Congratulations to all our children, their families, and the parish of Corpus Christi as we celebrate First Communion this weekend. It truly is and should be a celebration for our entire parish family.
The children will sit with their families and receive the Eucharist for the first time, as our parish family watches and prays. It is good that we experience this as a family of faith.
Children are formed by their parents and so our Faith Formation Ministry here at Corpus Christi is focused on the family, not just the children. Engaging parents is one of the most crucial things we can do as catechists and leaders.
When we engage people, we bring them to a deep sense of belonging within the parish community. Doing so leads them to deepen their faith and live it in their daily lives. People experience the deepest sense of belonging when they feel that their presence in the community truly matters. They are connected to each other in genuine relationships and can offer themselves meaningfully. When we engage people, we help them to fall in love with Jesus through the body of Christ, expressed in the parish community. The more engaged the parish becomes, the more likely it will be for others to become engaged and to create a dynamic and living faith.
When we approach our interactions with parents during sacramental preparation with the goal of further engagement, the process takes shape with dramatically different results. We help parents to see us as partners in the process of forming their children in faith, and we coach them to form their own children, helping them to learn with them in a supportive environment.
Parents are the primary influence of formation in faith for their children. When they know we at Corpus Christi are their partners, they feel more secure in their ability to teach their children.
Many parents never learned or cannot remember basic beliefs or the meaning of our sacramental and ritual life. They are uncertain and anxious when asked to share their faith or “do a lesson” with their children. When we coach and support our parents in the parent formation nights throughout the year, along with Domestic Church Sundays, we help parents to know and to live their faith as disciples.
We will be adding some new ministries in the fall for children. We will need parents and other adults to assist, which helps our parish family to know we all hold the responsibility to bring Jesus to our children.
We are filled with Easter joy this weekend as we see our families receive Jesus in the Eucharist, as well as many of our children for the first time. As Jesus enters our lives in such a personal and loving way, He nourishes us to be the life and love to each family in our parish, our community, and our Church throughout the world.
God Bless,
