Communion

[AngelAmidala]

I am the worship committee chairperson at my church, and often the question comes up to us, "When should I allow my child to take communion?"

Our general answer is, "Whenever you feel the child is ready." However, sometimes a parent may just take a child up with them for communion just to keep an eye on their child. So essentially the child is just going up there for "a piece of bread and a bit of juice" without realizing what they're doing it for.

I know that Catholics have a First Communion, which is when a child has communion for the first time.

I'm just wondering a few things about that.

What age (generally) does one take their First Communion?
Are there classes that one would have to attend before that or is information about Communion shared in another way? If so, what is taught in the classes? What has to be done before one can take their First Communion?

I'm just kind of looking to see how Catholics do it.

And while I'm asking questions that totally expose me as not being a Catholic ... this has been bugging me forever, and friends who've gone through it can't even tell me. What is CCD?

Thanks for any insights and answers!!

 

[KC Catholic]

I'm going through this right now:

What age (generally) does one take their First Communion?

Second grade is the typical time that one prepares for Communion.

Are there classes that one would have to attend before that or is information about Communion shared in another way? If so, what is taught in the classes?

Children who attend Catholic School have a religion class every day and they begin preparing for their first communion during this class. The parents are also responsibile for educating the child on all aspects of Communion.

For those children who attend public schools, CCD offers the training that they would receive in order to take their first communion had they had attended Catholic school.

What is taught is the biblical and sacred traditional teachings of the meaning and importance of Communion. They learn about transubstantiation, how to prepare themselves to take communion, including going to confession.

What has to be done before one can take their First Communion?

A child has to first prepare to receive the sacrament. They must be baptised, attend their first confession to a priest and then they can take Communion.

Hope this helps...

 

[Wolseley]

Angel, CCD stands for "Confraternity of Christian Doctrine", and is, as KC pointed out, religious instruction for Catholic schoolchildren.

---Wols.

 

[LouisBooth]

I'm curious and would value your options on it..isn't it written (and also in tradition from what I understand about terts, and Ireanus' writteings) That to take communion when you're not 'ready' to have it is to eat and drink judgement on yourself..or something to that effect? Do you think it should be when the child understands it and feels he or she is ready and knows that after this (since it seems that to catholics the sacriments are a particapation in on-going salvation, for lack of a better term) and knows they have to live differently after it?

 

[KC Catholic]

From Catholic Answers

The Bible gives us information about how we should prepare ourselves to receive the Lord's Body and Blood in Communion. First, to receive Communion worthily, you must be in a state of grace, have been to confession since your last mortal sin, believe in transubstantiation, observe the Eucharistic fast, have made first Communion, and, finally, not be under an ecclesiastical censure such as excommunication.

First, you must be in a state of grace. "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (1 Cor. 11:27)

A mortal sin is any sin whose matter is grave and which was committed willfully and with knowledge of its seriousness. Grave matter includes, but is not limited to, murder, receiving or participating in an abortion, homosexual acts, having sexual intercourse outside of marriage or in an invalid marriage, and deliberately engaging in impure thoughts (Matt. 5:28Cor. 6:9)

Wols might be able to answer the part regarding children better than I can, but let me try:

I think that until the age of accountability (I think 16) a child really cannot take communion unworthily. We go to confession once a quarter (about every 3 months) and our 10 yr old goes to confession as well. Unless we see something that is of grave matter or mortal sin, we aren't too strict about whether she is worthy or not - she's 10.

But,we are responsible for shaping her conscience and teaching her that there are times we are not worthy to take communion until we mend our lives with God.

My wife and I do not take communion if we are in a state of mortal sin - in fact we're due to go to confession this weekend. We missed mass because we did not plan out time wisely, and thus we cannot take communion. There are other sins that need to be confessed, but its more painful to miss out on communion - I'd rather not take it when I am not worthy.

 

[VOW52]

The age of the child at First Communion is a parish decision. Our daughter received hers in Third Grade at one parish; when we moved, our son received his in Second Grade. Both children attended parochial school, and received their religious instruction as part of the classroom education. The parents were also required to attend classes as a prerequisite. Many adults of the parental generation received the "mechanical," by-rote education of the Sacraments, and they had a lot to learn themselves!

The emphasis in preparing a child for the Sacraments is on the family. We are all members of God's family, and our participation in our Faith is done as a community, whether at the parish level, or at the first level of the basic family unit. We should all come together to worship, and it is a joyous occasion when a child learns about fellowship with God in a more intimate manner.

Angel, you mentioned young children who may accompany a parent as the parent receives Communion. In many Catholic Churches, when a child approaches the Eucharistic Minister, he or she is instructed to place a fingertip to the lips (as if to "shhh"), or to cross the arms over the chest. The Eucharistic Minister will then administer a blessing instead of offering Communion. Adults who are not in full fellowship with the Church may also present themselves for a blessing instead of receiving Communion. The intention is to welcome the person while avoiding the "profaning" of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

When my children were receiving their instruction before making their First Communions, I shared with them a personal "observation" of mine. I am a convert, and Holy Communion was an incredibly special thing for me to learn about. I found that when I attended Mass, I would become completely immersed in the holiness of the consecration. I noticed that at the moment the priest elevated the bread, elevated the wine, and these items were transubstatiated into the actual Body and Blood of Christ, I would receive a "chill" through my body. The magnitude of the experience always leaves me completely in awe. (as an aside: if I DON'T get that feeling, I know I need to do some reconciling before I should receive Communion!)

I've probably rambled too much....


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[AngelAmidala]

No no...everyone's posts have really been helpful and insightful. Thank you!!

 

[VOW52]

I liked your remark about "to Catholics the Sacraments are participation in on-going Salvation." Now, Wolseley might not agree with the exact terminology, but to me, I think you have a pretty good grasp at the Catholic understanding. As explained by a priest at a Bible Study class, to Protestants, Salvation is an event; to Catholics, Salvation is a process.

When we receive Communion, we are being nourished, both physically and spiritually, by the Body and the Blood of Jesus. We humans are so frail! To maintain our existence, we need food, we need water, we need air. To maintain our spirituality, we need to feed our souls. We feed the soul with the Word of God. Not only by reading and understanding and living the Bible, but through the Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ, who gave us His Body and His Blood in Communion.

Incredible!


Peace be with you!
~VOW

 

[LouisBooth]

thanks, I have studied it long enough I don't believe some of the same things you do, but I love to talk about them anyway, because God always shows me something weather it is a more clear understanding of my belief or of yours. We just disagree.

 

[AngelAmidala]

It was actually kinda funny...not a joke funny...but circumstance funny...

Right after I asked the question here, I went home...and in the mail I got something called "The Interpreter." It's kind of a bi-monthly magazine for United Methodists. Anyway, they had a short little blurb about "Should children receive communion?"

It also had a few other articles and blurbs that related to either questions or projects and stuff that I had thought about rather recently.

Anyway, I just thought I would share that with you.