Why isn't First Holy Communion held on Holy Thursday?

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I never seem to remember this question when I have a moment with my priest. But it seems that it would make the most sense to have First Holy Communion on the day that commemorates the First Communion. Not only that, it would allow those kids to fully partake in the Mass on the holiest day of the year. I think it would help the kids to link the sacrament to its origins.
 
rstegeman said:
I never seem to remember this question when I have a moment with my priest. But it seems that it would make the most sense to have First Holy Communion on the day that commemorates the First Communion. Not only that, it would allow those kids to fully partake in the Mass on the holiest day of the year. I think it would help the kids to link the sacrament to its origins.
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It would be a great idea, but most kids are in school on Holy Thursday. And their parents are at work. It might work as an evening Mass. 🤷
 
rstegeman said:
I never seem to remember this question when I have a moment with my priest. But it seems that it would make the most sense to have First Holy Communion on the day that commemorates the First Communion. Not only that, it would allow those kids to fully partake in the Mass on the holiest day of the year. I think it would help the kids to link the sacrament to its origins.
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In addition to the kids being in school, some other thoughts: First, I don’t believe that Holy Thursday is widely considered “the holiest day of the year,” thinking that would be Easter. Certainly the most somber day of the year is Good Friday, which presents another issue: I would think the joy, family celebrations, etc. that typically accompany First Communions would be inappropriate on the eve of Good Friday. Also, the Holy Thursday liturgy has a specific focus as part of the Triduum, and this focus - an adult one - is certainly other than those thoughts usually surrounding First Communion Masses. The fact that Holy Thursday marks the Apostles’ “First Communion” is part of a larger message on the institution of the Eucharist and the segue into Christ’s passion and death; this setting isn’t really consistent with the young-child messages at a typical First Communion Mass. On a more practical note, since Easter can be quite early, there are major parts of the country where cold, snow, and ice are still present around Easter, that that’s not an ideal setting for First Communions either. Just my thoughts.
 
Sorry, I didn’t mean that Holy Thursday was the holiest day of the year. I meant that they could then fully partake in the Celebration on Easter Sunday. I don’t know if it’s like this everywhere, but around my area, the First Communions are usually celebrated in May. So usually for Easter, the kids are in the middle of their preparation. In some ways, I think it could also be at the Easter Vigil, the same time the Catechumins are accepted as full Catholics.

I just think that it should be more closely tied to Holy Week / Easter since that’s when the sacrament was first instituted and what the sacrament is all about. The sacrifice and the rising from the dead.

As for being in school, the Mass could be in the evening.
 
rstegeman said:
Sorry, I didn’t mean that Holy Thursday was the holiest day of the year. I meant that they could then fully partake in the Celebration on Easter Sunday. I don’t know if it’s like this everywhere, but around my area, the First Communions are usually celebrated in May. So usually for Easter, the kids are in the middle of their preparation. In some ways, I think it could also be at the Easter Vigil, the same time the Catechumins are accepted as full Catholics.

I just think that it should be more closely tied to Holy Week / Easter since that’s when the sacrament was first instituted and what the sacrament is all about. The sacrifice and the rising from the dead.

As for being in school, the Mass could be in the evening.
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Logistically speaking, if my parish were to hold First Communions at Holy Thursday or at the Easter Vigil, we would be there for 5 hours at least - we have over 20,000 families registered.
 
A couple of ideas which might help:

As FCEGM said, it’s a bit of a logistical nightmare. Holy Thursday is when the Chrism Mass would be celebrated http://www.rpinet.com/ml/2403bi1.html. Since 1955 In a lot of dioceses, Chrism Mass is most often celebrated on the Wednesday adjacent to Holy Thursday instead ; to allow the parish priests time to both attend/concelebrate the Mass of Chrism with the bishop and then celebrate Holy Thursday with their parishoners.

Holy Thursday is predominantly the feast of the institution of the ministerial/sacerdotal priesthood…we might say that falls, in sequence, precedent to the common priesthood (all believers).

Holy Thursday is indeed a very complex and holy day. But we need to consider Christ’s Sacrifice , which is re-presented (made present again) in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass : Liturgically speaking, the experts might consider it a little incongruent or incomplete to have First Communion on Holy Thursday because that day in the Triduum connotes the institution of the ministerial priesthood and the betrayal but in this connotation Christ has yet to die for us and to rise again…So it kind of subtly implies an incompleteness in one sense if First Communions were to take place that day.

(… Never would have thought of this if you hadn’t asked that question - thanks rstegeman 👍)
 
At My Parish (Holy Rosary) we do have First Communion on Holy Thursday 🙂 The Mass is held at 7:00PM and was a Mass in the OF with the majority of it being said in Latin.
 
I’d second the idea that asking any priest to take on any additional duties during Holy Week, an INCREDIBLY busy time of year for them, is not a good idea.

The Feast of Corpus Christi would be great as an alternative - a very Eucharist centred day of the calendar.

If memory serves, my school did used to have the confirmations on Pentecost most years, which was a nice touch.
 
Because the Church would prefer that it not be celebrated then:

Redemptionis Sacramentum:
[87.] The First Communion of children must always be preceded by sacramental confession and absolution.[169] Moreover First Communion should always be administered by a Priest and never outside the celebration of Mass. Apart from exceptional cases, it is not particularly appropriate for First Communion to be administered on Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper. Another day should be chosen instead, such as a Sunday between the Second and the Sixth Sunday of Easter, or the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or the Sundays of Ordinary Time, since Sunday is rightly regarded as the day of the Eucharist.[170]
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