Hey! Have you ever attended someone’s first Communion? Have you completed it yourself? Do you even know what Communion is?
Receiving Communion is something Christians do to be closer to Jesus. Oops…I guess that might not be a good enough explanation if you don’t know what Christians are or who Jesus is, so that is probably a smart place to start.
Before I do, I have a question for you. Do you go to church on Sunday? Actually it doesn’t have to be Sunday, it can be any day of the week. ACTually…it can pretty much at any time at all. Any way, if you do, chances are pretty good that you are a Christian – and if you don’t like going to Church because you think it is BORring, chances are pretty good you are a kid! But you know what, if you really think yourself through it, understanding why people are Christians and why they go to church is actually REALLY interesting.
First, Christians are people who believe Jesus Christ is God’s son and try to emulate the way Jesus Christ lived. (to emulate something is to act like it) So, I bet your next question is, “Who is Jesus Christ?” About 2000 years ago, a woman named Mary was blessed by God and had a son named Jesus. Mary and her husband Joseph raised Jesus when he was a little boy. When he was growing up Jesus lived his life to set an example to everyone around him, so he never sinned. As he got older he started teaching people about God and how God wanted them to act. However, some people he was teaching didn’t like what he saying about God and it made them MAD. They got soooo mad that they wanted to punish him. And during Jesus’ time – 2000 years ago – one way they punished people was to crucify them. When you crucify someone you hang them on a cross. When those people hung Jesus on a cross he died and it was very sad. But don’t fret too much (to fret is to worry) because before he died, Jesus had given his followers…do you remember what they are called…that’s right, Christians.. a reason to be hopeful.
Because Jesus knew God so well, He knew God had a plan for him and accepted God’s plan for Him. He knew what was about to happen before He was crucified. So the night before He died, Jesus met with His friends to have a Last Supper and tell them that He would be leaving them. At the supper, which was the first, First Communion, Jesus changed the bread and wine they planned to eat and drink into His own presence, His body and blood, which is also called the Eucharist, for them to eat and drink. He also taught them how they could ask God to do it for them after He was gone and told them to do it every week so they would always remember Him and what He taught them. THAT is why Christian’s go to church. To be reminded about God’s teachings and to be close to Jesus (in communion with Him) by receiving His body and blood. The first time Christians do this is called First Communion.
Now, if this wasn’t the greatest story ever told…this smarticle would be complete. But since it is, you need to know that after living a perfect life, one without sin, and sacrificing His life on the cross, Jesus was resurrected (that means He came back to life!). And after visiting some of His followers to encourage them to live by the example He set and to invite everyone else to do the same, Jesus ascended (that means went up) to heaven to be with God. And when He did that, He made it possible for all the people that acknowledge Him as God’s son and live as He instructed them to live – obeying God’s laws and treating each other like they would like to be treated – to go to heaven too. THAT is the reason Jesus sacrificed His life, to encourage us to live like Him and enable us to live with Him in heaven.
Anyway, if you’d like to learn more you can ask your mom or dad about God, read the bible or go to Church or even just pray. God bless you!
Bye for now! MsSS.
Communion – A bond between Christians and Jesus
Crucify – Punish someone by hanging them on a cross
Easter – the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection (*Bonus Vocab)
Emulate – Act like
Eucharist – the body and blood of Jesus Christ
Fret – Worry
Pray – Take time to speak to…and/or listen…to God
Resurrected – Restored to life
Sacrifice – Give up our surrender something of value to help others
FUN FACT: Did you notice that every time I mentioned Jesus’ name or used a pronoun to describe Him – that the first letter was capitalized. That is done as a sign of respect.