Fifth Sunday of Easter - Year B - 10th May 2009

Dear Parents

When Thérèse of Lisieux was preparing for her first Holy Communion her mother wrote her a series of letters about the great day.

Unfortunately these letters have not survived, but we know they were so inspiring that even the nuns in Therese's school loved to read them. Zelie Martin was not going to leave to the teachers, even if they were nuns, the whole task of preparing her child for Holy Communion. As far as she was concerned, this task was one of the great joys of being a mother.

As we celebrate the First Communions in our parish, I ask you, parents, to think deeply about your own responsibility in helping you children to understand and appreciate the gift they are receiving.

When speaking of his first Holy Communion, Pope Benedict said, "There were so many beautiful things that I remember. But at the heart of my joyful and beautiful memories is this one -I understood that Jesus had entered my heart, he had actually visited me. And with Jesus, God himself was with me. And I realized that this is a gift of love that is truly worth more than all the other things that life can give".

Most of you realise that your children's future happiness, even in this life, will depend above all on having a solid religious faith— a faith that gives them confidence in God's love, joy in their love for Jesus, moral guidance, and a hope in Christ that will carry them through all the trials of life.

Again quoting Pope Benedict. "On that day I was really filled with great joy, because Jesus came to me and I realized that a new stage in my life was beginning. I promised the Lord as best I could: 'I always want to stay with you', and I prayed to him, 'above all, Jesus stay with me'. So I went on living my life like that. Thanks be to God, the Lord has always taken me by the hand and guided me, even in difficult situations".

At this time in particular, you as parents, need to share with your child some of your own deep joy in receiving Holy Communion, some of your own intense love for Jesus, and your desire to be closely united with him. Recall your own First Communion day with your children.

Certainly you should take a happy pride in your children on this special day. But above all, you should help them to keep the focus on the real wonder of the day, the joy of receiving Jesus for the first time.