It’s been a lot of years since my first Communion, sixty-plus is a pretty good guess. Growing up in the Catholic Church, your First Communion is a pretty big deal. For me, it was our whole second-grade class that marched in a procession from the school to the church, sat in the front of the church for High Mass, and then left with all your family that attended. Back at the house, there was a reception and a meal with cake & presents.

It’s a good thing my dad enjoyed taking pictures all my life. Just like most of my childhood, I really don’t remember my first Communion, but Dad’s pictures still tell me the story.

Changing denomination to Methodist has been an interesting transition, from a very formal to a somewhat less formal format. One of the biggest changes was communion. I’ve shared before my thoughts on how all of the pomp and circumstance for a first Communion, now just happen, most likely without anyone in the congregation knowing except the parents. Somewhat of a disappointment for me as the First Communion should be a celebrated time in a young Christian life.

It’s been a long time since I celebrated someone’s first Communion, till this past Sunday. I’ll remind you that Suzanne was told before her surgery that she would probably never eat solids again so her last communion with the Lord was in February of 2021.

For a number of recent months, Suzanne has been participating in communion at church with just the wine. At the start, she used a special glass that she used while re-learning how to drink, eventually working up to the little cup everyone else uses.

Yesterday was different, as she approached the preacher for communion, she reached out and took the bread as well. Waiting till she returned to the pew where she had her water bottle, she participated fully in communion. This was Suzanne’s second, first Communion, and a special one it was. After she had finished, she looked at me with a smile that would have melted your heart, I know it did mine.

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

1 Corinthians 10:16