First Communion
“The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God’s action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1324-1327
The preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is a two year program which meets weekly between September and March, beginning in the 1st grade. The purpose of the first year of formation is to give the students a basic foundation of faith. Curriculum for the 1st grade covers the basics of our faith to include the great love God has for them, the story of the Fall and the story of God’s fulfillment of the promise of a Savior, and that it is through Jesus that we have forgiveness of our sins. The children will also grow to understand how to live the two great laws of love, become familiar with the Paschal Mystery and will move forward in their journey to live as loving, active members of the Church.
During year two of formation the students will study from Reconciliation and Eucharist specific text in preparation for reception of both sacraments. First Reconciliation is celebrated in the winter of the second year of preparation. Parents and children will come together in a prayer service followed by individual confessions for each child. In the spring there will be a Saturday morning First Communion retreat as a part of preparation for the sacrament. The Sacrament of First Eucharist is then celebrated during the Easter season.
John Paul II said in Redemptoris Custos that: …it is in the Holy Family, the original ‘Church in miniature (Ecclesia domestica), that every Christian family must be reflected. Through God’s mysterious design, it was in that family that the Son of God spent long years of a hidden life.
Questions? Contact Cynthia Larson: clarson@slstm.org 616-842-2840
Enjoy this video on the Domestic Church :