What Every Parent Really Ought To Learn About Their Daughter's First Communion Preparation

A child's first communion is a great moment for most Catholic families . Communion often takes place when a child is around seven or eight years old, and it is the first occasion your daughter will be able to partake in the Holy Eucharist sacrament. To participate, you'll want to purchase the clothing and accessories that are needed for the big day itself, such as a white dress, veil, shoes and anything else needed.

While shopping for wonderful items to wear will be fun for your child, there's work involved with getting your daughter ready for first communion itself. Sacraments are taught to children who participate in a Catholic school, but parents themselves will need to help teach their children many more things. A child has to find out what the sacrament is, so keep reading to learn more about what you need to know about teaching your child.

Before starting the process, make certain your child has received the sacrament of baptism. This is a necessity from the Catholic Church. Baptism is the sacrament of initiation that has to be obtained before the other six of the Church's seven sacraments. Everybody who has already been baptized in the Catholic Church has godparents. If the godparents have time, they can help you with getting your child prepared for her first communion. If not, religious education classes, in addition to parents' teaching, are usually enough to prepare your daughter for the sacrament.

Now and again, a child doesn't yet have the maturity to grasp what the sacrament is. The priest who will be giving your child the sacrament will always be the judge of whether your child is completely ready. There's no need to stress if your child isn't ready the first time around, as they can continue preparing and try again later.

Historically, Catholic children were required to be given the sacrament of penance, or confession, before they were able to receive communion. This way, their souls would be cleansed of sin just before they received Jesus in the form of the Eucharist. But as time passes, some churches feel it's best to hold off on confession until a later time when a child really understands what it means to be absolved of sin. You'll want to check with your particular church to learn whether or not confession has to come before or after your daughter's first communion.

It's not uncommon for some children to feel some stage fright in front of many people when it comes to the Eucharist. They might feel that they won't do it correctly or that they'll drop the Eucharist. As a parent, you help make your child feel more at ease by practicing with her at home with crackers or small round cookies.

It's also recommended that you invite other family members, especially grandparents, to celebrate. After that, many families throw a party or go to a great restaurant to celebrate. Regardless of where you celebrate, make sure you mark the occasion by doing something special. This is a milestone that your child will recollect her entire life.

As a final point, make certain your daughter is wearing a white communion veil and dress. Even though her attire isn't going to directly influence her beliefs, the event will have more significance if she is dressed for the special occasion. She should certainly wear white tights with white dress shoes to complement her dress and veil. Because of your daughter's age at the time of communion, it is not necessary to use any makeup on them. In all probability, you will take her picture in her white communion veil and dress, and she will later look at that photograph, remembering how innocent and hopeful she was at that moment.