"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. . . . For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (Jn 6:51-55). The whole Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine—the glorified Christ who rose from the dead after dying for our sins.
As successors of the Apostles and teachers of the Church, the bishops have the duty to hand on what God has revealed to us and to encourage all members of the Church to deepen their understanding of the mystery and gift of the Eucharist.
First Communion classes: Students in 2nd grade and above, who have been Baptized, are eligible to enter First Communion/First Reconciliation classes. Candidates for the First Communion class must have one previous year of Religious Education or Family Faith Formation and be enrolled in Family Faith Formation for the First Communion year.
First Reconciliation is celebrated in the months prior to receiving First Communion. To register for First Communion class, the student must also be registered for Religious Education and have been enrolled and participated in RE classes the previous year.
The Holy Spirit
The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God's Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission. Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John. Jesus' entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit. Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church. After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit.
In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized person is "sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit" and is strengthened for service to the Body of Christ.
Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world. . . . We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.
The Catechism’s section on Confirmation says that Confirmation is the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its effects are to:
Registration: Students going into the 9th grade or older, who have been Baptized and received First Holy Communion, may register for the Confirmation class. Students must have had at least 1 prior year of Religious Education classes and be enrolled in Religious education for the current year. Classes begin in September and students are usually Confirmed in May. For more information, contact Dora Cortez. phone: 281-576-4990 or email: [email protected]