As Christians, we all strive for the same life mission: to live for God and live with God. The sacraments are a gift that allows us to actively become closer with Him. ^“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me’.” (Luke 22:19) This weekend, my cousin Jack received his First Holy Communion. As the youngest in my family, I never had the opportunity to really observe and understand the full beauty of faith growing in a child’s life. Then Jack was born, and my awe in the journey of faith has deepened.

Dear Jack,

From the moment I held you for the first time, I could feel God’s presence. Your birth was one of the greatest gifts God gave me. Your delicate skin and little body peacefully lay in my arms, and before I knew it was your Baptism. Through Baptism, you became one with Christ.

As you got older your faith grew with you. I remember when you were really young and you would do the Sign of the Cross with your little hands and you already knew the Our Father. It amazed me how such a big faith could come from someone so little.

Not only did you know your prayers, but also you knew how to act out your faith. I’ll never forget all of the times you helped me. If you ever thought I was sad you gave me a hug and told me it would be okay. You easily cheer people up and make them feel better. God blessed you with many strengths; one is your profound affection and compassion. At Lindsey and Charlie’s Wedding you were there to witness their love; your exceeding happiness that day brought our family a lot of joy and made the start of their life together even more special and exciting. At Grandma’s funeral, your strength amazed me. At such a young age, you were able to go up in front of the congregation and read a poem for her. This strength shows your generous love for Grandma and confidence that the Lord will help you through anything.

At Mass you will whisper questions to us about the meaning of things such as what the tabernacle is. The sense of curiosity you hold is a definite sign of God being present in your heart and mind. You desire to know Him more when you asked those questions, and now you get to.

I am so proud of you for many reasons. And today, that reason is for receiving your First Holy Communion. The bread and wine, as you know, is the Body and Blood of Christ. Christ has loved you so much, that he gave himself to you. I know that the concept of such love is difficult to understand fully; it still is even for me. However, as you keep growing this great love from God is going to follow you, and you will be able to recognize it more and more. You are so loved.