32 Children Receive Jesus for the First Time
On Sunday, 28th November, 32 children of the parish received the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist for the first time in their lives at the 5 pm Mass. Rev Fr Dominic presided over the celebration, which coincided with the first Sunday of Advent, and was joined by Rev Fr Konstend and visiting priest, Rev Fr Joseph Stephen CSsR.
“What is your favourite food?” asked Fr Joseph to the children as he began his homily. He went on to say that not only do parents want to give their children good food, but Jesus too wants to do the same for His children. And in giving us his own body and blood as food, the Lord wants to dwell within us and be intimate with us. “Jesus wants to guide, bless and watch over you,” emphasised Fr Joseph.
“You will make mistakes in your life. Sometimes you will say that you don’t want to go to church or that you don’t want to pray. However, God has made only one commitment, and He never wavers from it: a commitment to always love you,” said Fr Joseph. He went on to say that each one of us will respond differently to God’s love. “Some will say that I will love God, while others will say, I will take a holiday from God.” God, on the other hand will never distance Himself from us regardless of our response. “Today you will approach the altar with great reverence to receive Jesus, and this is what you should do as often as possible.” Whatever our favourite food is, the Eucharist is the best food for the journey of life.
In his homily, Fr Joseph also addressed the parents. He said that the parents had gone to great lengths to ensure that their children had faithfully attended catechism classes, prepared them for the First Holy Communion Mass and may have even organised a party to celebrate the occasion. He added that it is important to be mindful that the event does not mark the end of the year-long preparation. “Never be indifferent toward the faith. There may be occasions where you may say, “It’s OK, we won’t go to church this week.” But keep in mind that your children depend on you for nurturing. This is not a one-off event, it is a process.”
The rest of the community too plays a role, said Fr Joseph. A great part of children’s formation happens by watching what the adults do and how they behave. “How you change after receiving Holy Communion will be a profound education for the children,” he stressed. Everyone must invest time and energy into their community in order for it to grow and develop. Young people are facing immense challenges when it comes to attending church. They have lost their zeal, enthusiasm and faith because they have not seen good examples. We all therefore must be mindful of the role we play to support the growth of our little ones.
At the end of Mass, Fr Dom thanked the catechism teachers who have helped prepare the children for their first confession and first Holy Communion. He also thanked Fr Konstend for his support to the teachers and students as Catechetical Ministry Advisor. It was truly a beautiful and joyful event for the children to celebrate together after a year of only seeing each other on the screen during their online catechism classes. After Mass, the children were presented with a certificate and small gifts from the parish.