Communion Question

[icelandic_iceskater]

[quote name='"Catechism of the Catholic Church"']1322 The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist.[/quote]

Why does it say that after Baptism and Confirmation you participate with the whole community in Communion? Don't most kids make their first communion before Confirmation?

And what does it mean to be "raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood"?

[StColette]

[quote]1322 The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist.

Why does it say that after Baptism and Confirmation you participate with the whole community in Communion? Don't most kids make their first communion before Confirmation?

And what does it mean to be "raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood"?[/quote]

It is the universal practice of the Church that a person receives Baptism and Confirmation before receiving First Communion. There are some exceptions to this universal practice. Those exceptions are definitely evident here in the United States where children receive First Communion before receiving Confirmation. So this quote from the Catechism is speaking about the universal norm of the Church where a person is first Baptized and Confirmed and then participates with the whole community through the Eucharist.

CCC 1268 answers your final question about being “raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood”

[b]1268 [/b]The baptized have become "living stones" to be "built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood."[sup]74[/sup] By Baptism they share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission. They are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that [they] may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called [them] out of darkness into his marvelous light."[sup]75[/sup] [i]Baptism gives a share in the common priesthood of all believers.[/i]

God Bless,

Jennie