First Communion

For the last couple years the twins have just received a blessing during communion at church. This has always upset them because they could see that everyone else was getting something to eat and drink and all they were getting from Pastor was a pat on the head and some words. Needless to say they have felt left out.

Last year it got kind of bad because all their Catholic classmates went through first communion. The Catholic Church makes a pretty big deal of all this with special lessons, practices, nice fancy suits and dresses and a party afterwards. My kids and the other non-catholics in the room went through the lessons with them, but they did not join in the actual ceremony nor the party. Being excluded from all this stuff really upset my daughter. When asking why she wasn't going to do communion with her classmates my daughter was stunned to find out that she wasn't Catholic. My son didn't really care. He just wasn't interested.

Last year our Pastor asked if we wanted to get the twins started with communion. We decided to wait another year. Our oldest daughter was more than ready when she was in second grade. But the twins just didn't seem interested. They wanted some of what everyone else was eating or drinking. But to them it was only a snack that they weren't getting their fair share of.

This year we decided that they were probably ready. So last week they had a meeting with Pastor and he explained the Lutheran philosophy of Communion. After about an hour of talking with the twins he decided that they were ready. So this morning was their first Communion.

I think they were a little disappointed. Their Catholic classmates all got nice clothes and a party. My twins got new clothes, thier pictures taken and a Bible from Pastor. But that was it. They just got in line with the rest of us and joined the congregation in Communion.

I think they thought the whole thing was rather anticlimactic. However for their mother it was a bit traumatic. She isn't ready for her babies to grow up yet. This morning was just a reminder that they are, whether we like it or not.