BIS Mumbai
BOSCO INFORMATION SERVICE # 3173
THE FIRST HOLY COMMUNION AND THE CONFIRMATION DAY-INTO MY HEART
Patrick John Ashing
NEW DELHI OCTOBER 15, 2012 : Najafgarh, it was the Pentecost day for the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul. A huge crowd of two thousand people was seen making a beeline for the 
ground of Holy Cross School in Najafgarh in the early hours of the evening at around 5.00 pm on Saturday, October 13. No, it was not holiday-makers out to have a good time at a fete or enthusiastic parents gearing up to proudly watch their wards perform at an annual school concert. The fanfare was composed of 178 children dressed in immaculately spotless white garments, closely followed by their parents and the parish community. Of these children, 64 were to receive their First Holy Communion, 114 were to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The children were prepared under the leadership of Rev. Katara Mathew,sdb the Parish priest, with the help of sisters of 
different congregations. The children made their confession on October 12, and it was something new to edify that the parish priest asked also the parents and God parents to make confession and prepared themselves spiritually for this great event. Practically all parents made the confession with their children.
If music is the food of the soul, play on, or should I say, dance on? Dance as a vivid expression of prayer was powerfully attested to with an entrance dance by Bosco B, a mammoth offertory dance and procession by Surya Kunj and Krishna Colony while the First Communicants themselves performed a devotional dance leading to the offering of `Aarti' during the Great 
Doxology.
The mass was celebrated by His Grace Archbishop Vincent Concessao, parish priest Fr. Mathew Katara, Fr. Benny Issac, Fr. Sajjan George co-pastor, and two other priests concelebrated. In his homily, Archbishop Concessao asked the confirmandis a few brief questions as to why they wanted to be confirmed and why a need was felt for them to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit. He seemed to be satisfied by the answers the candidates gave him. He went on to relate the moving incident of a person who assisted a blind man cross the street, and was asked by him, "Are you Jesus Christ?" He said our lives and actions should be such that this self-same question should be asked of us by those with whom we lived, met each day and interacted with. The sacraments then, especially the Holy Eucharist was the means of bringing us closer to Jesus Christ, making us more and more like Him and allowing people around us to see the Jesus 
dwelling within us.
The Vote of Thanks was rendered by one of the candidates while rich tributes were paid to Archbishop Vincent Concessao by Fr. Katara on behalf of the children, the parish community and the Salesian community at Najafgarh, and he also exhorted the children the parents and parishioners to remain committed to Christ and his teaching. While a token of gratitude was presented to Archbishop Vincent Concessao . It had truly been a most fitting end to an equally beautifully day.
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