Eucharist
Faith Formation Sessions are on Sundays from 9:00am-10:15am in the Education Center
In His sacrifice and in the Communion we receive, the Lord's coming and saving presence are
sacramentally realized.
It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to share in the sacrifice of Christ,
teaching us to "find ourselves through a gift of ourselves" as we enter into intimate communion
with God and with our brothers and sisters. The Eucharist, then, expresses and makes real the union of God's children in truth and charity,
a union which reflects the glory of the Trinity's own
unity. This is why, from the very beginning, the early Christians "devoted themselves to the
breaking of the bread and prayers," forming a community united in the teachings of the apostles.
They recognized, as we do today, that the Risen Lord Who has ascended
into Heaven comes into
our midst anew in the eucharistic community of the Church.23
Talk to your child about the Mass before you go to church. Emphasize the Mass as God’s family celebration and meal. Remind your child that Jesus, by His death on the cross and his resurrection, won the life that he or she will share in the bread and the wine of the Eucharist: life that goes on forever, even after we die.
Point out that just as we wash our hands before eating a family meal, blessing ourselves with holy water as we enter the church, helps us to remember our baptism.
CODE OF CANON LAW: 
For the administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children, it is required that they have
sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so as to understand the mystery of Christ according
to their capacity and can receive the Body of the Lord with faith and devotion.
It is the responsibility, in the first place, of parents and those who take the place of parents as
well as of the pastor to see that children who have reached the use of reason are correctly
prepared and are nourished by the divine food as early as possible, preceded by sacramental confession; it is also for the pastor to be vigilant lest any children come to the Holy Banquet who have not reached the use of reason or whom he judges are not sufficiently disposed.24
The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows. For the aim and object of apostolic works is that all
who are made children of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the
midst of His Church, to take part in the sacrifice and to eat the Lord's supper.25
Criteria for readiness to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
Preparation for the reception of the Sacrament of the Eucharist is conducted separately from that of Penance/Reconciliation, since each sacrament deserves its own concentrated preparation. But again, we are called at all times in youth, adolescence and as adults to study and seek formation in a deeper understanding of this most sacred mystery.
Physical/psychological readiness is shown by:
1. Willingness to receive the sacrament. This involves a desire on the candidate’s part to participate in the preparation and to receive the sacrament with reverence appropriate to his/her age.
2. Ability to attentively participate in the liturgy. This involves the capacity to be attentive and reverent, and to participate in the ritual according to his/her ability.
Catechetical readiness is shown by:
- Ability to understand Church affiliation. This involves the capacity to be aware of one’s belonging to the Catholic community through Baptism.
- Ability for child to express understanding of love and care for others just as Jesus did. This involves the capacity to know and reflect on the gospel stories of Jesus as one who loves and cares for each person and invites friendship. This invitation focuses on the sharing of a meal, (i.e., Feeding the Multitude, Sermon on the Living Bread, Vine and Branches, etc.)
- Ability to distinguish between ordinary bread and Eucharist. This involves the capacity to know the difference between ordinary bread and the Eucharistic bread, and to recognize the Mass as the sacrificial event in which we receive the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist, in the Word, and in the gathering of the community.
Liturgical readiness is shown by:
- Attending the Eucharistic Liturgy regularly. Thispromotes a familiarity with the parish community celebration and participation in the Mass.
- Ability to participate in the Eucharistic celebration. This involves the ability to participate in at least a simple way, in the ritual of the celebration and to understand the requirements of receiving the sacrament (i.e., simple responses, reverence according to age level, Eucharistic fast, etc.)
A loving family and a caring parish community surround your child, both before and after reception of the Sacraments of Penance/Reconciliation and Eucharist. It is our hope and prayer that both of these Sacraments continue to give affirmation and good example to your child so that a continued pattern of celebration is encouraged, and the relationship with God is fostered and developed.
For the gift of divine life is celebrated in the Sacraments of the Church where the most profound moments of our human experience are incorporated into the mystery and glory of our Lord. And so one day our faith tells us, we will all approach the table of the Lord, in everlasting forgiveness and enduring love.
CHOOSING THE “RITE” CLOTHES 
Further details will be given with regard to appropriate and traditional dress as we get closer to the Celebration of First Eucharist. However, in choosing your child’s clothing, we invite you to consider the following:
If it is true that every aspect of the liturgy carries meaning, then even the clothing we wear has meaning. Although the formality of dress for Sunday liturgy has declined in many communities, most adult Catholics are familiar with wearing our “Sunday best.” This is seen as a “faith statement.”
When it comes to deciding how to clothe a child on the occasion of their first full sharing at the Eucharistic table, we need to ask ourselves some important questions.
- What aspect of the clothing has meaning for us: the style, the fabric, the formality, the price, the color?
- How will the child understand this choice? What will the child think it means?
- How comfortable will the child be in the clothing we have chosen?
- What will be the child’s focus: the clothing or Communion?
- What do we usually wear to Sunday liturgy? Why?
- Is this liturgy a celebration of the child or a celebration of the paschal mystery of Christ?
- Are we making a “fashion statement” or a “faith statement”?
GUIDELINES FOR RECEPTION OF COMMUNION IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
For the benefit of visiting friends and families, the following guidelines are offered to help with decisions regarding the reception of Holy Communion.
For Catholics:
The National Conference of Catholic Bishops offers these stipulations for practicing Catholics: “In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, communicants should not be conscious of grave sin, have fasted for an hour, and seek to live in charity and love with their neighbors. Persons conscious of grave (mortal) sin must first be reconciled with God and the Church through the Sacrament of Penance (Confession).
For our fellow Christians:
We welcome you to the celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. For all practical purposes, non-Catholics are excluded from reception of communion at a Catholic Church. The National Conference of Catholic Bishops says: “Reception of the Eucharist by Christians not fully united with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist, and for which we must all pray.”
For those not receiving Communion:
Those unable to receive communion may simply remain seated while others go forward; or if you wish, you may come forward for a blessing. (If you come forward, please indicate that you wish to have a blessing by crossing your arms over your chest, hands on shoulders.) We ask that you be with us in prayer for the peace and unity of the human family.
May the peace and love of our Lord, Jesus Christ be with you and your families.
English Faith Formation/First Communion Registration
Registracion para Formacion de Fe/Primera Comunion
For more information, contact Cathy Rosales, Faith Formation Coordinator,
at (813) 752-8251, ext. 305 or email at cathy@stclementpc.org
