What is

Confirmation?

A sacrament of initiation, establishing young adults as full-fledged members of the faith.

This sacrament is called Confirmation because the faith given in Baptism is now confirmed and made strong. During your Baptism, your parents and godparents make promises to renounce Satan and believe in God and the Church on your behalf. At Confirmation, you renew those same promises, this time speaking for yourself

During Confirmation, the focus is on the Holy Spirit, who confirmed the apostles on Pentecost and gave them courage to practice their faith. Catholics believe that the same Holy Spirit confirms Catholics during the Sacrament of Confirmation and gives them the same gifts.

From The Catholic Sacrament of Confirmation - For Dummies

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FLAME TEEN HANDOUTWeek 7 - Confirmation

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit….Remember the acronym WURKCRW

“work crew”

Wisdom the gift of knowing the right choices to make to live a holy life

Understanding the gift of comprehension. It helps you to be tolerant and sympathetic to others and to have the ability to grasp the teachings of the church and your parents Right Judgment the gift of knowing right from wrong. It helps us to live the life that Jesus wants us to live and keeps us from evil.

Knowledge the gift of enlightenment that comes from studying God’s word and teachings

Courage The gift that stands up for our faith and gives us the strength to make tough decisions despite peer pressure, obstacles, and challenges

Reverencethe gift of confidence in God that shows respect when we serve God and others

Wonder and Awe the gift of appreciation for God’s creation and

Christian Initiation… begins with an awareness, a stirring of the heart, a desire, a longing, a sincere curiosity about something more something deeper something truerIt ends with embracing a way of life grounded in a lifelong relationship with the sacred.

in·i·ti·a·tion

iˌniSHēˈāSH(ə)n/1. the action of admitting someone into a society or group, typically with a ritual2. the introduction of someone to a particular activity or skill. 3. the action of beginning something

Images of the Spirit

Water Anointing Fire Dove

Can anyone think of any scripture passages where these images are present?

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Give an example of the Holy Spirit guiding your life? Which of the Spirit’s gifts will most help you? Think of someone who exemplifies at least one of the gifts of the

Spirit. How does this gift lead the person to live his or her life?

Fire symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus was the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. We also remember the dramatic events of the Pentecost described in the Acts of the Apostles, in which tongues “as of fire” rested on the disciples.

Water signifies regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit in Baptism, which is necessary for salvation. In the Holy Spirit we are baptized into new life in Christ.

Think of a dove, a gentle bird, flying to your hand and gently resting on it. In a similar way the Holy Spirit rested on Jesus when he emerged from the waters of his baptism by John. He also gently rests on us and remains with us.

Anointing with oil has become so identified with the Holy Spirit that it is almost a synonym

for the coming of the Spirit. Messiah is the Hebrew word for “anointed one”. Christ is from Greek and means the same thing. Jesus is the Messiah, the one uniquely “anointed” by the

Spirit. Jesus pours out this same Spirit upon us, calling us to be more than we can ever hope to

be through our own efforts alone.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have told

Jot some down

Sponsors In Christian Initiation the sponsor assumes two roles.1. The Sponsor represents

the community and attests to the readiness of the candidate.

2. The sponsor walks with, nurturing and supporting the spiritual development of the candidate. The sponsor becomes a mentor sharing how one lives the Christian way of life.

Parents should not be sponsors. Parents have their own unique role in nurturing the faith of their son/daughter. A sacramental sponsor serves as a mentor and role model in addition to one’s parents.The sponsor should be a person who is prayerful, open, dependable, loving and who lives out their faith Talk to your parents about who they chose as their

As you prepare to receive the sacrament of confirmation an important consideration is choosing a confirmation name and sponsor.

In FLAME 2, you will have the opportunity to do both of these things. It’s a good idea to start thinking about them now.

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Who in your life could you ask to be your sponsor?

Is there a saint that stands out to you? Is there something very important to you that you would want to incorporate into your Confirmation name?

Why do YOU want to be Confirmed? This is a personal decision related to your faith. What makes YOU want to be Confirmed?

What do you think it takes to be Confirmed? What does a Confirmed

Confirmation Names Naming is a powerful ritual. To name someone or something is to have power over it or responsibility for it. Naming yourself means you are accepting responsibility for your own actions, thoughts, feelings.Taking a new name has been a sign of conversion in the church. In receiving the sacrament of Confirmation you are agreeing to become a visible, active and compelling witness to the gospel. Think about family names and Saints names. Spend

Being confirmed in the Church means accepting responsibility for your faith and destiny. Adulthood, even young adulthood, means that you must do what’s right on your own, not for the recognition or reward but merely because it’s the right thing to do.

As members of the Christian community, we are actively concerned about those who do not have enough clothing, food, or a good home. We meet their physical needs through the corporal works of mercy. These works include feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, burying the dead and giving alms to the poor.

We also want to help those who are feeling hurt, discouraged, sick, or confused. We meet emotional and spiritual needs of people through the spiritual works of mercy. These works are instructing, advising, consoling, comforting, forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The Spirit helps us know what to do to come to the aid of our neighbor.

Preparing to be a fully initiated member of the Church and being a fully inititated member of Christ’s church requires that you get involved with and for others. Think about what it is that you have to offer. Pay attention to what others need. Make the connection between the two!

To be confirmed you must profess your faith, be in the state of grace, and want to receive the sacrament.

From “Confirmed in the Spirit” Loyola Press 2007

I Learned Statements – complete at least two of the sentences below

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I discovered. . . I learned… I was reminded that. . .

The question I have is. .I was surprised by. . .

Faith in Action:Pray or journal to better understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit Use the following prompts to help you focus

A time in my life when I showed courage was…A place in the world where I experience(d) the wonder and awe of God’s Creation is… I show reverence in my life when I…Wisdom can grow in me if I… Knowledge is important to me because…A big decision that I had to make recently was______ I used right judgment because… A person I need to understand better is________ because….

As you go through your week, consider how the Holy Spirit is present in your relationships, decisions and activities.

Start thinking about important people in your life and who you might like to ask to be your