The Sacrament of Confirmation
Every sacrament is a sign of God's immense love for us, and a sharing in his life and spirit. In baptism we made a contract with God to be other Christ's. For most of us this took place when we were infants. Our parents and Godparents requested a share in God's life for us and promised that we would fulfil our responsibilities to spread the Good News and reject evil. In confirmation, we reaffirm for ourselves the contract made for us at baptism. As members of the Christian community we accept for ourselves the responsibility to always act in God's interest.
Confirmation is a great time of celebration for the church community, for through it we are made aware of God's great love and concern for us. We are assured that God's Spirit is with us in everything we do. The gifts, which the Holy Spirit gives are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, piety, counsel, fortitude, and fear of the Lord. These are given to us to be developed as habits, which will help us to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Obviously they are ours only if we choose to accept and use them. The results of using them will be that what we do will be marked by the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are: love, joy, peace, patience, endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness, and charity. There are seven gifts. The number seven is a symbolic number, which means completeness or fullness. What is being said then is that confirmation is the sign to the community that the Holy Spirit is with us always to give us everything we need to be the heart, hands, feet, and voice of Jesus Christ.
Confirmation preparation program is available through the Notre Dame Catechism Program every two years. The date of the celebration is determined by the Chancery.
For more information call the Parish office at (204) 482-3422.