Confirmation

1. Confirmation Initiation into Mission Module III March 20, 2011

2. Agenda • Review Modules I & II • Module III—Confirmation: Initiation into Mission • Activity—Speed Sharing • Dinner • Small Group Discussion • Activity—Mission & Meditation • Closing Prayer

3. Review—Module I God’s Mission to Us: The Father Sends the Son and the Holy Spirit • Confirmation (our mission) is to respond to what God has done for us • Church’s Mission • Our Mission • The Creed • Salvation

4. Review—Module II The Church: God’s Mission Continues… • The saving work of the Son of God and the Holy Spirit forms the Church at Pentecost • Joint mission of the Son of God and the Holy Spirit • The Church’s continuing mission • The Four Marks of the Church • Confirmation and living as a member of the Church

5. Module III Confirmation: Initiation into Mission • Through Confirmation we share in the Church’s mission of bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people • The Church and the Seven Sacraments • The Holy Spirit • Confirmation—Sacrament of Initiation • Liturgy of Confirmation

6. The Church andthe Seven Sacraments • The Church is the sacrament of God’s mission to the World • Sacraments are based upon the sacramental nature of Jesus Christ and the Church • Through her life and mission, the Church puts people in relationship with God

7. Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church • Baptism • Confirmation • Eucharist • Reconciliation • Anointing of the Sick • Holy Orders • Matrimony

8. The Church is the Body of Christ • From Christ’s Body—the Church—come the sacraments • Symbolized by: • The flow of blood (the Eucharist) and • Water (Baptism)

9. Christ is the Head of the Body “He is the head of the body, the church.” • Colossians 1:18

11. “What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church.” CCC 797

12. The Holy Spirit is the “Soul” of the Body • In the sacraments, the Holy Spirit spreads the grace of Christ throughout the Body • Celebration of the sacraments goes with proclamation of the Gospel and communal life

13. Sacraments of Initiation Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation Foundations of Christian life Allow us to share in God's own life through the Paschal Mystery

14. The Paschal Mystery Refers to the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ Fulfilled by Pentecost A feast which commemorates the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ

15. Out of Order? Baptism → Eucharist → Confirmation

16. History Baptism → Confirmation → Eucharist Eucharist is the goal of Christian Initiation 1. At Baptism, our sins are washed away and we receive the Holy Spirit 2. At Confirmation, we are anointed (or “clothed”) with the Holy Spirit 3. At Eucharist, we are able to eat at the Lord's table and the Holy Spirit transforms the Bread and Wine into Body and Blood

17. An Analogy Imagine you are invited out to eat after just finishing working out at the gym You'd probably do three things: 1. Take off the dirty clothes and shower 2. Dry off and put on clean clothes 3. Head to dinner! This is what we do in the Sacraments of Initiation 1 = Baptism 2 = Confirmation 3 = Eucharist

18. Switch-a-roo The order got switched due to multiple circumstances: Before the 4th century, Bishops were in charge of performing all three Sacraments Soon, priests began being able to Baptize and give Eucharist, so the two were able to be done more often The Bishop would come for Confirmation a few weeks after Baptism, but still before Eucharist

19. As the Church grew, Bishops took longer and longer to get from Church to Church to preside over Confirmation Thus, the time between each Sacrament grew longer and longer

20. In 1906, Pope Pius X encouraged younger children to receive Eucharist, so the age to receive dropped to 6 or 7 Therefore, Eucharist started to take place before a Bishop could get to a parish and perform Confirmation The order then switched to our traditional: Baptism → Eucharist → Confirmation

21. But remember, the Eucharist is the climax and goal of Christian Initiation! CCC 1322, 1324

22. In Confirmation... We are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, just like the Apostle's were at Pentecost, and empowered to continue Jesus' work.

23. Questions discussed during “Speed Sharing” Activity 1. Who is God to you? 2. How can you get to know God better? 3. What saint’s name have you chosen and why? 4. What talents or gifts make you a unique person? 5. What does God do? 6. Name something you’ve done for God. 7. What can you do to be more inviting (or ‘open’) with your faith? 8. How can you give hope to someone else? 9. Can you ever do enough, or too much, praying? 10. Describe something you pray about often. 11. Describe a time when you have helped a stranger. 12. How do you know when you have done something wrong? 13. How can we help someone who feels they do not belong? 14. Name something you appreciate. 15. How can we help ourselves when we feel left out? 16. What changes can you make in your life to become a better person? 17. How can you fit more prayer into your day? 18. Finish this sentence: “The Holy Spirit is…”

24. Questions discussed during “Speed Sharing” Activity (Cont’d) 19. What part has God played in your struggle with stress? 20. When have you done the work of God this past week? 21. What can you do to improve your relationship with the people around you? 22. Share one way God has touched your life. 23. Do you believe that God has called you, by name, to be precious in his eyes? 24. How can we deal with feelings of dislike for someone? 25. Describe the importance of generosity. 26. How can you be more accepting of others? 27. How can you be more committed to God? 28. Is God the center of your life? 29. Is service to others optional? 30. Does your life include time for prayer and worship? 31. Have you ever faced persecution for your faith? 32. How do you resist negative pressure? 33. How does God help you resist negative pressure? 34. What is holding you back from living the full gift of the Holy Spirit? 35. Name something you’d like help with.

25. Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy Discussion • Corporal Works are those that relate to the physical needs of a person • Spiritual Works are those that touch the soul, hearts, minds and emotions of a person • Activity required that for each Corporal and Spiritual Work, 2-3 concrete examples of how work could be performed today • Closing Thought: There are many big, tough issues in the world that are best solved by professional organizations. However, we can do our part to help in smaller ways right now in our own homes and communities. You are probably already doing more than you know. You CAN and DO make a difference. We are Christ’s hands and feet in this world.

26. Rite of Confirmation • Appropriate Dress • Renewal of Baptismal Promises • Profession of Faith • Administration of the Rite by the Bishop • Key signs and symbols of Confirmation: • Laying on of Hands • Anointing with Chrism Oil

27. Rite of Confirmation • The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that Confirmation “Gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.” • So how does all of this play out after you receive the sacrament? You join others in the Mission of our Church. You perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and put the gifts of the Holy Spirit in action and go forth to be God’s Hands to the World.