One of the best things about being a priest is you get to be with people as they experience sacraments for the first time. I was reminded of this great joy last Sunday as we celebrated First Communion for many of our young people. For some sacraments, such as Baptism, the first time is also the only time a person will experience the sacrament itself. For Confession and Communion, though, while we may (and should!) receive them many times throughout our lives, the first time we receive them is a special and unique moment.

One of the reasons it is so wonderful to be with people when they receive these sacraments, especially for the first time, is because these sacraments are moments of unique joy for a person. Baptism is the moment when God breathes the life of the Holy Spirit into a person. When a person is baptized, they join Jesus in his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, which is why Baptism cleanses us from sin. We, in a mystical but real way, die to this world and are reborn in Jesus Christ at baptism: sin and death can no longer claim power over us. This is why Baptism is critical for our salvation. We must have life in Jesus Christ to participate in his Resurrection.

Confession, while it may not seem like a moment of joy, is truly an incredible sacrament. In this sacrament we come face to face with our sins, we must admit them, and we must recognize that they harm us and those we love. Whether it seems like it or not, even those “private” sins impact us, the people around us, and the whole church. In confessions, as we hold these moments that are often full of shame and regret out to God and ask him to heal us. It is a moment of great vulnerability for anyone, and it should not be taken too lightly: in Confession we encounter the justice of God. At the same time, it should not be a moment of fear, because in confession we learn that God’s mercy and his justice are the same. He will not spurn a humble and contrite heart. No matter how deep or ugly the sin in our lives might be, God can always forgive it and restore our life in him.

The Eucharist, or Communion, is a bit more obvious in its joy than Confession. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. We are put into, well, communion with the one who created us, who loves us more than we can ever imagine, and who has offered us eternal life. We confirm the new covenant initiated in our hearts at Baptism, and we express communion with the Holy Catholic Church. But Communion can also have a slight moment of fear to it: God and sin cannot co-exist. We must detach ourselves from all sin, because his presence destroys sin. This is, in fact, why he left the Garden of Eden. If he remained while Adam and Eve chose to sin God’s presence would have destroyed them. Sometimes those receiving First Communion recognize this better than those who regularly receive: there is a little fear mixed with the joy of Communion. They used to tie a rope around the High Priest as he entered the presence of God in the holy tabernacle of the temple in case the encounter with holiness was fatal to the high priest. We experience an even more profound encounter with holiness, so we must prepare ourselves by living as Christ and his church teaches, confessing all known mortal sin, and fasting for one hour from all food (except water and medicine, see me if you have questions).

The Sacraments are always moments of great joy. Let us savor this joy, let us treasure these sacraments, and let us do everything we can to prepare our hearts to receive them!