Faith in the Family

Faith in the Family

The bread had been baked, the table was set and the kettle was on. I was meeting with a small group of children and parents who had been preparing for First Holy Communion in our parish. This was our final meeting, after the celebration of First Holy Communion, and I had decided to have a tea party. 

The children have been wonderful to work with, full of enthusiasm and energy. I’ve made sure to involve the parents too, although sometimes they have been more daunted and nervous to talk about faith than their children have been. 

For this final session the children had been thinking about what their favourite story was about Jesus. One wee lad has really impressed me with his love of Bible stories and how well he knows and understands them. His favourite story is when Jesus walks on the water and Peter wants to join him but panics and begins to sink until Jesus reaches out his hand to help and support him.

So we talked about Jesus in the Gospels. We ate bread and jam, drank tea and juice. We talked too about what we had enjoyed over these months. The children were very clear – they had enjoyed learning about Jesus and about the meaning of the Eucharist. 

The parents found that they had learned things about their faith and come to a deeper understanding. We all enjoyed being together, getting to know one another and learning from each other. It was an experience of communion. 

In many ways what we were doing, gathered around that table in the parish house, echoed what we do at Mass every Sunday. We come together, listen to the Word of God and learn more about who Jesus is and what he asks of us. We share one bread and are strengthened in body and spirit. 

The children could see the similarities and differences between our tea party and the Mass. I hope that they will take with them a sense of how important it is that we take time to be together, to grow together in faith and to celebrate not just our first Holy Communion but our 21st, our 101st. 

The experience of working with these families also made me reflect on how important it is that at a wider level within the parish we need to offer people the opportunity to meet, get to know each other, to build communion and community – but how many of our parishes actually do that?

Time and energy

We need to invest time and energy in our relationships if they are to flourish. That applies at the level of the parish and the level of the family. 

Next week, with all the exams finished, my family is going away for a few days together, all six of us. It won’t be anything fancy, just a few nights in a hotel in Wicklow. We want to do some walking in Glendalough as well as go into Dublin to do some of the 1916 tours. More than anything we just need time together as a family. With two away at college and a hectic schedule for family life, it is good just to take time out. 

Looking back over the years our family holidays have created a lot of really important memories for us. We always have a lot of good craic – as well as a few rows about where we will go and what we will do! These times are important to our strength and identity as a family. 

So over these summer months I pray that you will have the opportunity to take time with the people you love. Whether it is a fancy meal out in a restaurant, a sandy sandwich picnic on the beach or tea around your own kitchen table I pray that you will know the meaning and joy of communion.