Year 4 First Holy Communion

*Text written in this format demonstrates where the Mass integrates with the Forward
Planning Document. 

 Year 4 First Holy Communion

Entrance Hymn
Welcome to the Family by Kids Praise
Students have been practicing this song in lessons B2.1.

Welcome to the family, May we learn to love each other

We are glad that you have come
To share your life with us,
As we grow in love,
And may we always be to you
What God would have us be,
A family always there,
To be strong and to lean on.
More with each new day,
May words of love be on our lips
In every thing we say.
May the Spirit melt our hearts,
And teach us how to pray,
That we might be a true family.

The Introductory Rite

Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
All: And with your spirit

Procession of the Symbols

Students present symbols that relate to what they have learnt during their preparation for
receiving First Communion. A small table is set up to the side of the Alter and a student
gives a short description of each symbol.
“We created this banner to show how God created us with human bodies which are
different from one another. Our differences mean that each one of us is special to God in
a unique way.” (A3.1)
Two students carry and place the “God Loves All of Us” class banner made in lesson A3.1
on the table like a table cloth.
“One way Jesus offered salvation was by modelling how to live in a truly human way. We
present this Bible and letters of thanks written by students, to symbolise Jesus’ teachings
and how we should always try and remember to act like Jesus.” (B1.1)
Student carries up a Bible and letters, and places it on the table.
“We have been learning about different ways that food brings people together. We bring
up this loaf of bread, and branch of grapes to symbolise how the Eucharist was given to
us by Jesus to draw members of God’s family closer to Him.” (B2.1 & C1.1)
Students carry up a loaf of bread and branch of grapes and place them on the table.
“Finally, we preset this candle as a symbol to remind us that Jesus is always with us, and
that we should try and spread light and joy through all of our actions.”
Two students carry up two candles and place them on the table.

Penitential Act

Priest: Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,

and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
All: I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us,

forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.

All:` Amen

V. Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.

V. Christ, have mercy. R. Christ, have mercy.
V. Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.

Gloria (Sung)

All: Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you,
we adore you, we glorify you,
Cont. we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

Collect

Priest: Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honour you with all our mind, and love
everyone in truth of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who
lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever.
All: Amen.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading
A reading from the first Book of Kings 19:4-8

Elijah went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary
broom tree. He asked that he might die: ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for
I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell
asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked, and
there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank,
and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said,
‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’ He got up, and ate and
drank; then he went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb
the mount of God.
Students have learnt this Bible story in lesson C1.1. In this lessons students created a
series of tableaus (actors posed in frozen scenes). Together class decided on the best
frames. A group of students perform these tableaus alongside the first reading.

Reader: The word of the Lord 


All: Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm
(Sung)

Response: You have given us bread from heaven

Reader: How good it is to give thanks to you, O Lord, to sing in your honour, O Most
High God. 


Your mighty deeds, O Lord, make me glad because of what you have done,
I sing for joy.

How great are your actions, Lord! How deep are your thoughts!


Gospel Acclamation
(Sung)

All: Alleluia, Alleluia,


Lord to whom shall we go? For you have the words of everlasting life.

Alleluia.

Gospel
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 6:51-57

Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.
Priest: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 6:51-57
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for
ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to
eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my
blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food
and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I
in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever
eats me will live because of me.

Students have learnt this Bible story in lesson B2.1.1. In this lesson students reflected on
each stage of the story through drawing. The class selected a few art works to scan and
use to create a powerpoint. This powerpoint will be displayed during the reading of the
Gospel.

Priest: The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homely
(Sit)

Profession of Faith — Creed

(Stand)

Prayers of the Faithful

The Prayers of the Faithful are taken from students work in lesson C2.2. Below serves as
an example.

Reader: Lord hear us.

Response: Lord hear our prayer.

As we Celebrate our First Holy Communion, we thank Jesus for the people who love us —
our families and friends. Lord hear us.

We pray for our priests and our teachers that God will continue to bless their good
work.Lord hear us.

