CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME 2007

The time of preparation for the sacrament of confirmation is a special time, a time of friendship, a time of discoveries – about our faith in God, about us and about our community. Most young people are confirmed as teenagers; and most of you were baptized as infants. It was your parents and, godparents who spoke on your behalf at that time. Now it is time for you to speak for yourself – to declare what you believe. It is about your choice to be followers of Christ.

 In all cultures, there are formal and informal rituals to initiate new members, to express who belongs. Christians have the sacraments of initiation to signify and celebrate those who have heard the gospel message and have become disciples – sharing in the mission of the Church, with both the privileges and the responsibilities that come from belonging.

 Like baptism and the Eucharist, confirmation is a sacrament of initiation. We believe that each of the rites of initiation is an expression of commitment to the process of becoming adult Christians – or Christian adults. I pray that during this program you will be open to the Holy Spirit and that you will decide to be initiated as a full member of the Church. I also pray that this time of preparation will help you to deepen your relationship with Jesus and your understanding of the call to be his followers – seeing that this call is relevant, meaningful and fulfilling in your lives.

 This call for commitment is not something that just happens on the day you are confirmed; it is something that continues. We do not only say, ‘yes, I want to be committed’ the day we are confirmed; we say, ‘yes, I am willing to be committed; I am willing to be more and more like you, Jesus’ every time we celebrate His greatest gift to us, the Eucharist.

 During this time of preparation, we look at our own life experiences; we listen to God – either in Scripture or the Tradition of the Church or in Church teaching; and then we get a message for our own lives. We reflect on the meaning of life and we look at our response to the values we discover. One of the ways we respond is by using the gifts we have and getting involved in some aspect of community work.

 Think about how you can participate in the Parish Vision, in the Youth Action Group, the livesimply campaign and in being a living witness of Christ.

 As you prepare to be confirmed, you will be invited to different ways of praying. You might find some of the ways of praying new to you – new ways to respond to God – in conversation, in reflection, in meditations.

 At your confirmation, you will need a sponsor. This might be one of your

God-parents; it should be the kind of person you can go to when you want to discuss spiritual and moral issues in your lives. You should choose your sponsor carefully and involve your sponsor in this time of preparation for the sacrament.

 They are asked to stand as witnesses to your moral character, faith and intention to make a Christian commitment. Therefore, they should be people who know you and who can help you grow in your attitude to become a mature, responsible, committed (that is confirmed) member of the Church, a follower of Jesus.

 Your sponsor must be a baptized and confirmed Catholic, who is regularly receiving the Eucharist (and must be over the age of 16).

 You may chose a confirmation name if you wish in addition to your baptismal name. It is important to choose a name that will mean something to you. Your confirmation name must be the name of a saint. You should be inspired by the example of the saint whose name you choose.