First Communion

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Well… To start off, I have not taken part in RCIA. There isn’t a parish around me that host the program. Instead my boyfriend’s dad has been getting me books to read and teaching me the about the Catechism of the Church. He believes I’m ready for my first communion this Chirstmas.

What should I know before my first communion?
 
lizds said:
Well… To start off, I have not taken part in RCIA. There isn’t a parish around me that host the program. Instead my boyfriend’s dad has been getting me books to read and teaching me the about the Catechism of the Church. He believes I’m ready for my first communion this Chirstmas.

What should I know before my first communion?
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You have made a good start. Your boyfriend’s father can surely help you get the knowledge you need about the Church. However, only the pastor can determine if you are indeed ready. Set up an appointment and talk to him. He will let you know what else you need to do. Welcome.
 
Well, the first thing you must know before receiving Holy Communion is that unless the bishop has given your boyfriend’s dad authority to instruct you in a private RCIA class, and also given him the authority to welcome you into the Church outside of Easter Vigil, then you must not receive Holy Communion at Christmas. If your boyfriend’s dad does have this authority, then the only thing I would advise is to approach the sacrament with faith and a silent heart.

Because of the nature of the sacrament, non-Catholics are not permitted to receive Holy Communion, and according to your screen name, you are not yet Catholic. If you are sincere in your intent to join the Church, then you will respect the Church’s teachings and not try to go around the prescribed methods of receiving people into the Church.

God bless you! God bless you! God bless you! It’s so nice that you’re on your way Home 😃

Gertie
 
It sounds like you’re off to a good start. Now you need to talk with your pastor. An adult coming into the Church doesn’t simply receive her First Communion, but will make a profession of faith and be confirmed at the same time. Your pastor will be the one to arrange all of this.
 
We were planning on talking to the Priest. And I do understand that I need to set up an appointment for my first confession as well. I guess I forgot to mention that I already knew about all the things I would need to take care of before first communion.

I guess I meant to ask a more specific question, perhaps this will make more sense. What should I know about the Church specifically, before first communion? I know children have to have been baptized and be at the age of reason, but how does it work for adults?
 
lizds said:
Well… To start off, I have not taken part in RCIA. There isn’t a parish around me that host the program. Instead my boyfriend’s dad has been getting me books to read and teaching me the about the Catechism of the Church. He believes I’m ready for my first communion this Chirstmas.

What should I know before my first communion?
Click to expand...
You don’t say if you are Baptized or not. I will assume that you are validly Baptized and have the necessary documents for the pastor of the parish where you will be received. You will receive Confirmation and First Holy Communion together, after your First Reconciliation. It is good that you future father-in law is willing to be your sponsor since there is no RCIA program available to you. However that does not mean that you FFL is the person who determines when you participate in the Rites and Sacraments. It is still the pastor of the parish, you need to set up an appointment with him and discuss the matter.
 
lizds said:
We were planning on talking to the Priest. And I do understand that I need to set up an appointment for my first confession as well. I guess I forgot to mention that I already knew about all the things I would need to take care of before first communion.

I guess I meant to ask a more specific question, perhaps this will make more sense. What should I know about the Church specifically, before first communion? I know children have to have been baptized and be at the age of reason, but how does it work for adults?
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Rather than asking here, you would do much better to simply make an appointment with your pastor. He’s the one who knows what he wants you to know and he’s the one who will determine if you are ready. He’s the one who will schedule your sacraments and he’s the one who will celebrate them.

Again, you keep talking about communion, but when you are received into the Church you will also be confirmed. Both sacraments, as well as prior confession, are celebrated when an adult comes into the Church.
 
Thank you both for your answers. And again I’ve failed to meniton that I have been baptized, I tend to leave things out on accident. I didn’t know that confirmation and first communion would take place at the same time. This is the type of answer I guess I was looking for. I’m just kind of nervous so getting a heads up of what I should know or expect kind of helps.
 
I know what you’re going through. I was baptized Catholic but raised Methodist; just in the last year I decided to become an active Catholic.

I did a lot (and I mean a lot) of reading, studying, and praying on my own, then had a chat with my parish priest. After about three months of meeting with the RCIA and others, I had my confirmation and communion this past All Saints’ Day.

If you want to be confirmed this quickly, though, you’ll need some things taken care of beforehand, as other posters have said. In our parish, it took a few weeks to get a letter from the bishop allowing me to be confirmed.
 
In my opinion, the only requirement is to know (not just to “believe”) that the consecrated Host is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord.

Anything else is an add-in.

But that’s just my opinion.
 
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