In underground labyrinths, with maze-like corridors dimly lit by oil lamps, the early Christians buried their martyrs during the first years of persecution. Many of these places, known as catacombs, survive to this day—mainly in Italy, but also in North Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and even in Greece (Milos, Chalkida, Cyprus). In the Catacomb of Saint Callistus in Rome, on the tomb of a young boy, the following inscription was found:
   “Whoever you are, visitor, know that the martyr Tarcisius, who is buried here, was carrying the Sacraments of Christ. And when someone tried to desecrate them, he chose to die rather than hand over the Holy Mysteries to the enemies.”
   Behind this inscription, children, lies a deeply moving story of a martyr who was about your age. This happened in Rome, the capital of the mighty Roman Empire, in the middle of the 3rd century—a harsh time for Christians. They were persecuted for their faith, imprisoned, tortured and martyred.
   Let’s visit some of those imprisoned Christians today. Tomorrow, they will be taken to the Colosseum, the enormous stadium of Rome, to be handed over to the starving and wild beasts. It was through such gruesome spectacles that the pagan Romans entertained themselves.
   Aren’t the Christians terrified, knowing they will soon become food for the beasts? Let us draw near them. What a wonder! We hear them praying, singing hymns to God, and thanking Him for deeming them worthy to suffer martyrdom for His love! They have only one concern: they want to receive Holy Communion, to take our Lord Jesus Christ into themselves! Then they will be invincible—no torture will be able to break them.
   It is the eve of the martyrdom. The faithful Christians of Rome wish to stand by their imprisoned brothers. They pray. All are gathered at the Divine Liturgy being celebrated in secret in a catacomb. At the end, the priest turns to the faithful: “My brothers,” he says with deep emotion and concern, “someone must take Holy Communion to our imprisoned brethren. We need someone who is trustworthy, brave, and unlikely to arouse the guards’ suspicion. But who will that be?”
   The priest’s eyes search the crowd, looking for the most suitable person for this secret and dangerous mission.
   “Holy Father, allow me to take Holy Communion to our imprisoned brothers,” pleads Tarcisius.
   The priest hesitates. To entrust the Holy Gifts to a child? But he knows Tarcisius well. Many times, the boy had served at the altar, holding the candle or the censer. He stood out for his reverence and modesty.
   “This is a sacred but dangerous mission, Tarcisius,” the priest tells him. “You may be in danger. What will happen then, my child? Under no circumstances must the Holy Gifts fall into the hands of the pagans.”
   “By God’s grace, I will guard them as the most precious treasure,” Tarcisius replies. “I will not stop until I complete my mission. I am just a boy—that’s why the soldiers will not suspect me. Give me your blessing, Father!”
   The boy’s fervent plea and courage convince the priest. He hands the small, consecrated container with the Holy Communion to the young boy. Tarcisius kisses it reverently and carefully hides it beneath his tunic. His heart beats strongly—for resting upon it is Christ Himself!
   “I would rather die than let anyone take this holy treasure from me,” says Tarcisius with emotion. He makes the sign of the cross and sets off. Nothing else matters to him along the way. His mind is fixed on the Holy Gifts and the imprisoned brothers who longingly await them. As he walks, he comes to a place where many children are gathered and playing. They see him and recognize him.
   “Tarcisius!” they call out. “Come play with us! We need one more for our game.”
   “I can’t, my friends,” he replies politely. “I have something important I must do.”
   “Come on, Tarcisius,” they insist. “What important thing could you possibly have to do? Come on, we need you.”
   “I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry today. I’ll come play with you another day.”
   But the children don’t give up. They grow stubborn. Yet Tarcisius is determined. He presses the Holy Gifts close to his heart and continues on his way. He had promised not to stop anywhere and to guard his treasure. Then one of the older boys shouts:
   Tarcisius is hiding something. Tarcisius, what are you hiding under your tunic?"
   “Tarcisius is a Christian,” shouts another child. “Maybe he’s carrying the Christians’ secrets!”
   “Show us what you’ve got, Tarcisius! Show us—or we’ll take it by force!” some of them threatened. 
   The children had grown wild. Why won’t Tarcisius give in? Their curiosity was burning. Since he wouldn’t listen to words, they gave each other a signal and reached out to grab what he was hiding. Tarcisius refused. He resisted. And then they started to beat him mercilessly.
   “Lord Jesus Christ,” Tarcisius prayed silently, “help me! Don’t let Your Holy Gifts fall into the hands of idol worshippers!”
   The cruel blows knocked him to the ground. Still, he held tightly to his holy treasure. No matter how hard the angry boys tried to pry his hands open, they couldn’t do it. Their fury clouded their minds. Mad with rage, they began to stone him with any rocks they could find nearby. Tarcisius now lay on the ground, badly wounded, bleeding. But not even for a moment did he loosen his grip. Blow after blow, his breath began to fade.
   At that very moment, a Christian officer named Quadratus was passing by. The noise caught his attention. As he got closer, he saw a boy lying in a pool of blood. The attackers, realizing someone had seen them, ran off in fear. Tarcisius looked up with relief when he saw him. Quadratus knelt beside him.
   “Quadratus…” the boy managed to whisper, “I have the Holy Gifts. I kept our treasure safe. Please… make sure it reaches our imprisoned brothers.”
   He could barely speak. Touched, Quadratus gently lifted him in his arms. He knew he now held not one, but two treasures: the Body and Blood of Christ and the bloodied body of a young martyr. Tarcisius let his head fall limp. He had just handed over his treasure—and now, he handed over his soul to the Christ he so loved.

