Receiving Jesus

My brothers and sisters, I wanted to share with you the homily that was offered to our children who made First Communion last weekend, though it was for those receiving for the first time, it is important that all of us remember how special it is for us to receive the Holy Eucharist, the true presence of Christ.

Dear children, today is a special day for you.

Today, you are going to welcome, for the first time, Jesus Christ. Jesus is your gift, the greatest gift. Jesus gives himself to you in food, in the form of bread and wine. Realize that we eat Jesus. We eat the Son of God, the One who was among us more than two thousand years ago, who died on a cross, who was risen and has remained among us in the sacraments….Well, now you are going to eat Him. You will eat the body of Christ. But let me explain why.

Let us remember that we human beings need to eat food. We do it because if we don’t eat, we would die; we need food to continue living. So, we eat pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, meat, and fruits, because they give us energy. We eat food, and our body digests it. Food provides us with energy, and our digestive system transforms food into good substances for our bodies.

Today, Jesus is giving himself to you. He is the food you need to have spiritual energy and spiritual strength. Every time we take communion, it is like being in Heaven because we are with Jesus. When we receive Communion, we allow God to strengthen our souls and lives. When we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, we grow in our friendship with him. He is your friend, and He always wants to be with you. However, He does not want to just be with you. He wants to remain very, very close to you, to remain in your hearts, to be one with you.

You probably learned at school that we also have a circulatory system, that is, arteries and veins through which blood runs in our bodies. Our blood is in constant motion inside our bodies.

So, what makes the blood move? It is our heart. Our heartbeats make our blood run through our veins and arteries. In a similar way, my dear children, the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, is the heart of our spiritual life.

Just as blood cannot move throughout our body without our hearts, so too can we not have an active spiritual life if we are not connected to Jesus.

Let’s now use a little imagination. Let’s imagine that the blood represents our friendship with Jesus. We also know that our blood is enriched by oxygen. For this, our lungs use oxygen. In other words, we do that when we breathe.

Well, how do we give oxygen to our spiritual life? We do it through prayer and listening to the Word of God. In the same way that we keep in touch with our friends, we must also keep in touch with Jesus. We do it through prayer and listening to God’s word. We keep a close relationship with Jesus because He is our friend. He wants to be your friend always.

Now, what will you do after receiving Jesus in Holy Communion? First, you have to invite Jesus into your heart. Then you have to thank Jesus for coming into your heart. Finally, you must remember that you are carrying Jesus to your homes, schools, and wherever you go. It means that you have to try to behave well because you are carrying God Himself in your heart and soul.

Through your good actions, you will bring Jesus to others. You do not receive Jesus into your heart and keep it to yourself. On the contrary, you receive Jesus to bring Jesus to others. He will give you the strength to act as He did. With Jesus, you will be able to forgive, respect, love, and help others, especially those in most need.

So, when you are alone in prayer with Jesus, who is your best friend, ask Him to make you a good boy or girl, an ideal student, and a well-behaved and obedient son or daughter.

I want to thank everyone who prepared these boys and girls to receive their first Communion, and remind the parents of these children that it is how you live and how you practice your faith in the family that will influence your children. Please continue to train them in the Christian faith and its practice, especially by example. God bless you.

May the Lord always grant you his peace!

Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM Pastor,
Mission San Luis Rey Parish