I can’t forget the first time I went to church for my First Communion. Everything seems to be well prepared for. From the clothes I am about to put on to the little gathering at our house that will take place shortly after Communion, everything was arranged. Although I still don’t have much of an idea why I’m supposed to participate in that celebration at that point, my excitement about how I’ll participate overpowered my curiosity about why I have to participate.

I had always wondered ever since why it was so special: why there were special clothes we were forced to wear, why my parents seemed so excited as they prepared for my First Communion, why some of my relatives and neighbors were invited to a small gathering at our house and why some of them even gave me first communion gifts like it was my birthday. I didn’t really understand it much, but my mom said that she was just formally announcing that I understand and accept Christianity in my life. She may not have realized its true meaning at the time, but it felt good.

Now as I look back on that time, I can’t help but thank God because I know I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to grow up in a Christian family and to know Him at such a young age. That is why I learned at an early age how Jesus sacrificed his life for me and saved me with his body and his blood that we try to remember and celebrate in First Communion. This has even brought me to a brighter perspective on life and given me the passion to live life properly while enjoying it.

The ceremony of that first communion may be plain and simple, but it has greatly affected the point of my life and, moreover, my character. It may have been a long time since I first had that communion, but its essence will surely remain in my heart all the days of my life.