Usually sometime in the Spring each year, hordes of 8-12
th graders go to the Cathedral of St. Paul or to the Basilica of St. Mary’s in Minneapolis to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation from the bishop of our Archdiocese. This year, not surprisingly, was different.
About one week ago, I had the wonderful privilege of administering the Sacrament of Confirmation to over 30 high school students between the 4 parishes that I have responsibility for as Pastor. It certainly was a memorable event for me since, again, it is usually proper to the bishop to administer this sacrament. What was more edifying and life-giving for me was knowing through faith the immense gift these high schoolers were receiving in this sacrament.
Read the list of effects that the Catechism of the Catholic Church states come from receiving this great sacrament (CCC 1303):
The Holy Spirit is poured into the person in such a way so as to increase and deepen the graces we’ve received at our Baptism.
We are more firmly rooted in our adopted sonship/daughtership as children of God the Father due to our union with Christ.
We are more firmly united to Jesus Christ.
The 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit are strengthened within us (they have more influence on us).
It makes more perfect within us our spiritual bond to the Church.
We are given a special strength to both spread and defend the faith through our words and actions as true witnesses of Christ—to proclaim His name bravely without shame.
Wow! What a powerful sacrament this is and how much we need it! I’d like to briefly comment on the importance in particular of the 6
th effect of this sacrament because I believe we very much need this grace in our day (of course, this grace is only able to be used well if the other 5 effects of this sacrament are being cultivated).
Spreading and defending our faith is not something that the American culture applauds. Faith is a private matter, so we are told, and therefore one should not intentionally seek to spread their faith to others for that would be imposing your “private” beliefs on someone else. Moreover, defending our faith is not something looked on too kindly either. We can be too easily labeled as “old fashioned” or too “conservative/traditional” or “closed minded” to the particular ways of thought and behavior which happen to be in vogue in any particular period of time in our culture.
Friends, does the world, does every human being truly need Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord, Friend, and Lover? If the answer is yes, then we cannot be silent through our words nor through our actions. On the contrary, we must beg the Holy Spirit to teach us
every day how to bear witness to Jesus Christ, including all His teachings handed on to us through His Catholic Church. Love of God and of neighbor demands it.
Inevitably, there is always the question of how to do this. For example, someone recently asked me, “Father, when/how do I know when it’s the right time to defend some aspect of our faith being attacked, even by my friend?” There is no simple answer to this. There are principles that should guide how we answer this question, but in the end, it can ultimately only be discerned by listening closely to the Holy Spirit through regular prayer and by His inspirations in the moment when in conversation with your friend.
One thing is for certain: unless we truly believe that we have received the grace to both spread and defend our faith as true witness of Christ through the Sacrament of Confirmation, we won’t make a significant effort to do so.
As you look around the world and see the chaos, the violence, the confusion, the fear, the power games, …how can we not choose to bear witness to He who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6)? Can we not see how deeply our brothers and sisters throughout the world need Jesus? Does not our brothers’ and sisters’ salvation depend in part upon our spreading and defending our faith through our words and deeds?
Prayer for this week:
Come Holy Spirit! Help me to believe that you want to bear witness to Christ the Savior through me. Give me the wisdom to know how to do this at each opportunity you give to me. Thank you for answering my prayer!