Holy Communion: The essence of our Faith
As I write this blog, I am 2 weeks away from celebrating what will be one of the most important days of my daughter’s life. She will be receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the greatest expression of God’s love for humanity! After a two-year preparation, the excitement is sensed throughout! During these last couple of weeks, there has been lots of planning, and, most importantly, my daughter’s spiritual preparation! Seeing my daughter’s face illuminate after learning about Jesus and his overflowing love for us has been so rewarding. My wish for her is that no matter where life takes her, she will always be joyful knowing Jesus gives us everything he has: his body, blood, soul, and divinity, every time we receive him in the Holy Eucharist.
Parents are the most influential representatives for their children! We are their first catechists, a duty that is so fundamental! Through our examples, they learn how to live, talk, listen, forgive, and love. We are the pillars of our children’s faith and in the midst of busy schedules, messes, laundry piles, and dish loads, we must reflect on how we live our daily lives evangelizing within the walls of our homes. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Direct your children into the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” If we want our children to follow Christ, we need to show them what that looks like. If we show our children what it is like to love and serve God, it will set the foundation for them to do the same. Reflecting Jesus in everything we do can be extremely hard! I often remind myself and my dear husband that Jesus never leaves our sides and will never stop instructing us to live in his grace.
We have been extremely blessed with the First Communion preparation program, given to us by the parish. We have all received the tools that have facilitated a personal encounter with God with a family component. We meet once a month at the church for Holy Mass where the children participate at the table of our Lord. This is followed by coffee and donuts and then class for both children and parents. We meet separately, but learn the same concepts as our children, so that when we return home, we can work on the lessons each week as a family.
There is something uniquely beautiful about families gathering to pray, read the bible, or even just talk about the beauty of God that unites us in a distinct way! Many times, we would teach the lessons to our children, but little did we know, we were the ones receiving many reminders through those teachings! The goal with this family model is to sustain a lifelong development of faith within the family core so that we may all get a clear understanding that Holy Communion is a spiritual immunization, the most divine gift, a tangible connection to Christ that renews our spirit!
Natalia’s white dress hangs in her bedroom closet with her shoes, and her white veil. She stares at them often and she asks how many days until she can receive Jesus. I pray that this anticipation lasts forever. I pray that my little girl will always long to receive Jesus in the Eucharist and for all the children who receive this loving sacrament. I also pray for their families so that we can all live in union with Christ forever. May we never forget that the Body and Blood of Christ are the essence of our faith!
Leiri Bocanegra was born in Villalba, Puerto Rico but now resides in Massachusetts with her Husband and four children. Leiri and her husband Gustavo met in their parish youth group, “Agape,” and have been serving together ever since! You can usually find them singing together at church events and retreats! Leiri works as the Coordinator of Outreach and Evangelization for St. Mary’s Parish in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She also has a nursing background in both Geriatrics and Pediatrics. She has been a member of the Holy Family Institute for six years and enjoys Family Ministry. Her biggest accomplishment has been becoming a mother. She enjoys being able to use social platforms to help other Catholic mothers connect and assist one another through the wonderful vocation of motherhood!
