First Holy Communion
This past Sunday I found myself wrapped in a blanket of memories as I watched my eight year old niece receive her First Holy Communion. The First Holy Communion was held in the church where I grew up.

At the time of bringing up the gifts to the alter, there were ten children, five girls and five boys, who followed the two bringing up the bread and wine, doing simple gestures to the song, “One Bread, One Body.” When the words, bread or wine were mentioned, the children would lift one of their arms and point toward whatever was being mentioned. When the phrase, “one in the Lord” was sung, they would turn to people and lift both of their arms and gesture to them, just as they had the bread and wine.

It was very simple and yet in that simplicity and surety with which the gestures were done, I found myself rooted in the power of this Sacrament of the Eucharist…the bigger truth that I need to be reminded of all the time…We Are Eucharist to each Other! We Are one of the most powerful ways that each of us meet the Risen Christ! We point the way to the Holy, while at the same time being part of the way!

I was surprised with my own inner response to this experience. I would be remiss if I failed to repeat the comment I heard from two of the First Communicants when I was going up to receive, I heard them whisper, ” Mine tasted like card board.”

In the end it is up to us how we live our invitation to be eucharist for each other, we can be as the finest of bread or we can taste like card board.