In the simplest terms, First Holy Communion is a religious ceremony performed in church by Catholics when a child reaches the age of around 7-8 years and celebrates the first time receiving the Sacrament of the Eucharist, when during Mass the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. After this special occasion, the child is able to receive Holy Communion regularly and is more deeply initiated into the Catholic Church. It is necessary for the child to have been Baptised (Christened) prior to their First Holy Communion.
Reception of the Eucharist for the first time completes a person’s reception of the Sacraments of Initiation into the Christian life. The Eucharist brings about our intimate union with Jesus Christ because it is a sacrament of love, with his Church because it is a sign of unity and with the very presence of the risen Christ who shares his life with us. As Jesus announced, ‘Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them’ (John 6:56).
The Sacrament of the Eucharist, which we receive at Mass, is the real physical and spiritual presence of Jesus Christ. As Catholics, we take Jesus at his word when he says ‘This is my body, which is given for you’ (Luke 22:19). Another way of putting this is that Catholics believe in the Real Presence. We believe that Jesus Christ is ‘present in a true, real, and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood, with his soul and his divinity (CCC 1413).’ When we compare the man who walked the earth some two thousand years ago with the consecrated Bread and Wine, the only difference is the outward appearance, the underlying reality is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Such is the intimacy that Christ desires with each one of us! In this union with Christ, we also have communion with all our brothers and sisters spread throughout the world (CCC 1398).
The Church celebrates the sacrifice of the Mass daily, but Catholics are obliged only to attend Mass on Sundays and a few other days of obligation. For this is how the Church wants us to observe the Lord’s Day, by gathering around his table as one family.
You have been baptised or received into the Catholic Church
Children should have made their First Holy Communion, this typically takes place around the age of 7 years old after a period of preparation in the parish and in the home.
You have fasted for one hour beforehand. (Water and medicine do not break your fast.)
You are not in an irregular marital situation, e.g. civilly married without Church endorsement
You have not knowingly committed serious sins since your last confession. All serious sins must be absolved through the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving the Eucharist
If you are cannot receive the Eucharist for any reason, you may make a Spiritual Communion asking God to grant you the graces of the Sacrament.
Dear Parents of First Holy Communion Children at St. Teresa’s Parish,
The reception of the Holy Communion for the first time is a significant moment in your child’s faith journey and we want to help you to fully prepare them to receive it.
As Pope Francis reminds us, “The Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.” (Amoris Laetitia, 47) It is important that your child understands the significance of this sacrament and is properly prepared to receive it. The Second Vatican Council also reminds us that “the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.” (Lumen Gentium, 11) The preparation for this sacrament should be a priority for your family this year.
We encourage you to join and actively participate in the preparation process with your child. Attend Mass regularly, discuss the Eucharist and its importance, and participate in any additional preparation programs offered by the parish.
We look forward to celebrating this special moment with your child and your family.
