ST. GREGORY THE GREA T CATHOLIC CHURCH Unleashing the Spirit: Preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation “The Holy Spirit draws us into the mystery of the living God ... he impels us to open the doors and go forth to proclaim and bear witness to the good news of the Gospel, to communicate the joy of faith, the encounter with Christ. The Holy Spirit is the soul of mission.” — Pope Francis, Homily on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 2013 — ST. GREGORY THE GREAT CATHOLIC CHURCH 31 Saint Gregory Drive Bluffton, SC 29909 Phone: 843-815-3100 Fax: 843-815-3150 Email: [email protected] Welcome & Introduction “I received Confirmation three years ago, and it was an incredible sacrament to experience. It was so amazing to experience because God, in His infinite mercy and understanding, has given the sacrament many visible signs for us to better understand the invisible happenings of the sacrament. As we are sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the bishop quite literally seals us with Holy Chrism, which has so many meanings behind it. It symbolizes the new strength we are given in the sacrament and the distinguishable perfume symbolized the indelible mark on our souls. The Bishop also says the words aloud, which reverberated in my heart and still reminds me of the gift I received. I am very thankful to have been able to receive it.” — Liliana W. 11th grade, Homeschool What a powerful reminder from the ‘young Church’! The work of God in the mystery of the Blessed Trinity continually invites everyone and provides opportunities for all to be drawn into that very divine life. The more people are drawn into relationship with God, the more they are open to the work of the Holy [The Church] exists in order to evangelize, Spirit within them and through them. Through the Holy that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to Spirit, the faithful are charged with continuing the mis- be the channel of the gift of grace, to sion of Jesus Christ in and through the Church. That mis- reconcile sinners with God, and to sion, to proclaim the good news, is why the Church perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass, exists. Confirmation completes Christian initiation, which is the memorial of His death and seals one’s baptism, and strengthens one’s conviction glorious resurrection. so that they might faithfully live out the Good News — Pope Paul VI, throughout their life. Evangelii Nuntiandi #14 — The sacrament of Confirmation ‘is and does’ many things which will be discussed further in this booklet. Before addressing those topics, there is a need to address some of the common misconceptions about the reception of sacrament of Confirmation that have grown over the years. Some of the parents and sponsors can remember a time when the Bishop gave the student a mild slap on the cheek to prepare them to be a ‘soldier for Christ’. While the sentiment of standing firm in ones faith in Christ remains, the Bishop no longer uses that outward sign during the rite. Additionally, the sacrament of Confirmation does not suddenly make one an adult in the Church. It does not mean one is ‘graduating’ from religious education or that one is finished visiting the Church on days other than Sunday. Confirmation is not a merit badge from the Church that one earns through community service and reports about saints. With all that the sacrament is not, Confirmation offers significantly more. Continuing to grow in one’s faith, the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation will provide an encounter with God, an invitation to His divine life, a fullness of initiation into His Church, and offer to equip the recipient with gifts to continue the mission of Jesus Christ. All of this is promised by God and is given in full. The extent to which one receives, though, depends on the openness of the recipient. By submitting to the will of God and allowing the Holy Spirit to be unleashed within, the journey of faith produces the fruits of that same Spirit. St. Gregory the Great is privileged to be invited to accompany you on this part of your journey. The adventure of an authentic life in “...the sacrament is not wrought by the righteousness of either the Christ leads to often unexpected and celebrant or the recipient, but by the power of God." From the glorious places but, “Remember: moment that a sacrament is celebrated in accordance with the Christ is calling you; the Church intention of the Church, the power of Christ and his Spirit acts in and needs you; the Pope believe in you through it...Nevertheless, the fruits of the sacraments also depend on and expects great things from you the disposition of the one who receives them. — CCC #1128 (Pope John Paul II)!” Encountering God As we prepare to receive the sacrament of Confirmation it is important to understand what sacraments are and what they offer. “The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions (CCC 1131).” Such a full and beautiful explanation of sacraments houses a wealth of faith in a small paragraph. The sacraments are not magic, they are not illusions, nor are they silly rituals for the sake of going through the motions. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church beautifully states, the sacraments were instituted by Christ, they include signs which point to something more, they offer grace and they bear fruit in the recipient. Each celebration of the sacraments is an opportunity to encounter God. “A sacramental celebration is a meeting of God’s children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit (CCC 1153).” This encounter takes place both in word and action so that God can more fully communicate his divine life to his people and draw them to himself. The sacramental encounter with God is a continuation of Christ’s earthly mission in and through the Church. “All that Jesus did during his earthly ministry he continues to do today through the sacraments – sacramentally – ‘by means of signs perceptible to the senses (Stice, 10).” These signs and symbols, specifically for the sacrament of Confirmation, will be discussed in a later section. Encountering God “The sacraments are the work of the Trinity (13)...” Though “My encounter with God changed my life for the better.” during Confirmation we tend to focus most on the third person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit, the source of the graces — Macy S., 10th grade, John Paul II conferred are from God the Father and made present in the liturgy Catholic School by Christ. All of the signs and symbols of the liturgy, where most sacraments are celebrated, serve to make present the Paschal Mystery The Holy Spirit, then, “prepares the people of God to receive Christ by awakening faith, conversion of heart, and adherence to the Father’s will (13).” This action by the Holy Spirit is at the heart of Confirmation. Those receiving the sacrament of Confirmation are preparing for an awakening of faith through a conversion of heart by adhering to the Father’s will. Submission to the will of the Father allows the Holy Spirit to work within, transforming the old life, and be unleashed in the fruits of that new life. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come (2 Cor 5:17).” So, where is the encounter with God in Confirmation? “Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in divine filiation [being a child of God], incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with Her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds (CCC 1316).” The sacrament of Confirmation both draws one more closely to God through Christ and his Church while simultaneously strengthening one to go forth in the mission of the Church. By receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit openly, allowing oneself to be transformed by the grace of the sacrament humbly, and unleashing the fruits of the Spirit unceasingly, the mission of Christ will be incarnate in the faithful. Mission impossible? “Nothing will be impossible for God (Lk 1:37).” Scriptures & Early Church Fathers “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him…After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’ (Matt 3:14, 16-17).” Matthew’s Gospel tells the story of the baptism of Jesus. The baptism of Jesus reveals the descending of the Holy Spirit upon Him. In and through this action, the Spirit of God was united to Christ and remained with Him. Throughout the Sacred Scriptures we can see the movement of the Holy Spirit in the story of creation (Gen. 1, 2), inspiring the prophets, being united with Jesus Christ, descending upon the apostles, and working in and through the early Church. John’s Gospel, too, reveals the testimony of John the Baptist concerning this same event as he says, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.