Hey Everyone,

Okay, as most of you already know, I received baptism, confirmation, and my first communion Saturday night. My friend went along and said that my godmother said something about the other people who were in my RCIA class were now in full communion, and said that mine was only first communion, that I was almost there but not yet.

???

Can anyone tell me what this means? I thought that these were the same things~ As far as I know there is nothing else I have to do as far as joining the Church...

Thanks!

-- Fayancie (fayancie@hotmail.com), April 16, 2001

Answers

Sorry, I think I should have been more clear...

"that I was almost there but not yet."

She was saying that I was "almost in full communion" but wasn't yet, that this was only my "first communion"

-- Fayancie (fayancie@hotmail.com), April 16, 2001.

Er, but every communion you make, you are receiving the entire Christ, no "partial" about it. If Jesus is giving Himself so completely to you, how can you and the Church be in "imperfect" communion? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're asking, but it just doesn't make sense to say that the "first communion" is any different from the others-- it is of course very special to you, because it is your first time in this communion with God and the Church, but I wouldn't think it's any ***less*** important or spiritually rewarding!

-Hannah

-- Hannah (archiegoodwin_and_nerowolfe@hotmail.com), April 16, 2001.

Hannah,

Yes, that's what I'm saying, it's the same thing, isn't it? No, you're not misunderstanding me at all. I think that I will call my godmother tomorrow and ask her what she was talking about, maybe she or my friend were confused somehow ~ My friend that went along by the way is not Catholic so she doesn't even know the meaning of the word "communion". Maybe she is the one that confused some terms?

Sorry for such a question, but it sort of had me freaked out for a while today! : )

-- Fayancie (fayancie@hotmail.com), April 16, 2001.

Dear Fayancie-- In this life we have to go on our faith. Your first communion may not give you shivers; it might find you altogether unprepared. You are lucky being at a young adult age. Many of us received our Lord for the first time as children. We had no clue how immense an event it really was. You have a better perspective, I suspect. Because you are intelligent, and you must have meditated much on it.

But all in all, it really shouldn't matter. Let Jesus experience YOU! Instead of wanting an experience yourself, offer HIM all of yourself, your body and soul, your life and death all in Holy Communion with Him. This is an act of love that never ends. It is First Communion every time you go to Him if you just give yourself up to His Divine love! Please learn this from the start, Fayancie. Jesus comes to you in Holy Communion because He really desires your love. Your act of love makes Jesus want to be part of you forever! His grace is your reward and it's called by Holy Mother Church a ''foretaste of heaven.'' Make every Communion First Communion, if you wish to please Jesus. And don't worry, He'll make His presence felt as time goes by. There's nothing more beautiful in this life; soon you'll see!

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), April 17, 2001.

Fayancie:

There is only one Calvary. Christ died once, for all. Each time the priest raises the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, at the consecration, it is not a re-enactment. Calvary is brought forth in space and time in a mystical way, in an unbloody manner. You are at Calvary. What an honour, what a privilege, what a blessing to be a witness at the Miracle of Redemption!

Learn early on to enjoy the full mystery of the Eucharist. The problem with humans is that each is different from the other. Each person receiving the Eucharist is differently disposed. Some have hardened hearts while others accept Jesus' love with undying conviction, resignation and submission to His will. Each person receives a varying amount of grace depending on how he is disposed. St. John Vianney said, that if we truly were disposed to receive Jesus in a perfect way, if we realized fully, who it is that we are recieving in the Eucharist, we would receive so much of His pure sanctifying and loving grace that we would surely die of happiness. I can't think of a better way to go.

Hannah is quite right. You recieved all of the one who died for you at your First Communion. When you receive the Eucharist in the future, learn to be as completely disposed to receiving the Eucharist with humility and unselfish love as you can to enable yourself to take full advantage of God's love, mercy and grace.

O heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of Your Son in the Holy Eucharist, may we come to know the full extent of Your love and the mercy you have shown in Your Gift of Salvation!

Ed

-- Ed Lauzon (grader@accglobal.net), April 17, 2001.

Fayancie, Congratulations and welcome to the Catholic Church. At our parish, during the Easter Vigil, we celebrated 8 baptisms(4 adults and 4 infants) and 7 Confirmations (the 4 newly baptized adults plus 3 adults who had been previously baptized in other faith traditions).

All 7 then made their First Communion(Eucharist), and all are now in "full communion"(fellowship) with the Church.

You see? You celebrated your 1st Communion, meaning Eucharist. But are in full communion, meaning membership or fellowship. You were fully initiated during the vigil, the others completed their initiation begun at Baptism. You are all the way in, Fayancie; one with us in every way! God bless.

-- Mary Jo Werner (mwerner@evansville-diocese.org), April 17, 2001.

Jmj

What a great clarification, Mary Jo, to the semantic misunderstanding that Fayancie brought to us! You wrote: "All 7 then made their First Communion(Eucharist), and all are now in "full communion"(fellowship) with the Church.

Holy Communion [capital "C"] is a sacrament (whether "First" or 1,001st), also called Holy Eucharist.
"Full communion" [small "c"] refers to the complete fellowship/sharing of common faith beliefs that is exchanged among Catholics. Some day, Fayancie, you will probably come across a statement that refers to the "So-and-so" denomination of Christians as not yet being in "full communion" with the Catholic Church. We have incomplete sharing of doctrine with non-Catholic Christians, but we pray for unity, along with Jesus: "... that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." [John 17]

St. James, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), April 17, 2001.

Mary Jo, thanks for this: "... But are in Full communion, meaning membership or fellowship. You were fully initiated during the vigil..."

That's what I was wondering, was if I weren't in Full communion with the Church now~ I have wanted so badly and for so long to be part of His Church, and to have thought, wait, there's still more I have to do? Had me worried!

Thanks for the warm welcome!

-- Fayancie (fayancie@hotmail.com), April 17, 2001.

off.

-- 1 (2@3.4), April 18, 2001.