“With the fear of God, faith, and love, draw near!” 

   It’s good to remember the story of Saint Tarcisius every time we go to receive Holy Communion. Let us approach with the same reverence and love. Think how much awe he felt when he received and carried the Holy Gifts! Let us do the same as we go up for Holy Communion—just as the priest invites us during the Divine Liturgy, when he comes out from the Beautiful Gate holding the Holy Chalice. Do you remember his words? “With the fear of God, faith, and love, draw near!” And how is he calling us to approach?
   a) With “the fear of God”:
   That means with respect and holiness, knowing we are about to receive God Himself into our hearts! In that sacred moment, we don’t speak, we don’t play, we don’t laugh with our friends, or push to go first. Our minds and hearts are focused on Christ.  We walk up quietly, and when it’s our turn, we take the red cloth that the priest is holding and place it carefully under our chin. Then we tilt our head back slightly and open our mouth wide, to receive the Body and Blood of Christ from the spoon. Afterwards, we eat the antidoron (the blessed bread), and we are especially careful not to spill any part of the Holy Communion.

   b) With faith:    
   We believe that we are truly receiving Christ Himself. Every Divine Liturgy is a miracle: The bread and wine on the Holy Altar are changed by the Holy Spirit into the Body and Blood of Christ! Each time we receive Communion, we take Christ into our very hearts and become one with Him!

   c) With love:
   How can we receive God, who is love (see 1 John 4:8, 16), if our heart is holding hatred? In one Sunday School class, two children had gotten into a fight. Just before Communion, one of them asked the catechist: “Do we have to be at peace with everyone before we receive Communion?” “Yes,” the catechist answered. The child then quietly went to the other boy and whispered: “I’m sorry.” The two stood up and went to receive Communion—together. What a beautiful moment! Yes, children—before we receive Communion, we must try, as far as we can, to be at peace with everyone: to ask forgiveness and to forgive.
   This is how we should approach Holy Communion: “With the fear of God, faith, and love,” just as the Church calls us to—just as the martyrs did. And every time we receive Holy Communion, let us think of Saint Tarcisius. How tenderly he held the Holy Gifts! With the same longing, let us welcome Christ into our hearts. Let us thank Him for the honor of visiting us, and try—with our words and actions—not to sadden Him.

Each time I receive Communion,
I welcome Christ into my heart.
Like Saint Tarcisius, I too
with faith and reverence
hold deep within me
the holy treasure.