“For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats me flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.”
JOHN 6:55-57
The Eucharist is the heart of the Church, our source and summit, our greatest gift. The Rite of Holy Communion celebrates the final step toward full initiation into the Church.
At your child’s Baptism you, the parents, were told that you “would be the first and best teachers of your children in the way of faith”. Parental involvement in the preparation of your child for First Holy Communion is paramount. The parish ‘helps’, but does not replace your part in the process of leading your children in the development of their faith, through the development and example of your own life. The best preparation for the Eucharist is taking your child to Mass regularly and helping your child understand what it is all about.
REQUIREMENTS
First Holy Communion is most often celebrated around the age of seven or eight, when the children are of the age of reason and are capable of participating in the sacramental life of the Catholic Church. For First Holy Communion, you must go to the sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving Holy Communion. The Eucharist is a gift that takes a whole lifetime to understand; it is a gift that requires a response from us, that is why we must take care that our children are well prepared.
First Holy Communion is normally administered at the same Mass as Confirmation, as the summit of Christian Initiation.