Hebrews 8:1b:3a
Feast of the Ascension – Prayers for Midday

The Eucharist is our resurrected and ascended Lord.

With the Ascension of our Lord and the sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, Jesus’ body can now be present both on earth and in heaven at the very same time. Those first Apostles, the first priests, went forth to preach and to give us Jesus. In Jesus, heaven and earth unite.

Jesus is  still on earth as He is in heaven. Not just in the prayers and hearts of the faithful, and not just mystically in His Body the Church. Jesus is still present on earth in his corporal body. Jesus is present in the Eucharist.

We receive the gift of the Eucharist at Holy Mass.  The Ascension was merely the end of His visible presence on earth, not the end of His physical presence on earth. When we encounter the Holy Eucharist, we have Jesus fully in His body, blood, soul, and divinity.

Hymn for the Ascension

This past weekend celebrated the Feast Day of Blessed Imelda Lambertini. She is the Patron Saint of First Communicants.  Some church calendars list it as May 12, while other list it as May 13. More importantly, do you know the story of Blessed Imelda?

Blessed Imelda was born in 1322 in Bologna, Italy. As an only child, she attended Mass frequently.

At the age of nine Imelda entered the Dominican Convent in Val di Pietra.  She was the youngest one there, and was unable to receive Communion, because Church law did not allow the Eucharist until the age of twelve.  She prayed for the Eucharist and asked for an exception to be made, but was refused.  It has been said about Blessed Imelda “that to receive Jesus in Communion became the consuming desire of her heart. She would even sometimes exclaim: Tell me, can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die? ”

When she was 11 years old, on the vigil of the Ascension in 1333, her prayers were finally answered.

It was customary for Blessed Imelda to remain kneeling after Mass. On this day, she was bathed in a beautiful Light of the Host. The church was empty except for the sacristan, who, when she saw the light above Imelda, ran to get the convent priest. Upon seeing this miraculous light, the priest was moved to give Imelda her First Communion. Immediately, Imelda fell into ecstasy upon receiving her Lord in the Eucharist.

What happened next? There, right at the altar at which Imelda had been praying so fervently for our Lord, and having just received Him in the Eucharist, she expired. This beautiful young child, who loved God beautifully and purely, was called to be home with her Lord.

Her uncorrupted body still lies in a church in Bologna, Italy to this day.

The story of Blessed Imelda is one that is seldom told. But its simple beauty is a great reminder of the gift of Jesus we receive in Holy Communion. Mary Fabyan Windeatt, the great story teller of Saints, even wrote a book about Blessed Imelda, which would be a wonderful gift for anyone preparing to receive his or her First Holy Communion.

Lord Jesus Christ, you received into heaven Blessed Imelda who loved you in the Eucharistic banquet. By her prayers may we learn to approach your holy table with that same fervent love and so fulfill our longing to be with you, who live and reign with the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. - General Calendar of the Order of Preachers

A prayer card for Blessed Imelda is also available.

The day before making her First Communion, we attended a retreat. There was a retreat before making First Reconciliation, as well. These mini retreats have been a great way for the children to be given one last preparation and prayer time before their “big day”. It helped make the sacrament of penance less intimidating for the children, and it helped excite them even more for receiving our Lord in the Eucharist. As we completed the retreat last Saturday, the children did a dry run, practicing receiving the Eucharist. My poor girl, who walks stiffly and uses her hands and arms in jerky, awkward, less than graceful ways when nervous, was nervous. After being told they could choose for themselves whether or not to receive on the tongue or their hands, I just hoped Miss T would choose her hands, since it seemed the least awkward thing for her to do (in spite of her nervous awkwardness!). We came home, and I vowed to do more dry-runs with her after she’d rested. She had had a meltdown after the retreat, probably due in part to all the stress–for good or bad–of the big day nearing. Family in town, practicing, wanting every detail to be perfect. She is a planner, a dreamer, and sets up expectations…then lives for it to be perfect. In my heart, while I was looking forward to sharing the Eucharistic Meal with her, I dreaded anything happening that would not live up to her dreams.

After rest, we practiced how she should fold her hands, then carefully and reverently cup them to receive, how to place the Precious Body in her mouth. She grew more confident, but would not practice with anyone watching. We didn’t get as many practices in as I hoped. “Blessed Imelda!” I prayed for the patroness of First Communicants intercession, “Help her to be graceful! Pray for her to long for Jesus even a part of how you longed for Him!”

Sunday morning arrived. Everyone did their part to help make our First Communicant look and feel special. Her dress was from Daddy (by her request), her veil from Nona, a tiny cross also from Nona was perfectly pinned to the bodice of the dress, pearl jewelry adorned her wrist and neck from Harmony (grandmother), her hair was combed and curled into sweets curls. We left for the church, to be early for details like photos and the most special opportunity to make a confession again before receiving the Eucharist! Dear T, you looked joyful and excited for your special moment to arrive! I kept praying for gracefulness, and for your soul to be so filled with grace when receiving our Lord!

