Hunter's First Communion

Today we celebrated Hunter's first communion.  What an exciting day for him and for us all!  He has told us of his excitement leading up to today for several days now.  He even agreed to wear "fancy clothes" with little argument.  This was especially welcomed because he normally puts up a very big fight when asked to stray from his normal attire of smooth shirts and jeans.

We prepared all year for this event, with many religious education classes, multiple parent preparation meetings, retreats and completing the "homework" (his Eucharist workbook).  We also spent some time at home making his banner.  It was really neat to see how creative and different everyone's banners looked when hanging on the stone wall at church today.  At the first communion retreat he also glazed this special chalice that was fired and ready for pick up today at mass.  He was excited to see how the glaze looked once fired.  We are to use it on special occasions when we are both celebrating as well as forgiving because as Father Mike told us at mass today, the Eucharist is all about forgiving.

Mass was very special today with all the children receiving their first communion.  They were very much incorporated into the gospel.  The gospel was about Simon Peter and the other disciples wanting to fish but catching nothing until Jesus asked them to cast their net again.  There was a boat in church where all the children were sitting and acting this out.  Hunter was one of only two boys who had speaking parts.  That was exciting!  He was John and his line was, "It is the Lord!"  There were 153 fish that they caught (signifying how many races there were when the Bible was written).  They were felt fish that they took and put on the fire (an unlit fire pit grill).

There was also a part of the mass that was special to me because Hunter's excitement really showed through.  The choir was singing a song about the Lord calling them by name and they came "running and running and running and running and running..."  Right before this line the lady leading the choir sang a few of the communicant's names at a time and when she said each name that child would run from where they were standing with their parents through the aisle, around back of the church and down another aisle over to where Father Mike was standing (with his shephard's crook) and hug him before standing before the baptismal font with their sponsors (Sara and Scott).  When Hunter's name was called he bolted so fast that when he got to Fr. Mike he almost toppled him over!  Both were laughing!  John said that during rehearsal when Fr. Mike told the children they were to run Hunter raised his hand and said, "Um, we're not supposed to run in church!" and Fr. Mike replied with, "You can run for Jesus!"

At the baptismal font is where the sponsors held the lit candles and passed them to the children to hold while the congregation held out their hands and blessed them.  They also renewed their baptismal promises before extinguishing the flames.  Fr. Mike blessed them (and us all) with water from the font.  He does this at every mass that has a baptism so members of St. Joan of Arc know what to expect but any visitors (like Sara and Scott) had no idea what was coming.  Fr. Mike goes crazy with the water.  Hunter did warn them by saying, "You're gonna get sprayed!"  He takes an olive branch and dips it in a silver bucket of blessed water from the font and walks around church dousing everyone with it.  It is true, you do get pretty wet!  It certainly livens the mood.  Hunter usually tries to hide under the pew on baptism days to escape the mayhem but luckily he didn't try that today!  Harrison was talking about it afterward with Sara wondering if he was going to get sprayed with the "broccoli."  Kids are so funny!

One other stand-out moment for me was when all the children were surrounding the altar (as they always do each week at mass) for the blessing of the bread Fr. Mike asked them what they were thankful for.  After some normal replies from some other children such as "Food!" and "Friends!" Hunter raised his hand and said, "Awesomeness!"

We also prepared for this day by baking a loaf of bread that Hunter handed out to a member of the congregation.  We made cranberry bread together yesterday and then wrapped it up like a present.  During the mass when the children handed them out Hunter took absolutely forever to decide who to give it to.  He walked all the way to the back on one side, came back to the altar (meanwhile the other children were assembling after having handed theirs out already) and then went to the back of the other side before almost giving it to Mr. Zwick (his Religious Ed teacher this year) and then finally deciding on a man in the furthest pew by the choir.  The children were instructed to give it out to people they did not know so Mr. Zwick would not do!

When it was time for communion all the parents joined their sons/daughters, standing behind them in a circle around the altar and Father Mike came to each of us and we took the bread together with him.  Hunter did not want to have the wine.  He tried it during the retreat (as all the children did) and did not like it.  It was one of the funniest things I had seen in a long time watching the kid's reactions to the taste of wine.  They were soooo funny sticking their tongues out and saying "yuck!"  I won't soon forget their facial expressions, Hunter's included!  He told us on numerous occasions that he did not want to have the wine and we told him that it was ok but he needed to just hold the cup and acknowledge it.  So this was his plan.  It surprised us then when he actually drank it during the ceremony.  I guess he had a change of heart.  It will be interesting to see what he chooses next week!

The children closed mass with a song (with motions) singing "Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord!  Thank you for coming to us."  There was more to it but that was the refrain.

We had a small celebration at our house afterward with my mom (in from Arizona), John's parents, Uncle Hank, Sara, Scott (Hunter's sponsors) and their kids Bennett and Harrison.  We had lunch and cake.  Hunter opened his gifts and received several books (one all about Saints that he is particularly interested in), a religious bracelet, a St. Christopher's medal inscribed on the back with the date, and John and I got him his first wrist watch.  He has been wanting one and we've decided it would be a nice tradition to give each boy their first watch on the day of their first communion.  Uncle Hank also gave him a lapel pin that he wore during the ceremony that had been blessed by Pope Benedict XVI.

It was a very special and meaningful day that I know Hunter will remember for years to come.  We are so proud him!