“The Eucharist — the fullness of sacramental life — is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.” ~ Pope Francis
Celebrating Holy Communion at St. John the Evangelist
The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine and it is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC, 1324). In Holy Communion we receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. Our lives are oriented toward the celebration of this Sacrament and all that we have and do flows from this sacramental communion with the Lord.
First Holy Communion
We are honored to be a part of your child’s preparation of this truly wonderful sacrament. There is no “right” age or grade to celebrate First Communion, except a child must be at or beyond the age of reason which is generally considered to be around 7 years old. Instead of grade level, we expect to see a desire for the Sacrament from families bringing a child to Communion preparation, and we assume your family attends Sunday Mass regularly! Students receive the sacrament after completing preparation; however, we generally celebrate them throughout the Easter season.
No matter where a child goes to school, Catholic School, public school, or homeschool, these are some prerequisites for children to receive their First Holy Communion at St. John the Evangelist:
- Baptism
- Weekly Sunday Mass attendance
- Sacrament Conversation with a Faith Formation team member
- Celebration of First Reconciliation
- Family preparation with the parish Formation team
For more information, please contact:
Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation: Angel Koerkel (angel@saintjohnjackson.org)
Director of Family Discipleship: Kathy Blanchard (kathyb@saintjohnjackson.org)
If you are an adult who has not received Holy Communion but would like to know more, please visit our RCIA/Catholicism 101 page or contact Todd Gale.
Participating in Holy Communion
While we welcome people of all faiths to come and participate in our liturgy, because of the sacredness in the feast we share, we do have guidelines for those who can receive the Eucharist.
CATHOLICS:
We are required to be free of any grave sin and to fast for one hour prior to the reception of the Eucharist. Anyone who is aware of having committed any grave sin must celebrate a sacramental confession before receiving Communion, except in a state of emergency in which case they must intend to confess contritely as soon as possible following the emergency.
BAPTIZED, NON-CATHOLICS:
Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ, and that it is a visibly sign of unity in our faith, life, and worship. Members of churches not united with us in this core belief are not generally able to receive Holy Communion.
Those belonging to the Orthodox Churches, Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church should seek and follow the discipline of their own Churches regarding reception of Communion; however, the Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church does not object to their receiving of the Blessed Sacrament.
THOSE NOT RECEIVING:
Anyone who is not able to receive Holy Communion for any reason – a Catholic not properly prepared, a non-Catholic Christian, or an unbaptized person – is invited to pray for peace and unity with the Lord Jesus, with our brother and sister Christians, and with the entire human race.