Xavier Wants the Eucharist

One Sunday, after coming back from church, little Xavier and his sister Maria were arguing loudly. Their mother heard them and asked,

Mother: “What is all this noise about?”

Xavier (frustrated): “Mom, isn’t it unfair? Maria gets to receive the Holy Eucharist, but I don’t! She says I’m too young and that I need to wait until catechism classes and First Holy Communion. But I already know it’s Jesus in the Eucharist! Daddy taught me that when we receive it, we become friends with Jesus. I even know all the prayers by heart. So why can’t I receive Him now?

Mother smiled gently and sat down beside Xavier.

Mother: “My dear, I understand your eagerness. But you see, there is a right time for everything. You cannot jump to high school before finishing primary school, right? In the same way, before receiving the Eucharist, you need to be prepared in heart and mind. That is why we have catechism classes and the First Holy Communion.”

Xavier: “Prepared? What kind of preparation, Mom?”

Mother: “Good question. You already know that Jesus is present in the Eucharist. But here’s something more: when the priest blesses the bread and wine with the words of Jesus, it truly becomes His Body and Blood. When we receive Him, Jesus comes into our hearts and makes us one with Him. That’s why it is very important that our hearts are clean and full of love. We must say sorry for our sins and leave behind bad habits. Only then can Jesus happily live in us.”

Xavier (puzzled): “Hmm… I’m not sure I understand.”

Mother thought for a moment, then said,

Mother: “Remember last week when we went to Uncle Tom’s wedding?”

Xavier: “Yes! I saw flowers, decorations, and lots of yummy food!”

Mother chuckled.

Mother: “That’s true, but do you remember what Uncle Tom and Aunt Liz said in church before exchanging rings?”

Xavier: “Oh yes! They said ‘Yes’ to marry each other.”

Mother: “Exactly. That ‘Yes’ meant Uncle Tom was choosing Aunt Liz as his only wife, and Liz was choosing Uncle Tom as her only husband. They promised to love each other and say ‘No’ to anyone else. Marriage is about love, commitment, and saying yes with your whole heart.

Receiving the Eucharist is something like that. When we receive Jesus, we are saying, ‘Yes, Jesus, I give You my heart!’ That also means we say ‘No’ to sin, selfishness, and all that is evil. It is a holy promise of friendship and love with Jesus. That is why, Xavier, you must prepare well before receiving Him for the first time.”

Xavier’s eyes grew wide.

Xavier: “So receiving the Eucharist is like making a special promise to Jesus, just like marriage?”

Mother: “Yes, my dear. And when the time comes, your First Holy Communion will be one of the happiest days of your life, because Jesus Himself will come to live in your heart.” Xavier smiled quietly. Now he understood why he needed to wait and prepare.