The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life, and a child's first Holy Communion is one of the great days of a Catholic family. The Church's law (canon 913) asks that children receive when they have sufficient knowledge and careful preparation to understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity, and can receive the Body of the Lord with faith and devotion; this is ordinarily around the age of seven, the age of discretion. Parents are the first teachers, and the parish walks with them. This guide follows the ordinary path in the United States.

What you need

• The child's baptismal certificate, requested from the parish of Baptism
• Enrollment in the parish's First Communion preparation, usually a year of catechesis
• A simple, true way of explaining the Eucharist to a child (below)
• Preparation for the child's first Confession, which comes before First Communion
• A modest white dress or a suit, or whatever the parish asks

When to pray it

Throughout the preparation year, and at home every day: grace before meals, a bedtime Our Father and Hail Mary, and Sunday Mass together without exception.

Steps

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   Step 1: Enroll in the parish programme

   Contact the parish religious education office a year or more before you hope your child will receive; most parishes prepare children in the second grade or around age seven, over a full year of classes, often with parent sessions. Bring the child's baptismal certificate; if the child was baptized elsewhere, the parish will need the name and location of that church. Canon 914 places the duty of preparation first on the parents and then on the pastor, so do not treat the classes as delegation: ask what is being taught each week and continue it at home.

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   Step 2: Teach the Real Presence simply

   A seven-year-old can grasp the heart of it. At the Last Supper Jesus took bread and said, 'This is my Body,' and took the cup and said, 'This is my Blood,' and told the Apostles to do this in memory of him. At every Mass the priest says the same words, and by the power of the Holy Spirit the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus, really and truly, even though they still look and taste like bread and wine. When we receive Holy Communion, Jesus himself comes to us. Say it often, say it plainly, and let your own reverence at Mass show the child you believe it. Genuflect toward the tabernacle together, and explain why.

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   Step 3: Prepare for first Confession

   Canon 914 asks that sacramental Confession precede First Communion, so parishes prepare children for first Reconciliation in the months before. Teach your child to examine his or her conscience with a few simple questions (Have I obeyed my parents? Have I told the truth? Have I been kind? Have I prayed?), to say, 'Bless me, Father, for I have sinned; this is my first Confession,' to name what he or she is sorry for, and to pray a simple Act of Contrition▾. Reassure the child that the priest is kind, that nothing said is ever repeated, and that Jesus forgives everything. Go to Confession yourself the same week.

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   Step 4: Teach the Eucharistic fast

   Canon 919 asks that a person who is to receive Holy Communion abstain from all food and drink, except water and medicine, for at least one hour before receiving. For a child that usually means no snacks in the car on the way to Mass. Explain it as a way of showing that Jesus is the most important food of the day, and make it a family habit rather than a rule for the child alone. The elderly and the sick, and those who care for them, may receive even if they have eaten within the hour.

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   Step 5: Practice how to receive

   In the United States the communicant receives standing, and bows the head before receiving as a sign of reverence. Practice at home: walk up with hands folded, bow the head, and when the minister holds up the Host and says, 'The Body of Christ,' answer clearly, 'Amen.' The child may receive on the tongue (tilt the head back slightly, open the mouth, extend the tongue) or in the hand (place the left hand on top of the right, or the reverse if left-handed, receive the Host, step aside, and place it in the mouth at once with the other hand, before turning away). If the Precious Blood is offered, the child bows, hears 'The Blood of Christ,' answers 'Amen,' takes a small sip, and hands the chalice back. Then return to the pew, kneel and talk to Jesus.

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   Step 6: The day itself

   Keep the morning calm: the fast, a prayer together, arriving early. Sit where the parish directs, and let the child know you are proud and praying. Watch him or her receive; then, back in the pew, give the child a few quiet minutes to make a thanksgiving, perhaps with the Anima Christi▾ or the child's own words. Take photographs after Mass, not during Communion. Whatever gifts are given, let one be a rosary, a Bible or a holy card the child can keep. Have the priest bless the child if the parish offers it, and thank the catechists.

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   Step 7: Keep Sunday Mass afterward

   First Communion is meant to be the first of a lifetime. The surest way to make it so is for the family to keep Sunday Mass every week without exception, to receive Communion together whenever you are properly disposed, to go to Confession regularly (monthly is a good family rhythm), and to talk about the readings on the way home. Teach the child the Act of Spiritual Communion▾ for days he or she cannot receive. Mark the anniversary each year. A child who receives Jesus every Sunday for ten years has been given a foundation nothing can take away.

Tips

• The child learns most from watching you receive. Go to Communion reverently, and go to Confession yourself before the day.
• Keep the party proportionate to the sacrament. The child should remember Jesus, not the bounce house.
• Children with disabilities have the same right to the sacraments as any other child; the Church asks only that the child be able to distinguish the Eucharist from ordinary food in some way. Talk with the parish.
• If your family has been away from Mass, First Communion is a natural moment to return; the parish will welcome you without questions.

Related devotions

• Eucharistic Adoration

Related saints

• Saint Pope Pius X
• Saint Tarcisius