Chapter 8: Confirmation

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Chapter 8 Confirmation

• Celebrating Growth in the Spirit

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The Spirits life in us

• Emilys life had been a dull routine
• Her pent-up emotions helped her to deliver a
  moving speech
• Mrs. Daly recognized Emilys talent and invited
  her to join the speech team
• Emily reluctantly agreed and released a new
  source of life from within herself
• Emily probably wouldnt have made this leap of
  faith without some encouragement

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What does Confirmation Celebrate?

• Lifelong Growth in the Spirit
• Some gifts needs to be confirmed before they
  truly blossom Sometimes we need help discovering
  our gifts.
• The Breath of God The apostles felts a dramatic
  wind on Pentecost, but other times the voice of
  God is a gentle breeze or some timely compliment
  or advice from a friend or from someone we look
  up to as a role model.

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• Consciously Accepting the Gift The Holy Spirit
  is the always already present source of our life
  and our spiritual growth. But would your know it?
  We need to consciously accept the Spirit before
  our gifts are confirmed.
• Baptism bestows the gift of the Spirit, however,
  a person must consciously embrace that Spirit for
  the gifts of the Spirit to be released in full
  measure.
• Scripture speaks of a baptism with the Holy
  Spirit
• Those who receive the Spirit in this way know it.
  They feel the Spirit present in their lives as
  Guide, Guardian, and Source of Life and
  Inspiration.

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• Needing Other People As children mature there
  are several people in their lives who compliment
  them and help them to build their self-esteem.
• Others try to form the child with specific ideas
  and concepts.
• Those who confirm the child do not try to make
  the child something he or she is not, but rather
  confirm a gift they see in the child that needs
  nurturing and recognition.
• ASK YOURSELF
• Which persons have confirmed my identity?
• Who have been the primary revealers of the Spirit
  for me?
• Who have been my sponsors and mentors?

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• Sponsor ideally the sponsor for Confirmation
  would be a godparent from Baptism
• at any rate the sponsor should be a baptized
  person who is fully initiated
• has been Baptized, Confirmed, and actively
  receives and participates in the Eucharist
• Acts as a mentor to the person studying for
  Confirmation
• Learning in Community RCIA takes place in small
  groups of intensive faith sharing. People share
  their life-stories and life-questions in a caring
  and supportive environment

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• Catechism
• Catechumenate those preparing for full
  initiation into the Church at the Easter Vigil
  usually through the RCIA.
• CCD Catholic Christian Doctrine classes for
  young people baptized as infants and later
  preparing for Confirmation
• Where does Confirmation take place? Typically
  young people are confirmed in a group at their
  local parish church by the Bishop of the Diocese.
• What do confirmation classes teach? Much of it
  revolves around an understanding of the 7 Gifts
  of the Holy Spirit and how to live the Christian
  Faith.

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• The Gifts of the Spirit Unfolding
• Describe the assignment Handout 8A
• Describe the activity for tomorrow
• 1. Wisdom
• 2. Understanding
• 3. Right Judgment
• 4. Courage
• 5. Knowledge
• 6. Reverence
• 7. Wonder and awe in Gods presence.

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ATTENTION JUNIORS

• SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT
• Left to Tell Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan
  Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiaza (Hay House
  Inc., 2006)
• The public library has about 20 copies and the
  book is widely available in bookstores, etc.
• 1st Day of class 2008-2009 an assignment is due,
  see Mr. Anthony Corders website by June 4 to get
  the study guide.

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QZ8 List and define each gift.Match each bag of
symbols to one of the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit.

• ___ 1. Wisdom define Hints on page (162)
• ___ 2. Understanding -
• ___ 3. Right Judgment -
• ___ 4. Courage -
• ___ 5. Knowledge -
• ___ 6. Reverence -
• ___ 7. Wonder and awe in Gods presence -

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What is Confirmation?

