May 3, 2026, 12:00 PM
This weekend we’re all about the First Holy Communions. They’re always special celebrations. Special at the Easter Vigil when after all the readings, after the baptisms, after the confirmation we welcome new Catholics to share with us for the first time in the Sacrament of the Altar. Special for our second graders after all the class time, after retreats and practices, after making their first confessions. They, too, are welcomed to get in line just like their older sisters and brothers, just like the adults all around them, to make their way to the Lord’s table.
But, let’s remember this is the “first” holy communion. Not the only communion! This isn’t like baptism that can never be repeated. This isn’t like confirmation that seals us forever with the Spirit’s gifts. This isn’t the long-term gift of a life in marriage or religious vows or ordination. “First” means “first in a series.” From the beginning of the Christian story Eucharist has been the normal way believers encounter the risen Lord. We do this especially on Sunday, the day of the Lord’s resurrection, but as long ago as the Acts of the Apostles, the faithful gathered daily for the breaking of the bread.
As these children come to the first communions today, let’s remember to model a faithfully appropriate attitude to the Sacrament.
Think of what we pray before we receive. We say the Our Father, the Lord’s own prayer! And we pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” The Church in her wisdom has long put those words about “daily bread” in the context of our share in the Lord’s Body and Blood. If we’re praying for “daily bread,” why would we only receive on Christmas or Easter, at grandma’s funeral or our cousin’s wedding? He’s here to feed us every day. Let’s make an honest effort to share that great gift every Sunday, every holy day. If we’re already doing just fine with that, why not try to make a weekday Mass from time to time? The gifts have been prepared. The table’s been set. The Lord waits to feed us with our daily bread.
Fr. McCreary
Fr. McCreary
