Sacraments Chapter 5: Intro to Confirmation

Sacraments Chapter 5: Intro to Confirmation

With Mrs. Schreck 

Open Ended

Opening Question: Describe who or what guides or drives you to make decisions and choices.

Enter: The Holy Spirit - our Partner in Discernment

Discernment is the process of evaluating the direction of our life journey. It is a process of discovery.  Discernment includes trying to understand the promptings of the Holy Spirit and deciding to act in cooperation with the grace of the Holy Spirit.  Discernment involves evaluating how we are living up to our baptismal commitments in order to follow Jesus, who is ‘the way, and the truth, and the life’.  In the discernment process, the Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Teacher and Guide.

​To Simplify...

• ​The Holy Spirit helps us figure out how to follow Jesus 'the way, the truth, and the life' (even before you are Confirmed).

  • ​Some helping hands once Confirmed - the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which then led us to the Fruits of the Holy Spirit!

​More on the Gifts

​In the Book of Isaiah 11:2-3, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are described. In the passage the gifts are considered ones that the Messiah would have possessed. Through Jesus, we also receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Wisdom helps us recognize the importance of others and the importance of keeping God central in our lives.

Understanding is the ability to comprehend the meaning of God's message.

Knowledge is the ability to think about and explore God's revelation, and also to recognize there are mysteries of faith beyond us.

Counsel is the ability to see the best way to follow God's plan when we have choices that relate to him.

Fortitude is the courage to do what one knows is right.

Piety helps us pray to God in true devotion.

Fear of the Lord is the feeling of amazement before God, who is all-present, and whose friendship we do not want to lose.

Multiple Choice

In other words, the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are permanent dispositions that move us to respond to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are strengthened to give witness to our faith by matching what we do with what we believe. 

• True

• False

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit are actually signs that we are listening to and responding to the Holy Spirit. Like a plant that continues to grow because of the nourishment it receives, our life in Christ is enriched and nourished by the Sacrament of Confirmation.

How bout them apples!?

Onwards: to the Discernment Process for Receiving Confirmation

​A candidate for Confirmation who has reached the age of reason must:

• Profess the faith

• Be in the state of grace

• Have the intention of receiving the Sacrament

• Be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ

Preparation for the Sacrament Includes:

1. ​Studying the Catholic faith

2. Participating in the Church’s life of prayer and worship

3. ​Participating in works of justice and mercy

Multiple Choice

Besides the Holy Spirit, take a guess, or click if you know since you did your pre-class reading, who is also there to help a candidate prepare for Confirmation as a 'spiritual mentor'...

• Godparent

• St. Genevieve 

• Sponsor 

• My Squad

​We got ourselves a SPONSOR!!!

Open Ended

Personal Connection: Please share who in your life you turn to and trust to discuss your faith. 

Remember, The Holy Spirit is Always Nearby...

• ​The Holy Spirit is Revealed:

  • In Sacred Scripture - Countless stories in the Bible reveal the Spirit of God influencing and filling with joy, passion, and purpose the people we read about (for example: Moses, Mary, Joseph, Isaiah, and many more!)

  • In the Life of Jesus Christ - Always present during his life on earth

  • In the Church ​- Started with Pentecost and the call to evangelization (spreading the Gospel and the teachings of Jesus, and making disciples of all nations) that continues today!

​In Closing...

​In other words, Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world.  . . .  We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.

May the force be with you. Always.

Open Ended

My major take away today (aka what I learned) about the preparation and discernment process that precedes Confirmation is...