• Confirmation is the second of the three
  sacraments of initiation (from a theological
  perspective).
• It celebrates the full outpouring of the Holy
  Spirit on a baptized person, completing and
  strengthening the grace given by the Spirit in
  Baptism.

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When do people receive Confirmation?

• at the age of discretion
• at the age when a person is able to make moral
  judgments
• in practice, the age of Confirmation varies
  across countries and regions (age 7-18)
• for those baptized as older children or adults,
  Confirmation is celebrated at the time of
  initiation, with Baptism and the Eucharist,
  ordinarily at the Easter Vigil

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Why prepare for Confirmation?

• for young persons who were baptized as infants,
  preparing for Confirmation serves as a stage
  similar to the catechumenate (at baptism they
  were anointed with the Oil of Catechumens)
• a Confirmation preparation program (1-2 years) is
  meant to give young persons the chance to learn
  about and grow in the faith they are consciously
  embracing

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What does the Bishop do at Confirmation?

• Bishops are the successors of the Apostles,
  Confirmation by one's bishop is a vivid sign of
  full incorporation into the Catholic church
  handed down from the time of Jesus
• the Bishop is the ordinary minister of
  Confirmation
• sometimes local Pastors may confirm with the
  approval of their Bishop

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Two Models of Maturity

• the destination model we travel through
  adolescence until one day we arrive at our
  destination-maturity as an adult, after that, our
  life remains much the same.
• the journey model understands life as a
  continuing process of growth, filled from start
  to finish with peaks and valleys, rough roads and
  straight paths, dying and rising happens through
  many experiences

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Magic Moments

• List certain times and events in life that seem
  to be moments when a person has become mature

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Destinations or Doors ?

• Certain birthdays
• Graduations
• Weddings
• Certain awards
• Baptism / confirmation
• Death of a loved one
• Major loss

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Christian Faith Journey

• The journey model of maturity suggests that
  maturing is a lifelong process
• Journey is a more consistent Christian vision of
  how we grow
• Life is full of challenges to our sanity,
  patience, compassion, and mercy.
• Life is also a celebration of all that is good
  and life-giving.

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Jesus did it. To be faithful to Christ we must
continue to do it too. What is it?

• Community Service gives candidates a taste of
  living Jesus life of ministry
• It enables them to try out their own gifts
• The experience helps people to develop social
  skills (caring for and interacting with others)
• It could help a person to learn or to discover
  new ways to serve humanity in the future

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Bell Work BWBased on 164F

• If you were helping someone prepare for
  Confirmation and they needed to do some service
  activity, what service project would you suggest
  to them?
• Explain your choice in writing.
• Describe why that particular service project
  would be a good choice for someone new to the
  idea that service is an essential part of the
  Christian Way of Life.

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Requirements for Confirmation

• (1) Willing to profess the Catholic faith
• (2) In a state of grace (not conscious of any
  serious sin that is harming your personal
  relationship with God and/or with others)
• (3) Intending to receive the sacrament (must be a
  free conscious decision)
• (4) Willing to take on the role of a disciple of
  Christ (Community Service is an essential part of
  Christian life)

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Confirmation inWords and Symbols

• (168-169)
• Renewal of Baptismal Promises
• The Laying on of Hands
• The Anointing with Sacred Chrism
• General Intercessions
• Blessing

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CONFIRMATIONIntroduction pp.479-486

• Dignity of Confirmation
• Continues Christian initiation
• Builds up the Christian to live the Faith
• Marked with a seal that cannot be repeated
• Offices and Ministries
• Bishop
• Pastors
• Catechists
• Sponsors
• Parents
• Recipients

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• Celebration of the Sacrament
• Essential Form
• Anointing with chrism on the forehead done by
• Laying on of hands and the words
• Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
• Two fold symbolism
• Laying on of hands biblical gesture for H.S.
• Anointing with chrism perfumed oil signifies
  spreading the fragrance of Christ
• Adaptations
• Preparations