Tag Archives: Confirmation

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Wait, Didn’t I Graduate?: The Sacrament of Confirmation

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Goal of the Edge Night The goal of this Edge Night is to explain to the middle school youth that Confirmation completes their Baptism and that it is not a graduation from Church. The youth will learn that an outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurs at Confirmation and they will understand that the important role the Holy Spirit plays in their lives and how they are now responsible for spreading and defending the faith. Edge Night at a Glance The Sacrament of Confirmation is another outpouring of the

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Sacramental Wallflowers: How to Include Parents & Sponsors in Confirmation

By | November 18, 2009

A wallflower is one who remains on the sidelines of an activity due possibly to shyness or unpopularity. Unfortunately, we can look around many confirmation preparation “dances” and find some sacramental wallflowers tucked away in the dark corners. It is not uncommon that those who are not fully engaged into the rhythm of our efforts are adults – both parents and sponsors.

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Are You Making a Small Deal Out of Confirmation?

By | October 22, 2009

It continually surprises me when I get asked the question, “Can we just make Life Nights our parish Confirmation program?” Don’t get me wrong, I understand the reason for the question: not enough time to do Life Teen and Confirmation or you don’t have enough catechists or you’re trying to kill two birds with one stone (poor bird) or there isn’t enough facility space for every ministry. So don’t think I’m heartless when I say I’m surprised. Confirmation is one of the Sacraments

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Confirmation: Making Service Count

By | August 21, 2009

Confirmation programs often require them. Some school systems also insist upon them. They are service hours and quite often we find ourselves counting service hours rather than accounting for the worth of them. In a previous posting regarding Confirmation, we looked at “Why Confirmation anyway?” So, let is examine a similar question: Are we making Confirmation service requirements count? After all, “mandatory volunteerism” does seem to be a contradiction, does it not? Why do we do service?

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Words Matter: Communicating the Importance of Confirmation

By | July 17, 2009

If you have been working with young people long enough, it is entirely possible that you have sat through a high school production of the musical Into the Woods. The closing song is a cautionary plea reminding us that Children Will Listen. The refrain reminds us: Careful the things you say Children will listen Careful the things you do Children will see and learn Children may not obey, but children will listen Children will look to you for which way to turn To learn what to be Careful before you

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The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Fear of the Lord

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Objective:
 The middle school youth will develop a deeper sense of awe and wonder for the Creator of the universe. Overview: Fear is a word that we typically interpret as referring to a state of emotional distress in the face of some danger to our personal safety. The term “fear of the Lord” appears over 100 times in the Old Testament. For example: And now, Israel, what does the Lord, your God ask of you but to fear the Lord, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the Lord

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The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Piety

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Objective:
 The middle school youth will develop a deeper awareness of the need to be creators of peace in all aspects of their lives modeling their actions on Jesus Christ. Overview: In the bible, Matthew tells us: When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you (6:6) For many people, especially middle schoolers, piety, or religious reverence, might seem like a lost art. With the busyness of our lives,

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The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Knowledge

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Objective:
 The middle school youth will develop a greater understanding of the gift of knowledge and how they can use that gift to look at the world in a new way. Overview: The knowledge we are given by the Holy Spirit is quite different than the worldly definition of the word knowledge. The Holy Spirit does not bless us with a plethora of information that no one else has. However, it does give us a new perspective, that comes from the experience of faith. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church

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The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Fortitude

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Objective: The middle school youth will develop a deeper understanding of the gift of fortitude and how it can help them deal with peer, cultural and media pressures. Overview: As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains: Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death,

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The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Counsel

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Objective: The middle school youth will develop a deeper desire to seek counsel from God to guide the path of their lives. Overview: One of the greatest signs of God’s love for us is in our free will. As it says in Sirach, “When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice” (15:14). With that freedom comes the responsibility to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God. Sirach continues: If you choose you can keep the commandments; it is loyalty to do