First Communions

I'm back from vacation and I was pleasantly surprised by emails and blogs of First Communicants who shared pictures and stories of their special day.  I love to hear about how the day went for those who receive my rosaries because I feel a special tie to them and their celebrations even if it's in a very small way.

Here is Emily Osborn of Texas on her special day.

And here is Jamie Jo's daughter (nicknamed Ballerina Rose) from Minnesota with her rosary and a picture of their wonderful family on her special day. I love all the prep work that Jamie and her family did for her daughter's Holy Communion.  She wrote all about it on her blog for days ahead. It makes that special day all that much more meaningful!

Aren't they beautiful girls! They are radiant! What a special day and how lucky I am to be a part of it in a small way!

Here is a link to another First Holy Communion story from Why I Am Catholic by Allison Salerno. It makes me reminisce back to my First Communion and what I remember. I remember writing a prayer that we had to memorize to say to Jesus after we received the Eucharist. I said this prayer automatically every I received Jesus until I was almost twenty years old! It was something very simple like: Thank you Jesus...I love you... I don't remember exactly, but after I said my prayer, I stopped praying. Thankfully at twenty, I realized my prayers needed to mature past a second grade level. Not that simplicity isn't good and the basics aren't important-- just that we should always be GROWing in our faith and knowledge of God.
I actually remember a lot of that day- going up to receive, taking pictures afterword, getting ready before hand, the cake, etc.  I'm not sure I really knew what I was receiving, but it was all in God's time. Now I know that the Eucharist is the most important thing in the world. It's the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. It's what makes us part of the body of Christ and it gives us eternal life. Without the Eucharist, we would die of spiritual starvation.  We cannot give Christ to others if we do not have him ourselves.  Thank you, Jesus for the Eucharist! and Congratulations to all who received their First Holy Communions this year!!