It was such a gift for Father D to make himself available to the children for Confessions before Mass. Even though he usually hears confessions before Mass, he set extra time aside for the First Communicants. After a little prodding and reassuring, T entered the confessional soon before Mass. What a gift! A clean soul to receive our Lord! Dear T, you were so blessed to have the opportunity!

The children lined up, their families filled in the pews.

Mass began. Every now and then, T would look at me with excitement, and a touch of nerves. As the moment arrived, I prayed again for the graces (spiritual and social!) to surround her. From where I sat, I could only see her back, so I couldn’t be sure how she received, though she appeared revert and graceful! I looked at my husband, and asked, “Did she just receive on the tongue?” “I think so!”, he replied. She received the Precious Blood, made a prayerful Sign of the Cross, and walked back to the pew. She did it! She joined the Feast, filled with the graces of a tiny saint in the making.

It was beautiful. I asked her later, if she received on the tongue or her hands. She said, “On the tongue! I didn’t have time to make my hands right, because I get mixed up, so I opened my mouth!” What a girl, and she was so reverent doing something unfamiliar!

I pray our Lord works in her even more than ever now, and with the strength of Him in her, that she will grow in amazing ways. Already, she is asking to go back to Mass sooner than Sunday!

If you are a parent of a child making their First Holy Communion this year, you probably remember receiving your first rosary or prayer book on your special day.  I still have my white rosary that came in a white silk purse.  Such a gift from parent to child is always cherished and meaningful. Nowadays you can even find special First Communion rosaries that are Eucharistic in theme.   A Mass Book (Missal) especially ties in well to the focus of the day — the Eucharist — and is something that can help your child grow and understand their faith continually.

Perhaps you are not a parent but are a relative or friend helping to celebrate this special day with a child.  If you are planning for a young lady, First Communion jewelry is both thoughtful and tasteful. Such items could be a crucifix or a medallion.  It is not uncommon for a young man to receive jewelry either in the form of a cross or medal. Though it is not quite jewelry, a scapular would also be a traditional gift for both. Monstrance pins are also popular.

Did you know there is a Patron Saint of First Communicants? Blessed Imelda is her name. There is even a book, written as part of the Mary Fabian Windyatt series, that is perfect for this age group that is the story of Blessed Imelda.  Other book suggestions might be a Saint’s Treasury, a first Bible, or the book “Today I Made My First Communion”.

To commemorate this day, a child might also enjoy creating their own First Communion Banner. Another special idea is to have a holy card personalized and printed with the child’s name, date, and a prayer. This is a great way to celebrate with family and friends who might not otherwise be able to attend.

A prayer for First Holy Communion

My Lord Jesus Christ, I firmly believe that I am about to receive, in Communion, Your Body, Your Blood, Your Soul and Your Divinity. I believe it because You have said it, and I am ready to give my life to maintain this truth.

Amen.

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” ~ Mk 10: 14

In the Catholic Church, First Holy Communion is held in high regard because of the Eucharist as the source and summit of our faith. On this day, your child will be meeting the Lord in this Sacrament. Therefore, your son or daughter should be dressed to the best of their ability to greet the Lord in reverence.

White is the symbol for purity in the Church. Wearing white on First Communion Day is reminiscent of the white gowns worn at the Sacrament of Baptism, when your child first entered the Catholic faith.

Traditional attire for boys is either a dark suit with a white shirt, or a white suit.

Traditional attire for girls is a white dress and veil. The veil hearkens back to the days when women always covered their heads at Mass, which was a standard until a few decades ago. Some traditions hold that the veil represents the tablecloth at the Last Supper, while the white dress represents the clothing that Jesus wore that evening.  White shoes and tights are common, and sometime young ladies like to wear white gloves.

Jewelry is optional and should always seek to compliment the attire. Some types of jewelry are a First Communion medallion or a rosary bracelet.

When dressing for First Communion Day, modest and chastity should always be kept in mind. Reverence for this gift of Jesus — the gift of Himself — is a joyous occasion in the life of every young Catholic.  You can find great Catholic apparel here.

After almost 20 years of not going to church, and at the age of 35 I had a very drastic life-changing event happen that opened my eyes, my mind and my heart to God. I could have gone to any of the dozen or so “churches” in town but I felt drawn, almost like I was being called, to the Catholic Church.

I began attending not only Sunday Mass, but also daily Mass as well as the occasional Latin Mass and eventually was signed up for the next Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) class. RCIA was an incredible opportunity to meet not only the Catechists but also my fellow Catechumens, all of whom were challenging me and helping me to grow in faith. Fr. Aiden & Fr. Jose as well as Bethe, Lenny, Joseph & Jennifer are the ones who stood out above all of them, and to this day I owe a lot to them.

Easter came and went too fast, but I will never forget the night we received the Sacraments. The Knights of Columbus in their full regalia, the Bishop and the Priests and all of us standing in front of the Sanctuary in our white robes, the light from the candles and the smell of incense in the air, it was truly an overwhelming feeling of love, warmth and acceptance that one will never find anywhere else.

I share this story every year with the children & their parents during the Eucharist Workshop at St Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church where I am the Children’s Minister. Theresa Crow