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Mass of
Confirmation and First Holy Communion
Saturday in the 3rd Week of
Easter
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Boys and girls, we just heard the words
that St. Peter spoke to Jesus. Please listen to them again:
“Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal
life and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of
God.” I love these words of St. Peter, and I would love to
think that I would have been brave enough and inspired
enough to say them.
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Jesus had been teaching Peter and his
friends about Holy Communion. He said amazing things to
them: “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and
I live in him.” Boys and girls, today is a wonderful day
for you because this is day of your First Holy Communion.
Jesus is speaking these words to you, to each one of you.
Today for the first time, in your First Holy Communion, you
will receive the body of Christ, and you will live in Jesus
and Jesus will live in you.
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But when Jesus first said these words to
people, some of them did not believe. How can he do that,
they said? They complained and grumbled against him. And do
you know that some even stopped being his friends. And
that’s when Jesus looked at the others said to them, “What
about you, will you go away too?” And Peter, who had such
faith, said, “Who will be go to Lord? You have the message
of eternal life. You are the Son of God. We are staying with
you.”
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So today, when Jesus tells us, “This is
my body – receive the sacrament of my body”, we are not
going to walk away from Jesus. No, we are going to say, just
as Peter said, come to me, my Jesus, live in me and let me
live in you. We are staying with you, please stay with us.”
And in your First Holy Communion, Jesus will come to you,
just as he promised he would.
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And before you receive your First Holy
Communion, you will be confirmed. In a few moments, like
Peter did in the presence of his friends, you will make your
act of faith. When you were smaller than you are now,
perhaps when you were a baby, someone else made this act of
faith for you. Now you will stand up and make your very own
act of faith, saying for yourself, “I believe.” And so you
will be anointed with the oil of chrism and receive the
Sacrament of Confirmation. This sacrament is given to you so
that you will be sealed with the Holy Spirit and become more
and more like Jesus as you grow up. And as you grow, many
things may change in your life. Other people may even stop
being a friend of Jesus. But, because you have been
confirmed, you will always be able to say as Peter did:
“Jesus, I believe in you, I am staying with you. You have
the message of eternal life. Come to me in Holy Communion.
Live in me and let me live in you.”
St. John’s, Barrhead
28th April 2007. |
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