Prayers for First Holy Communion
Prayer Before Receiving Holy Communion
My Lord Jesus Christ, I firmly believe that I am about to receive, in Holy Communion, Thy Body, Thy Blood, Thy Soul, and Thy Divinity. I believe this because Thou hast said it, and I am ready to give my life to maintain this truth.
My God, I am a poor sinner and most unworthy to receive Thee. I am heartily sorry for all my sins, because they have offended Thee, my sovereign Good. I detest them all from the bottom of my heart, and I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy holy grace, never more to commit them.
My loving Saviour, I long to receive Thee in my heart. Come, O my Jesus, come and visit my soul. Purify it and make it a dwelling worthy of Thee. My heart is small, but do Thou enlarge it, that it may be able to contain Thee, the God of all majesty. Amen.
Prayer After Receiving Holy Communion
My sweet Jesus, I adore Thee, truly present in my soul. I thank Thee with all my heart for having come to me, a poor and miserable sinner. I unite myself wholly to Thee; do Thou unite Thyself to me, and never permit me to be separated from Thee.
I offer to Thee my soul with all its faculties, my heart with all its affections, and my body with all its senses. I consecrate my whole being to Thee, and I desire that all my thoughts, words, and actions may be for Thy greater glory.
O Jesus, my God and my All, bless me, and grant me the grace of perseverance in Thy love and service until death. O Mary, my Mother, pray for me. My good Angel, protect me. Amen.
Renewal of Baptismal Vows
(Profession of Faith)
The person renewing the vows responds to each question.
Question: Dost thou renounce Satan?
Answer: I do renounce him.
Question: And all his works?
Answer: I do renounce them.
Question: And all his pomps?
Answer: I do renounce them.
Question: Dost thou believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?
Answer: I do believe.
Question: Dost thou believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was born and who suffered?
Answer: I do believe.
Question: Dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
Answer: I do believe.
This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Contexte Historique
First Holy Communion is the common name for a person’s first reception of the sacrament of the Eucharist. It is a momentous occasion in the life of a Catholic, as they receive the Body and Blood of Christ for the first time. The practice of receiving Communion at the ‘age of discretion’ (around seven years) was solidified by Pope St. Pius X in his 1910 decree ‘Quam Singulari’. The ‘Profession of Faith’ (Profession de Foi) is a ceremony, particularly common in France and other European countries, where adolescents solemnly and publicly renew the promises made on their behalf at Baptism. While this specific ceremony is not universal, the act of renewing baptismal vows is a core Catholic practice, most notably during the Easter Vigil and at Confirmation, signifying a mature and personal acceptance of the Faith.