All children who would like to receive First Holy Communion (typically conducted during the second grade) must be enrolled in first grade to start the process. Please contact our Religious Education office at 781.326.0550 to request a registration form or go to the Faith Formation tab and register online. Any adult member of our parish who is need of receiving First Holy Communion, please sign up for the RCIA Program sponsored by the parish.
Theology of Holy Eucharist
The Holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. As sacrament, its grace causes in us a transformation of heart and soul that draws us into the divine life and unites us with all the People of God. We need to remember that the Eucharist is the summit and source of Christian life because in the Eucharist is found the entire treasure of the church-Jesus Christ. (CCC)
Holy Eucharist and Sacred Scripture
The origins of the Eucharist are found in the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his Apostles. Jesus instituted the Eucharist as a pledge of His love and a memorial of His death and Resurrection. The use of bread and wine goes back to the Old Testament where these are seen as gifts from God so profound they were used by the priest Melchizedek as offering for Abraham’s victory for the Israelites.(Gn 14:18) The Last Supper took place during the feast of Passover when the Israelites celebrate their deliverance from Egyptian bondage by the hand of God through the slaying of all the firstborn of Egypt. Jesus leads us on Holy Thursday to a new Passover, the Holy Eucharist where bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ by our new High Priest. 9(Mt 26:17-29, Mk14: 12-25, Lk 22:7-20)
The Essential Rite of Holy Eucharist
The essential signs of the Eucharist are the unleavened wheat bread and grape wine. At Mass these are consecrated by the priest, who by the power of the Holy Spirit represents Christ himself, into the Body and Blood of Christ. Holy Eucharist is made manifest to the People of God during the Sacrifice of the Mass which represents for the faithful the passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus.
Mass is celebrated by validly ordained priests and begins with the Introductory Rites which lead the people through the Penitential Rite, the Gloria and the Opening Prayer. The Liturgy of the Word follows during which Old and New Testament scripture, especially the Gospel is proclaimed to arouse faith and prepare us for a deeper participation in the mystery of the Eucharist. The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins when the gifts of bread and wine are presented and prepared for the Consecration. During the Consecration, the Holy Spirit is invoked to transform the gifts into the Body and Blood of Christ using specific words od consecration. All the faithful, who are in a state of grace, are urged to receive Holy Communion. The Mass concludes with the Concluding Rite during which the priest blesses and dismisses the faithful to bear witness to the transformative power of Holy Eucharist in their lives.