First Holy Communion

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
 When receiving the Eucharist a baptized person receives the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ under the species of bread and wine.

The Eucharist is the heart and summit of the life of every Christian and of the whole People of God (Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, no. 11) in that all the other sacraments are bound up with it and orientated toward it (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. [Washington, DC: Libreria Editrice Vaticana—United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000], no. 1324).

Typically children in third grade prepare to receive First Holy Communion. Liturgy appreciation grows as children further understand what they are celebrating in the Breaking of the Bread. Attendance at weekend Mass truly helps a child have a greater understanding of the Eucharist.