Summary
Highlights
The speaker starts with two easy questions about the 'first communion' and 'seventh communion' to set up a difficult one: 'What do we call the 52nd communion?' He reveals that it's called the 'quincuagésimo segunda comunión' (fifty-second communion), highlighting its unusual nature.
He explains that the 52nd communion refers to receiving communion every Sunday for a year, as there are 52 weeks in a year. Christians attend Mass every Sunday, meaning they receive communion 52 times in a year after their first communion.
The speaker clarifies that the actual number of communions received in a year is often more than 52 due to special feast days and holidays like Christmas, New Year's Day, and during Holy Week, where Mass is also attended. He estimates that Christians receive Jesus around 60 times a year.
Cotelo stresses that each Mass is a gift from Jesus for our soul. The main reason for attending Mass is not for music, the priest's sermon, beautiful images, or meeting friends, but 'exclusively to encounter Jesus.' He warns that if the motivation is superficial, people will eventually stop attending Mass.
He emphasizes that if the sole desire is to meet Jesus and have Him live within us, we will never tire of attending Mass and will do so with joy every week. He hopes that the preparation for the first communion leads to a lifelong commitment to receiving Jesus.
The speaker then addresses parents, stating that the continuity of their children's love for Jesus depends significantly on them, more so than on catechists, priests, or bishops. He shares a personal anecdote about his own daughters' first communions, which rekindled his faith as he struggled to answer their simple questions.
He offers to dedicate the upcoming days to catechizing parents, promising easy and fun tasks, similar to those their children have done. He invites them to join him for a few minutes daily to talk about Jesus.