Yesterday
I had the singular privilege of giving Holy Communion for the first time to my
twin granddaughters, Abigail & Beatrice.
As a deacon I have been blessed many times by God through my ministry in
Church, but the gift of sharing the Body & Blood of our Savior with my
grandchildren is a poignant and wonderful Experience, that I am unable to
capture in words.
Eight
years ago in January 2012 my parish community, Our Lady of Perpetual Help,
prayed for them [along with family and friends] because they were born prematurely
(weighing under 3 lbs. each), they not only survived, but have thrived. So, to be with them, their parents [photo above], and
family members was emotionally packed.
Gratitude filled my heart for people who prayed for them and cared for
them while they spent weeks in the neonatal unit at St. Luke’s Hospital
I
filled up giving them Communion and again when they gave a rose to the Blessed
Mother & (then) to their Mother. The
gift of the Eucharist is a singularly unique gift from Jesus Christ, first to
His Apostles, then through Holy Mother Church, down through the ages to
us. Pictured below are the twins with
their Mom in the hospital when my daughter-in-law held them for the first time,
with their Mom and Dad yesterday and several other 1st Holy
Communion photos.
A
beautiful and angelic cantor led the singing at the Mass yesterday, their
Grandmother and my lovely wife (Joanne). May the
gift of the Eucharist always be, the most precious gift for them, and may God’s
blessing be upon them today and every day.
May God
Be Praised!
[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass
Time in Pandemic]
Provide
strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and
wisdom to government leaders. End this
coronavirus scourge. Send Your light to me
as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal
love today and every day. Amen.
[Dcn.
George Kelly]
Absolutely beautiful in so many ways 💙
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