1st Holy Communion
33 young children received Jesus for the first time in the Sacrament of the Holy Communion on 28th October 2018 at St. Chastan and Imbert. The Eucharistic celebration was con celebrated by Rev. Fr. Charles Chin (former parish priest of NBVM from 1976-1979) with Rev. Fr. Louis Loi, the Asst Parish Priest.
In his homily and looking at the 33 children dressed in white as little angels, Fr. Charles Chin stressed on how Jesus welcomed young children in Matt 19: 14 “Let the little children come to me…….for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” and so anyone, who wants to enter the kingdom of heaven, must become like little children (Mat 18: 3).
Fr. Charles Chin explained that the First Holy Communion is like a new beginning, new spiritual journey with the man hanging on top there on the cross (pointing to the cross). This is a relationship with Jesus. He said that love begins at home and as Bishop Lyon (St. Irenaeus of Lyon) “Man fully alive is the glory of God”. When children grow in the atmosphere love at home, they too will become “Man fully alive” because God is love ( 1 Jn 4: 16) and love is God. The way of love is to serve and not to be served as taught by Jesus in Jn 13: 1-7 when he washed the feet of his disciples. Fr. Charles Chin explained that love can transform people as in Jn 4, the Samaritan woman felt loved and began telling everyone about Jesus and the conversion of the woman caught in adultery in Jn 8. He said that love is the essence in discipleship.
At the end of mass, the 33 children beaming in white garments presented an action song. Followed by that was a fellowship.
