Pentecost and Confirmation

This weekend we are wrapping up our Sacrament season with the Confirmation. We have had three Masses in which we have gotten to see our second graders receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ for the first time in the last few weeks, and that is a wonderful thing to see.

We also get to celebrate another great sacrament on Sunday afternoon, as we welcome Bishop Joensen to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is beautiful because these young adults confirm their faith in Jesus Christ and His Church. Sometimes Confirmation is referred to as becoming an adult in the Church, and in some ways that is true, but in other ways it is not. It is being an adult because they will be taking the responsibility of their faith upon themselves but it is not because Confirmation is simply the confirming of their Baptismal promises. One of the wonderful things is that we see the next step in the faith journey for these young people. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states “By the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence, they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.” This weekend we pray that these young people will accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are being called upon them.

One of the great things is that we get to celebrate this Sacrament on a wonderful feast day, Pentecost. This is the day in which we remember the Holy Spirit descending upon the Apostles to give them the strength and courage to go out into the world to preach the Gospel and to Baptize. After Jesus ascends, the angels ask the Apostles “why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” In other words, move along, there is nothing else to see here, go and do what He told you to. Go out into the world and spread the good news.

But even though we are being lead and told to do something, we do not always follow, because we need some help. Before Pentecost, the Apostles were hiding in the upper room, worried that they would be arrested and thrown into prison or worse executed. But after Pentecost, they had the courage to go and preach, converting 5,000 people on that day. What a wonderful reminder of that gift of the Holy Spirit that will descend upon these young people receiving this gift of Confirmation. We pray that God will continue to guide them and that we ourselves will continue to allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit, so we can spread and defend the faith by our words and deeds.

The prayer that will be said to them kind of sums up what they are to receive. “All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.”

God bless,
Fr. Ken