pope Pius X. He lowered the age of receiving First Communion to the age of seven or eight. “The age of discretion” is known as the age when a child begins to reason; this was thought to be around the age of seven. This is often received in second grade at Catholic grade schools. Children at public schools can come to Sunday school and learn about their faith. They can prepare with the second grade class of the parish’s school you attend. “As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us "The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the foundations of every Christian life. The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the foo...

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...eflection. Some of the readings may be done by some of the participants, but adults mostly do it. “The Book of Worship and The New Century Hymnal contain several liturgies for the celebration of Holy Communion. In addition, many liturgies from ecumenical and global sources are frequently used. At the heart of the service are Jesus ' words about the bread and the cup from the Biblical account of the Last Supper.” (www.prlog.org)

The Sacrament of Communion is a big step in your path to a religious and fruitful understanding of our Catholic Religion. When you accept the Eucharist into your life you are accepting Jesus as well. This is strengthening the bond between children and their faith. It compels them to get involved in church since they can now participate in all of it. When given responsibility the children often prove to be grateful of receiving the Eucharist.