From the Pastor’s Desk
Today our parish community celebrates First Holy Communion at two of our Masses – Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 9:00 a.m. The reception of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist by children is one of the most precious and memorable moments each year for the parish.
In December 2014, speaking to a group of children who were preparing for their First Communion at St. Joseph all’ Aurelio Parish on the outskirts of Rome, Pope Francis said: “You, who will make your First Communion, always remember that day your whole life: the first day that Jesus came in to us. He comes, makes himself one with us; makes himself our food, our nourishment to give us strength.”
That is the mystery of we celebrate at Mass each time we are here, namely, in divine love, Jesus gives Himself to us to be united to us so He can nourish us in the very depths of our being. There He makes His dwelling within us; there He nurtures us as our refuge and strength; there He wants us to allow Him to be “the Way, the Truth and the Life” for us each and every day.
As our children receive Jesus for the first time in Holy Communion, I hope it will be a reminder to all others that we should regularly receive Him in Communion each Sunday – the Lord’s Day, His Day – as our nourishment for the journey of life to eternal life.
Love,
Father Tom