February 2, 2008, Feast of the Presentation of Jesus, was an equally special day for the PAREF-Northfield grade one boys and their families. That beautiful Saturday morning, the boys received their First Holy Communion at the St. Ignatius Cathedral in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
In a ceremony that was elegant in its simplicity, the 35 boys, resplendent in their all-white outfits and bearing lighted candles, walked down the aisle for the Candle Ceremony. The Feast of the Presentation is also referred to as the Candlemas, and recalls the time when St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother, in keeping with Jewish custom, took the baby Jesus to the temple with an offering of turtledoves.
Fr. Belarmino reminded the boys that the light on their candles represented Jesus Christ, who they were about to receive that day. He also shared excerpts from a dialogue that Pope Benedict XVI had with first communicants, which proved very meaningful and informative for the boys, their parents and their teachers. A communicant, for instance, asked the Pope how he could tell that Jesus was indeed present. The Pope likened Jesus’ presence to electricity. One could not see electricity, but could feel it in the form of light.
He also likened the need for regular confession to the need to clean up one’s room regularly. The dirt is always the same, he noted, but you just have to keep on cleaning up.
Preparing 7- and 8-year olds to receive two Sacraments (the boys went for their first confession on December 13, 2007, and went for another one the day before their communion) is always a big responsibility, but Fr. Belarmino and Mr. Batongbakal, along with class adviser Mr. Daquiz, were there to help the boys and their parents through the entire process. Their doctrinal formation started as early as last year, when the boys were in Prep, and went into high gear when they reached grade one, with Fr. Belarmino taking a personal hand in the spiritual formation of the boys and their parents.
Alongside this, the parents relentlessly presided over the details of the celebration, forming committees in charge of the preparations as early as July, 2007. Through the able direction of parent coordinators Mon and Tintin Carmona, parents wholeheartedly helped out in organizing the event. All in all, 30 grade one boys, four grade two boys, and a non-PAREF student joined the Communion Rites. The latter, who came from a non-sectarian school, was accommodated by the parents on the request of Mr. Batongbakal in the spirit of generosity and in the belief that every child deserves to partake of the Eucharist in a meaningful way.
On a personal note, it was especially touching seeing my own son receive the Eucharist with the faith to know that he was indeed receiving Jesus Christ. I initially feared that there was too little time to prepare my son to receive such an important Sacrament, but that glorious morning in February, I knew in my heart – as all other parents surely did – that the boys had indeed begun their journey of faith. //
In a ceremony that was elegant in its simplicity, the 35 boys, resplendent in their all-white outfits and bearing lighted candles, walked down the aisle for the Candle Ceremony. The Feast of the Presentation is also referred to as the Candlemas, and recalls the time when St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother, in keeping with Jewish custom, took the baby Jesus to the temple with an offering of turtledoves.
Fr. Belarmino reminded the boys that the light on their candles represented Jesus Christ, who they were about to receive that day. He also shared excerpts from a dialogue that Pope Benedict XVI had with first communicants, which proved very meaningful and informative for the boys, their parents and their teachers. A communicant, for instance, asked the Pope how he could tell that Jesus was indeed present. The Pope likened Jesus’ presence to electricity. One could not see electricity, but could feel it in the form of light.
He also likened the need for regular confession to the need to clean up one’s room regularly. The dirt is always the same, he noted, but you just have to keep on cleaning up.
Preparing 7- and 8-year olds to receive two Sacraments (the boys went for their first confession on December 13, 2007, and went for another one the day before their communion) is always a big responsibility, but Fr. Belarmino and Mr. Batongbakal, along with class adviser Mr. Daquiz, were there to help the boys and their parents through the entire process. Their doctrinal formation started as early as last year, when the boys were in Prep, and went into high gear when they reached grade one, with Fr. Belarmino taking a personal hand in the spiritual formation of the boys and their parents.
Alongside this, the parents relentlessly presided over the details of the celebration, forming committees in charge of the preparations as early as July, 2007. Through the able direction of parent coordinators Mon and Tintin Carmona, parents wholeheartedly helped out in organizing the event. All in all, 30 grade one boys, four grade two boys, and a non-PAREF student joined the Communion Rites. The latter, who came from a non-sectarian school, was accommodated by the parents on the request of Mr. Batongbakal in the spirit of generosity and in the belief that every child deserves to partake of the Eucharist in a meaningful way.
On a personal note, it was especially touching seeing my own son receive the Eucharist with the faith to know that he was indeed receiving Jesus Christ. I initially feared that there was too little time to prepare my son to receive such an important Sacrament, but that glorious morning in February, I knew in my heart – as all other parents surely did – that the boys had indeed begun their journey of faith. //
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