My father keeps on his desk a framed photo from the day of his First Holy Communion, 74 years ago at Sacred Heart Church in West Brighton, Staten Island. He’s posing in a white suit with short pants, white knee socks and shoes, with a big white ribbon on his sleeve. Very fancy. Nowadays it is more common to see boys in dark suit jackets, with only the girls wearing white. But there was a reason for the old tradition of white outfits for everyone at their First Holy Communion, and it has to do with baptism.
At baptism, we are given a white gown to wear as a symbol of our Christian dignity. The symbol helps us to experience in our senses the insensible change that has taken place, that Original Sin has been washed away and the life of God now dwells in the soul of the baptized. The priest affirms this when he says to the newly baptized: “You have become a new creation and have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven.” When the time comes to receive First Holy Communion, it is fitting to don the white garment as a way of revealing once again the baptismal transformation of the Christian. Those who receive the sacrament of Confirmation are dressed in white gowns for the same reason. The white alb that the priest wears during Mass under his colorful chasuble denotes the baptismal grace that once freed him from sin, making him a member of the faithful.
There also seems to be a connection between the baptismal garment and the white gown that a bride traditionally wears on her wedding day. In our culture (except for an unfortunate period in the 1970s), the groom typically does not wear white. But this is fitting if we think of the sacrament of marriage as being a visible sign of Christ Jesus’ love for the Church. In scripture we read: “The marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed in finest linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” (Rev 19:7-8). Thus, the white bridal dress is revealed to be a baptismal gown that points dramatically to the mystical identity of the Church as the Bride of Christ, spotless and without sin.
The last time a person is dressed in white is at his or her funeral, when the casket is draped in a white cloth called a pall after being sprinkled with holy water. This is a powerful reminder of the promises made to the Christian when he or she was baptized, giving comfort and hope to those who mourn. It is also a reminder to the living of the grave responsibility we bear to help each other by word and example live in accord with the great dignity bestowed upon us at baptism. With this in mind, we give thanks to the families of the 63 children who made their First Holy Communion here this weekend, and we pray that they continue to be faithful to living the sacramental life together in the Church, remaining vested, with the help of grace, in the righteous deeds of the saints.
posted 5/4/24
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 