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Spenser Kersey Julia Smith English 106 March 6, 2014 The Lifelong Effect of Holy Communion Attending church on a weekly basis fulfills the sacrament, Keep Holy the Sabbath. In a Roman Catholic Church many events occur throughout mass. For example, if Catholics arrive early, the time before mass is spent in silent prayer. A lot of prayers are said and psalms sung. The priest proclaims the word of the lord and teaches a lesson every mass, in his homily. Everything done in church has meaning and importance, but receiving the body of Christ through Holy Communion sits on top of the totem pole. Catholics need their weekly dosage of Jesus Christ. During the process of transubstantiation, the symbolic unleavened bread and red wine change into the flesh and blood of Christ. Growing up Roman Catholic, my siblings and I would pretend to receive communion with any chip, pretzel, bread, Kool-Aid or fruit punch that we had. I am literate of the Roman Catholic faith. I know how to pray and do the right thing. I grew up learning what the correct way to act in church is. It was not until 3rd grade that I became literate in receiving the body and blood of Christ. I am, more specifically, Holy Communion literate. I attended a private Roman Catholic elementary school. In 3rd grade the whole class receives their first Holy Communion. Receiving my first communion was a huge deal. We spent weeks in class preparing for this one day. I remember my teacher holding practices during our recess time that we would have to attend. We were taught how to walk to receive the body of Christ, what to say, and how to drink the blood of Christ. Once the date arrived, I was so

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nervous. All the boys in the class wore white dress shirts with black pants, dress shoes, and a black tie. I do not remember what the girls in the class wore, just something nice I assume. The butterflies in my stomach were unbelievable. We walked into church and sat with our class. For the entirety of the mass it felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. Then the moment came, we were getting ready to get Holy Communion. I instantly became as calm as a young child sleeping. I was scared no more and seemed ready for the moment. Walking up to the priest I just kept thinking through what my teacher taught me. I thought out every move. I received the body and blood of Christ and went back to sit down. Everything went well, no one tripped or chugged the wine. After mass we got our pictures taken and had a party at my house with the family. This was the first time I received communion and I anticipated that moment for the longest time. I was so ready and it went flawlessly. Now, everything I do I think through the whole scenario. I think before I speak and before I act. Receiving Holy Communion in such a particular way shaped the way I do things now. This was the first memory I have where I would think through the whole situation and try my hardest not to make a mistake. Now, it has affected me forever and defines who I am today. Sponsors in learning the literacy of Holy Communion consist of my 3rd grade religion book, my 3rd grade teacher, my parents, the scriptures, the church, the school and the priest, Father Peter. Implicit sponsors are composed of the church itself and the school where I learned the basic skills needed to become literate in Holy Communion. These 2 sponsors made the way I learn comfortable and the moment at which I received my first communion as relaxed as possible. Along with my religion book, the implicit sponsors were also concrete sponsors. Some explicit sponsors are my religion book, teacher, parents, and priest. These sponsors could teach me in a different way, because they had the ability to tell me and give me tips on how to do it

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since they have done it before. The book has not done it before but it has helpful hints and tips on what to do. The institution of the Holy Communion is the church. Holy Communion is the most important part of mass and is a very formal celebration during mass. The literacy of Holy Communion has become a discourse to me. When I receive Holy Communion I fold my hands as I walk up to receive the body and blood of Christ. I bow my head right before I say Amen. I say amen in response to the Eucharistic Ministers as they say The body/blood of Christ. I make the sign of the cross starting with my forehead, then chest, then left side of torso, and lastly right side. I walk very respectful the whole time and keep my hands folded until I return to my seat. My respectful nature during the Holy Communion, the most important part of mass, arises from the humble nature of church. The priest makes statements and the congregation responds in a very humble and respectful way. This discourse consists of words that people who have never received communion would understand. These things seem obviously and second nature to me but a lot of people would not know how to act in that situation. These obvious things to me help make up my identity kit. The way I receive Communion in church has inflected the way I act in life. Now, as a human being I have an identity kit of thinking before I speak. The underlying values of thinking before I speak comes from my 3rd grade teacher and church in general. I think the two are interrelated because my teacher was very religious and strict about the way things were done. I believe the churchs values have worn off on me and now I care about the effect it has on others of how I act or talk to others. Learning the literacy of Holy Communion was mostly taught to me by my sponsors as I mentioned above. The sponsors for my literacy also taught me how to have my hands when I am receiving the Body of Christ and what to say. Memorizing these ways of the Holy Communion

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was pretty simple and it has become habit to me now. The first time I received Holy Communion was a totally different story. These thoughts of what to do were going through my head along with everything else as I was waiting for my first Communion. On top of everything else, I had to look good and not mess up so I did not embarrass my family or myself. So, going to receive Holy Communion for the first time had me thinking about how my actions will affect the most important people in the world to me. If I was in their shoes I would not want somebody elses actions to make me feel a way I did not want to feel. While thinking about all of this throughout the process, I now really wanted to make it flawless so I could treat my family the way I wanted to be treated. I want them to feel proud of me and happy for me because that is how I would want to feel if I was in their shoes. I wanted to treat them to a satisfactory mass because that is what I would want them to do for me. In fact, I know they would want to do the same for me. The most important commandment that Jesus told us himself is, treat others the way you want to be treated. With this being a huge underlying value in the Catholic Church, it would make sense for me to pick up on the commandment. It now affects the way I live and has created a new value for me. Knowing that this is the most important commandment, may have unconsciously got into my mind as I was preparing for my First Communion. I must have accepted the belief and then created my own way to satisfy it. I would make sure my actions and words would not affect someone the way I would not want to be affected. The effect this has on me now is huge, I still follow that underlying belief to treat others the way you want to be treated. Thinking my way through life came up when I originally received Holy Communion. Now I think my way through my actions and words. I know I need to do the right thing and it makes me feel good when I do the right thing. Knowing this, I think of the best way to handle

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situations. Without the help of my sponsors and my First Communion I may not have become the thinker I am today. Sometimes I over analyze situations and think way too much. But that is just who I am now. My First Communion helped create my literacy in Holy Communion but also it helped shape who I am today. It made me the person who thinks before he speaks and acts, which inevitably fulfills the most important sacrament of treating others the way you want to be treated.