We pray for each child receiving First Holy Communion today; that we may remember
what Jesus told us to do: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Lord hear us.
We pray for those who have little food and who often go hungry. Let us share with them
from what we have. Lord hear us.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

Offertory Hymn
Just Like You by Kids Praise

During this hymn, students commence the presentation of the Gifts. Students have been
learning this song in C3.1. The song works in harmony with two groups sing different
parts of the song simultaneously. Students are asked to sing the song according to what
group they were assigned in practice.

Group 1
How I want to be, Lord, just like you.
And oh, the good things that I want to
do.
Listen to my heart, Lord, yes it’s true.
When you give Your peace, and you share
you joy,
And you show your love, oh Lord,
How I want to be like You.
Group 2
I want to be like you, Lord Jesus, yes, it’s
true.
I want to be like you. Give your peace,
Share your joy, show your love, Lord,
How I want to be like you.
How I want to be like you
How I want to be like you

Priest: Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be
acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
All: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and
glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy
Church.

Prayer over the Offerings

Priest: Grant us, O merciful God, that this our offering may find
acceptance with you and that through it the wellspring of all
blessing may be laid open before us.
Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen
 Eucharistic prayer

Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.
Priest: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right and just.
Priest: It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,

always and everywhere to give you thanks,

Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,

through Christ our Lord.
His Death we celebrate in Love,

His Resurrection we confess with living faith,

and his Coming in glory we await with unwavering hope.

And so, with all the Angels and the Saints,


we praise you as without end we acclaim:

All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts,


Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest.

Priest: You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy,
therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon
them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body
and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ At the time he was betrayed
and entered willingly into his Passion, he took bread and, giving
thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:



TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT,

FOR THIS IS MY BODY,

WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU


In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and,
once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying:
 TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT,
FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,
THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT,
WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY
FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME

The mystery of faith.

All: When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, 


we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
Priest: Therefore, as we celebrate
the memorial of his Death and Resurrection,
we offer you, Lord,
the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation,
giving thanks that you have held us worthy
to be in your presence and minister to you.
Humbly we pray
that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ,
we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Lord, your Church,
spread throughout the world,
and bring her to the fullness of charity,
together with Francis our Pope and Costelloe our Bishop
and all the clergy.
Remember also our brothers and sisters
who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection,
and all who have died in your mercy:
welcome them into the light of your face.
Have mercy on us all, we pray,
that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
with the blessed Apostles,
and all the Saints who have pleased you throughout the ages,
we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life,
and may praise and glorify you, through your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour is yours,
 for ever and ever.

All: Amen

The Communion Rite


All: Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Priest: Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
All: For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Priest: Lord Jesus Christ,
who said to your Apostles:
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you;
look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and graciously grant her peace and unity
in accordance with your will
Who live and reign for ever and ever.
All: Amen
Priest: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
All: And with your spirit.
Priest: Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
 All Sing
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Priest: Behold the Lamb of God,

behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

Students go up with their parents to receive their First Holy Communion.

1st Communion Hymn

One Bread One Body by John Michael Talbot

Gentile or Jew

(Chorus) Servant or free

One bread, one body
 Woman or man, no more
One Lord of all
 Many the gifts

One cup of blessing which we Many the works

bless
 One in the Lord of all
And we, though many

Throughout the earth
 Grain for the fields

We are one body in this one Lord Scattered and grown

Gathered to one, for all

2nd Communion Hymn

A New Commandment I Give Unto You

A new commandment I give unto
you,
That you love one another as I
have loved you,
That you love one another as I
have loved you.
By this shall all men know that you
are My disciples,
if you have love one for another.
By this shall all men know that you
are My disciples,
if you have love one for another.
 Prayer after Communion

Priest: May sharing at the heavenly table


sanctify us, Lord, we pray,

so that through the Body and Blood of Christ

the whole family of believers may be bound together.

Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The Concluding Rites

Priest: The Lord be with you

All: And with your spirit

Priest: May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Recessional Hymn
Shine Jesus Shine by Graham Kendrick

Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth you now bring us
Shine on me, shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light
Lord, I come to your awesome presence
From the shadows into your radiance
By the blood I may enter your
brightness
Search me, try me, consume all my
darkness
Shine on me, shine on me
As we gaze on your kingly brightness
So our faces display your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here may our lives tell your
story
Shine on me, shine on me

Thank you to all families, friends and the church community for being a part of our
Year 4 1st Holy Communion mass.