Children in the second grade are prepared by their parents for the reception of their first Eucharist. The program for parents is held in the winter. The celebration of First Holy Communion is held in the spring. The preparation program is under the direction of the Religious Education Office at (302) 994-7757. Information regarding preparation for First Holy Communion in May of 2022 will be published in the fall of 2021. All information will also be sent to 2nd grade families in our school and Religious Education Program via Flocknote. Catholic Mass - Order of Mass (structure, explanation, basic texts)

    Sacramental Resource:  Catechism of the Catholic Church

• I. The Eucharist - Source and Summit of Ecclesial Life

• II. What is This Sacrament Called?

• III. The Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation

• IV. The Liturgical Celebration of the Eucharist

• V. The Sacramental Sacrifice Thanksgiving, Memorial, Presence

• VI. The Paschal Banquet

• VII. The Eucharist - "Pledge of the Glory To Come"

• IN BRIEF

As Catholics, we know that the Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith: it is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Pope Francis has called it the "Sacrament of Love":

"The Eucharist is at the heart of 'Christian initiation', together with Baptism and Confirmation, and it constitutes the source of the Church’s life itself. From this Sacrament of love, in fact, flows every authentic journey of faith, of communion, and of witness."

Jesus did not abandon us when He ascended into Heaven. He remains with us in His Church, which continues His work of teaching, healing, and guiding us. One of the greatest ways that He is with us is in the sacrifice of the Eucharist, where bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, who is fully present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

We worship Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament during the Mass, at Eucharistic Adoration, and where He is present in the tabernacle, but one of the most important and intimate ways that we share in His presence is when we receive Holy Communion. Holy Communion unites us more closely to Jesus, and it is also a sign that we are living in communion with His Church, following the teachings that Jesus has handed down to us.

In Holy Communion, we receive Jesus Christ, who gives Himself to us in His body, blood, soul, and divinity. This intimate union with Christ both signifies and strengthens our union with Him and His Church. Jesus speaks of the importance of Holy Communion when He states, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”1 Because Holy Communion unites us to Jesus, it also strengthens us against sin, helps us to live a Christian life, and prepares us for the heavenly banquet.

Each time we receive Holy Communion well, we not only receive the Body of Christ but become more deeply united to Christ in His Body, the Church. This great gift calls for great preparation and invites us to give the rest of our lives to Jesus, as well.