This past Saturday my 8 year-old son exclaimed, “This is the single greatest day of my life!” He was referring to making his First Communion. What a wonderful comment to hear from your child when it relates to passing on the gift of faith!
I say this because I know firsthand how valuable that gift of faith can be when times get dark and you feel alone on your journey of life. To me it is the greatest gift you can give your child. A gift more precious than money and more valuable than any advice you could give them in their lifetime.
Faith is what helps them make the “good choices” in their lives. Gives them the courage to stand up in the face of adversity and peer pressure; develops them into the person that God wants them to be.
As we pass on the faith that was planted and nurtured in us long ago by our parents and their parents before them, we give a piece of ourselves that last a lifetime in our children. It’s a gift that can never be taken away, but shared with others to make what we believe in grow and shine for all to see.
It is like Fr. Walsh said in his First Communion homily: “Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. If we are nourished by the vine we grow strong and bear more fruit.” As parents we have been nurtured by Jesus, therefore we branch out and bear fruit which are our children. In turn they grow, nourish themselves, bear fruit and continue the circle of faith.
I am glad that my son realized that his First Communion, which was celebrated with his whole family, was such an important day in his life. I am proud that all he learned in his First Communion classes , his Retreat, and our time spent talking and reflecting on this day before it actually happened, helped him to fully revel in the moment when he was called to the Lord’s table to partake in His feast.
I feel content in the fact that I have passed on this one of many gifts of faith to my child. I pray that it will nourish his soul to its’ fullest potential and that God will bless him with His graces as he journeys through his life.
The day was a success. It was filled with not only God’s love but his family’s love as well. Everyone turned out for his Communion. His Grandma and Grandpa, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, sisters, parents, GiGi and his Godfather were all there to witness another sacrament received with a pure, innocent heart.
I miss that my mother was not there in person to see it, but I know in spirit she was there to share in it. What she gave to me has now been given to my child.
Passing on the faith, seeing it received and living our faith with each other is what believing is all about. And so the circle of faith continues…..
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