Even before this moment of actually getting adorned with her First Communion dress (white to symbolize the purity present now as at her baptism and a veil to follow tradition of when women wore veils at Mass to cover their pretty hair), Leia Rose got to practice at school when Brother Michael brought over unconsecrated hosts to hand out to the second graders who were receiving. At this point Leia was amazed at two things: 1. That the host "tasted exactly like popcorn"! and 2. That a few children in her class did not believe and, therefore, would not receive First Communion. As such a faithful child, that was quite a shock to her!
A member of the true faithful, Leia Rose examined her conscience very thoroughly in the days before her first Eucharist. First, both Leia and I went to the Sacrament of Reconciliation the Saturday before (this was at my suggestion) just so she could confess her "disobeyed my parents, lied, and was mean to my sister" (sweet to us, but quite serious for someone of Leia's age). But on Monday, Leia had an issue. She asked to do her homework up in her bedroom. I went up to check on her and saw her sit on something, ... it was a tin of raw, unpopped, popcorn kernels. She was eating them that way. (???!!???) She knew she had been told NOT to do that for obvious intestinal reasons. Later, Leia Rose and I had a discussion about mortal sin and we spoke of the three things (serious offense against God, you KNOW it is a serious offense against God, and you do it anyway). Leia kept asking me if I thought her sin was a mortal sin. I told her that knowledge should come from her own conscience and from her own heart. She thought about it for a long time, and then asked me if she could go to confession. (As her Mamma, I wanted with all of my heart to reassure her that the sin was surely venial and not to worry about it. A general "Act of Contrition" prayer would do. But I couldn't say that because I'm not Leia's conscience, ... and what if it was the devil trying to get Leia not to go!?!) Poor Leia spent the week at school asking teachers and trying to "grab" a priest. (Leia thought it was funny that I said it that way.) What amazed me about all of this was that Leia was totally unafraid and confident both to tell her superiors she wanted to go to confession, ... and unafraid to approach the priest. She was unable to "grab" a priest, however, and asked me on Friday to take her to the church office to find one. Father Nick was there and heard her confession. How often does a priest hear, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been five days since my last confession, ..." ; ) I was VERY proud of my daughter for her thorough examination of conscience on her own and her vow to find that priest and become totally pure yet again before her First Communion.
Even before this moment of actually getting adorned with her First Communion dress (white to symbolize the purity present now as at her baptism and a veil to follow tradition of when women wore veils at Mass to cover their pretty hair), Leia Rose got to practice at school when Brother Michael brought over unconsecrated hosts to hand out to the second graders who were receiving. At this point Leia was amazed at two things: 1. That the host "tasted exactly like popcorn"! and 2. That a few children in her class did not believe and, therefore, would not receive First Communion. As such a faithful child, that was quite a shock to her!
A member of the true faithful, Leia Rose examined her conscience very thoroughly in the days before her first Eucharist. First, both Leia and I went to the Sacrament of Reconciliation the Saturday before (this was at my suggestion) just so she could confess her "disobeyed my parents, lied, and was mean to my sister" (sweet to us, but quite serious for someone of Leia's age). But on Monday, Leia had an issue. She asked to do her homework up in her bedroom. I went up to check on her and saw her sit on something, ... it was a tin of raw, unpopped, popcorn kernels. She was eating them that way. (???!!???) She knew she had been told NOT to do that for obvious intestinal reasons. Later, Leia Rose and I had a discussion about mortal sin and we spoke of the three things (serious offense against God, you KNOW it is a serious offense against God, and you do it anyway). Leia kept asking me if I thought her sin was a mortal sin. I told her that knowledge should come from her own conscience and from her own heart. She thought about it for a long time, and then asked me if she could go to confession. (As her Mamma, I wanted with all of my heart to reassure her that the sin was surely venial and not to worry about it. A general "Act of Contrition" prayer would do. But I couldn't say that because I'm not Leia's conscience, ... and what if it was the devil trying to get Leia not to go!?!) Poor Leia spent the week at school asking teachers and trying to "grab" a priest. (Leia thought it was funny that I said it that way.) What amazed me about all of this was that Leia was totally unafraid and confident both to tell her superiors she wanted to go to confession, ... and unafraid to approach the priest. She was unable to "grab" a priest, however, and asked me on Friday to take her to the church office to find one. Father Nick was there and heard her confession. How often does a priest hear, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been five days since my last confession, ..." ; ) I was VERY proud of my daughter for her thorough examination of conscience on her own and her vow to find that priest and become totally pure yet again before her First Communion.
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