New Beginnings

(Fr. Tom’s “Courier” Newspaper Articles)

On Friday and Saturday of this week, Confirmation will be celebrated in Shannon Parish.  Confirmation is the Sacrament that enables us to profess our faith openly.  It makes more definite what happened at Baptism, it’s very much the Sacrament of adulthood.
There are minimum requirements necessary to receive the Sacraments.

a)                  Attend Mass regularly.
b)                  Have a basic knowledge of the Bible, both Old and New Testament.
c)                  Know the common prayers such as the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and Act of Sorrow etc.
d)                 Know the Ten Commandments
e)                  Know the seven Sacraments
f)                   Know the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
g)                  Know what happened at Pentecost
h)                  Know the background of your chosen saint.
i)                    Have awareness that we are Church and that all of us have a role to play.
j)                    Have the desire to commit oneself to Christ.
Christianity never compels, but it does invite.

The argument is still put forward that a child should be allowed to decide for themselves when they are older whether they want to be confirmed.  This sounds respectful of the rights of the individual; however it could be considered sheer neglect.
For example, do you wait for a child to become a teenager to allow them to decide whether they clean their teeth or not, learn to read and write or to eat the proper food for health and nutrition?  Imagine the plight of a 16 year old with bad teeth, illiterate, living on crisps and sweets.  Would he or she be consoled by the fact that nobody took away their right to decide.

There are many issues on which good parents have to make decisions on behalf of their children.  Experience tells us that some of the most important things of life happen beyond our consciousness and our choice.  We do not decide to be born.  In most cases, Baptism was not our choice.  Which school we went to, where we lived and a host of other issues and benefits were not our decision.
The fundamental blessings of life are gifted to us and we are recipients.  These blessings are like seeds sown in us that are nurtured by our parents and teachers that grow to our benefit.  Gradually, as we mature, we are able to confirm these decisions that have been made on our behalf.  On Friday and Saturday next, 137 children will have the opportunity to confirm the choices that their mam and dad made for them at birth.

As these young people continue to grow, society will give them mixed messages during critical times of their lives.  To the secular world they are emerging as students and consumers who contribute through a job, ready to take their place in society.  As they continue to grow they will be tempted to give in to a lesser life, to view the world and its goods for their own ends.
The Holy Spirit offers a different way of living with different values to the secular world.  We are citizens of Heaven as well as of Earth and at Confirmation our young people are invited to embrace the values of gentleness, kindness and respect.  Confirmation is very much a Sacrament of Initiation, not of completion. The decisions that have been taken on their behalf have brought them to this important threshold of their lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit may they continue to nurture the blessings that have been gifted to them this far as they begin to take responsibility for their own decisions.