"For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" John 6:33
At the beginning of the school year (Private catholic school) we were told that communion would be in May for our eight-year-old son. We didn't think much about it. A couple months ago while we were in Guatemala, we decided to visit a local church (pic below) and it all came to us. He started praying and showing us everything they teach him at school.
We were uncertain about how to celebrate a communion considering we are not 100% Catholics. Ric did his communion in Cuba, but it is a communist country, so the experience was very different. In this case we did the one thing that we do know how to do; Pray and ask God for his guidance. We are 100% believers of God and the powers above.
Little by little family members and people from our community guided us through the process that led to this past Saturday when we lived a magical experience watching our oldest son receive the Lord in his heart.
Below is a picture of the entire third-grade class with the priest after the beautiful ceremony. The holy mass felt very special. Seeing our son share in the moment of the holy communion with his father (Ric) was amazing. I can't not wait until we go to mass and they both walk up to the altar together to receive the body of Christ.
For those moms out there that are as clueless as I was when this entire process started here are some details. Basically all you need is a white outfit (Like the ones in the picture above) and a place to gather your closest and most special family members. Speaking to some of the mothers from his class the celebration is different for everyone. Some moms were doing a party at home with rented tables, linens and home made meals, others decided to take a vacation right after the communion, there are people who rented a room at a hotel for a quiet and relaxed weekend after the ceremony and other families like us decided to enlist the help of a local restaurant to cater the "get together".
For the location we chose a small cozy place in a very typical Miami mansion turned restaurant and bar. "Dolores but you can call me Lolita" is the name and it serves a variety of foods mixing Cuban and other typical dishes together.
They offer private rooms for all size parties. The private room option was great for our family, we got to laugh out loud, the kids got to move around and we didn't bother any other guest. We were in own little world! Service was great and they accommodated us very kindly and professional.
Like any celebration the details count. We were also puzzled about what decorations and favors we were going to have for our guest. We decided to keep it simple and put items that will be useful for the afternoon in Miami. That included personalized chocolate bars, flowers and fans for the ladies to fight off the hot weather.
In the end the celebration is not important what's important is your faith and what this day means to this little guy. Growing up in the faith of God shapes kids into good adults, good human beings. Faith is necessary to live a healthy life. Praying to God also known as speaking to God is an exercise that should be done daily. Faith helps you get through the tough times and keeps you humble in the good times. It is also a tradition to give the kids their very own cross and holy rosary as tools for them to pray and continue to practice the faith of God.
I think nothing can describe the emotional moment when our oldest son held in his hand the very same Bible that his father used for his communion many years ago. In the picture below you can see the years in the little book. We hope that one day he could pass that very same Bible onto his kids.
Amen.
