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This weekend, we celebrate a special day in the church as three children will take their First Communion. Kay, Cole, and Theo have prepared for this day over the past few months. Many in the Episcopal Church, Anglican Communion, and worldwide Christian community do not practice a formal First Communion, as they see Baptism and Communion go hand in hand. This is the normative practice in the Episcopal Church and no child is obligated to wait, but many parents find the practice of First Communion to be a special one, as it helps their child to understand this Sacrament. An instructed First Communion offers time for children to reflect, learn, and grow in their faith. So even if they’ve taken Communion already, it’s another opportunity for children to experience what it means to be a Christian.

It was a blessing to journey with these children and teach them more about the faith and especially what the Eucharist means and why it is central to our service. For us Episcopalians/Anglicans, we view the Eucharist not as a mere memorialization of the Body and Blood but affirm the “Real Presence” of Christ within these elements. Again, this bread and this wine are more than mere bread and wine but offer for us a true, spiritual and material connection to the Body of Christ, united with Jesus Christ and each other. That is why I find First Communion to be so important. It helps us take a step back and really see and understand what we are doing and what we are consuming when we approach the altar rail.

In the class, they were able to get to know one another better. We read some Bible stories that pertained to sharing meals and being together as well as learning what the word Eucharist means. In one class, we explored the sacristy and sanctuary learning all about the different parts of a Sunday service along with learning more about vestments. At our last official meeting, the children baked the bread we will use on Sunday. That was a blast to do with them! On the day of this First Communion, Kay, Cole, and Theo are blessed to, as the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer (pg. 860) says, “[strengthen their] union with Christ and one another…[for] the foretaste of the heavenly banquet which is our nourishment in eternal life.”

Credit and gratitude are also due to Sue McInnes and Fr. Duncan, as they also taught alongside me and led me through my first time teaching such a class. Thanks be to God for Kay, Cole, and Theo and their families!

In Christ,
Fr. Zach