St. Mary's First Holy Communion 2008

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taikonunt
November 05, 2008

Oct 18, 2008.St. Mary's Cathedral Sandakan: 32 young boys and girls received their first communion during the sunset mass.
Until quite recent years, First Holy Communion was celebrated on a Saturday morning exclusively for the young people. It was rather unique as the parents and other family members coming together to celebrate their young family member attaining the age worthy to receive the Blessed Sacrament. With all the 3 language group coming together, the number of First Holy Communion recipients was considerably large. It is to be noted also that the parents as well as grand parents came dressed up for the important occasion. At the end of the mass, the children would adjourn to the parish hall for a tea party.

Today's First Holy Communion celebrated within the sunset mass rendered the important occasion losing much of its exclusiveness and significance. I don't see parents dressed up or any father wearing a tie. Sadly,the occasion was celebrated with such simplicity.

My daughter Ramona will always remember her first holy communion because I wore a tie complete with suite. I want her to know that it is a very important day of her life when she receives Jesus for the first time. We talk about the importance of first impression. And that is precisely the message I want to put through to her on that important day. Elsewhere in the world, receiving the sacrament for the first time is a grand occasion. The church must put strong emphasis on the Blessed Sacrament and make that important day an everlasting impression on the minds of the young children.

In her book "Pilgrim in the Parish" (a spirituality for Lay ministers) Virginia Finn, a former chaplain at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; assistant to the Dean at the Weston School of Theology where her ministry includes facilitating spiritual development for lay students wrote:
In perhaps the most poignant moment of the film "Tender Mercies", Robert Duvall, a faded country folk singer, tells the daughter from whom he is estranged that he doesn't remember a hymn she claims he sang to her as a child. When she leaves the house, Duvall turns to the window, and in its diffused light quietly sings the hymn about Jesus going down to the water to be baptised " in the usual way " and God blessing his Son by sending his love on the "wings of a dove."

We are touched by his sadness because he cannot be open to the intimacy his daughter craved and indirectly invited, but we also, too easily perhaps, identify with the way Duvall shies away from what might bond them into something inseparable. Intimacy with others scares some of us; intimacy with God alarms some of us. The Church can provide all the means available in this world for encouraging intimacy with God, but the Church can't make it happen. The ingredients necessary for that are two: the Holy Spirit and an open welcome within the believer's heart. In the words of St. Basil the Great: "Through the Spirit we become intimate with God."

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ktrcssukm (1 month ago) Show Hide

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hmm...seems like, in our church today, there are only 2 occasions where the gurls will wear veils in the church....the 1st holy communion n during marriage...kinda sad when the honorable tradition of wearing veil among gurls when entering the church has disappeared...lets pray that this tradition n symbolism of humility will be again be brought alive....Amen.

vshendrix (11 months ago) Show Hide

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LORD BLESS THE FUTURE OF THIS EARTH. ALL THE RIGHTEOUS LITTLE BOYS & GIRLS THAT ARE BROUGHT UP IN THE CHRUCH AND SEEK THE WORD OF ARE HEAVENLY FATHER THE MOST HIGH GOd Of THE UNIVERSE. HAPPY HOLIDAYS & MAY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BLESS US ALL IN THESE TREACHEOUS TIMES. FOR THIS TOO SHALL PASS & THE KINGDOM OF THE MOST HIGH GOD OUR LORD WILL REIGN FOREVER & EVER IN JESUS EVELASTING NAME. AMEN!!

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