First Holy Communion is a time for the ‘Five Fs Prayer of Thanks’

Boys and girls, your day has come.  This month, you finally receive the Eucharist.  You know the word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word eucaristia, which means “thanks.”

From now on, after you receive Holy Communion, I want you to return to your seats and kneel for a few minutes in prayer with your hands covering your face so that no one or thing can distract you.  And while you are kneeling, I want you to offer what I like to call “The Five Fs Prayer of Thanks.”

The first “F” stands for our Father in heaven. Thank God the Father for sending you Jesus. Without Jesus, there would be no Communion. There would be no Christmas and no Easter. Life would be empty without Jesus.

Next thank God for your family, the second “F.” Your family is always there for you. Your family loves you more than you know. They will be with you today and throughout your life.

Then, thank God for your friends, the third “F.” These are the boys and girls that you enjoy spending time with. These are your classmates and teammates who support you when you succeed and comfort you when you fail. They are the people who chose to be your buddy and whom you chose to be your friends.

After this, thank God for the gift of freedom, the fourth “F,” because this gift allows you grow up and become whatever you want in life. Freedom is the gift that God gave us so that we are not puppets but people with a mind, heart and soul of our own. The gift of freedom makes it possible for us to turn our dreams into reality.

Finally, thank God for the gift of faith, the fifth “F,” because this gift allows you to believe that God is real, that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, your eternal Best Friend Forever Jesus is really and truly the Bread of Life. To receive him, is to receive God’s love!

Boys and girls, let’s review. When you return to your seats after receiving your Holy Communion, you are going to kneel, cover your face and offer “The Five Fs Prayer of Thanks,” in which you will thank our Father in heaven for sending us his Son, Jesus.  You will thank God for your family, for your friends, for freedom and for faith. Do you think that you can remember these five “Fs”?

Well, then I just have one more piece of advice, after Mass today, I want you all to remember one more “F.” Have fun!

Father Comandini is coordinator of the Office for Ongoing Faith Formation