I specifically remember being taught so lovingly by my first grade teacher, Sister John Immaculate, IHM (Immaculate Heart of Mary – or Macs, as the order was fondly referred to by the boys in my school).  Sister so beautifully impressed upon me that I was receiving Jesus into my heart for the first time at the very best time of the year:  when we celebrate His birthday, and that I should be so happy, that no other Christmas gift I may receive from Santa Claus could compare!  Being the innocent child I was, I was soooo taken by those words and carried them with me throughout that Christmas season.   Instead of thumbing through the Sears Wish Book, I was concentrating on receiving Jesus into my heart.  Instead of planning the kind of cookies to leave for Santa on Christmas Eve, I was planning on how I was going to react when I received Jesus into my heart for the first time.  When my mother asked me a few days before Christmas Eve/my First Communion what I wanted Santa to bring me, I burst out in tears, “Oh Mommy, I only want Jesus for Christmas!”  I remember my poor mother trying to console me by telling me that Jesus would be happy that I received toys for Christmas, too — but I wouldn’t hear of it!  I only wanted Jesus, and that was that.  My little 7 yr. old heart and mind were made up.  I wanted Jesus in my heart for Christmas.

Well … not only did I receive Jesus into my heart that cold but beautiful Christmas Eve, 1966 (after marveling at the butterflies in my stomach and how my tongue went numb in excitement and wonder at taking my first Holy Communion!), I awoke on Christmas morning to find a new doll house and those plastic “high-heels” with elastic straps that also made my heart flutter with joy, but not anywhere near the level of joy I felt the day before, when I received the Greatest Christmas Gift of all time.

Oh … how I wish I could get back the child-like purity of heart and love of our Lord, Jesus that I had back in 1966.  Maybe I’ll ask Santa to bring it back to me for Christmas this year. 

 Dear Sister John Immaculate, if you ever read this, I love you and thank you for sharing your love of God with me and all my classmates at Queen of Heaven.  xoxo

Here’s a picture of me and my classmate, Christine (who also made her First Holy Communion on 12/24/66), with Sister John Immaculate and Sister Theresa Ann after a 40 Hours Procession in March 1967 – barely 3 months after receiving our Greatest Gift.

Sister Theresa Ann, Sister John Immaculate, Christine and Judi

The setting was our little parish church of Holy Angels in Globe, Arizona. Most of the children in my class were from the newly opened Holy Angels Catholic School. We were fortunate to get two sisters from Ireland who came to open the school which initially only had a couple of classrooms. My teacher was Sister Ita, and I still pray for her because she was a kind, but strict teacher who rescued me from the punishments I got in public school because I was (and still am) left-handed. My brother Stevie (as I called him then) was in first grade.

We were very well prepared for our First Communion by those two sisters who loved God and loved the children in their care. We were all drilled in the Baltimore Catechism, taught our prayers, and were taught to sing the Missa de Angelis. Stevie had the voice of an angel, and he, a little seven-year-old boy, was the cantor for our First Communion Mass. I can still hear his sweet voice leading off on the Kyrie Eleison. The entire Mass was in Latin except for the sermon, which was given by Fr. McFadden, a pastor whom I know my parents respected. His assistant was Fr. Patrick Callanan, another wonderful priest from my childhood.

After Mass we stood for pictures on the steps and then went to the church hall for posole.

The dress and veil I wore are still around and were worn by my daughter for her First Holy Communion.

The missal my parents gave me is a treasure. It has one of those nifty windows inside the front cover with a crucifix set on a brocade background. The pictures are in color and of course, depict the Mass in the Tridentine form. Because of the delicate cover on the missal, I could not prop it open for the pictures, so I took them while holding it open.

After Mass during the reception lunch I asked Mommy if she thought the dresses were pretty. Mommy said that the other dresses were pretty but that she thought my dress was the prettiest. I knew that Mommy was right and anyway I agreed. My dress was homemade by my Grandma and Mommy made my veil. My shoes were wute and I had to wear one of Mommy’s slips. I got several presents but my favorite was a St. Lucy pink necklace and a St. Lucy book.

That day was very beautiful and joyful and I still experience that joy every Sunday when I recive Holy Communion.

(Submitted by Lucy, age 10)

Rules:

1. Submit a First Communion story about you or your children by 5/31/09.
2. Story must be true and a GOOD memory.
3. You must own copyright on any photos you use in your story.
4. Voting on stories will run through 6/13/09.
5. Voters may vote for more than one story but please only vote for a story once.
6. The winners will be announced on 6/15/09.
7. The first prize winner will receive a $60 gift card to Aquinas and More Catholic Goods and 3 sheets of laminated custom prayer cards printed with a prayer of his choice.
8. Two runner-up prizes for $25 gift cards to Aquinasandmore.com will be awarded as well.