Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when Jesus had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
~Jn 20:19-22

"They were all filled with the Holy Spirit." ~ Acts 2:1-11

Confirmation
Consistent with diocesan guidelines, preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is a yearlong process that takes place in the ninth grade for young people who have participating in parish life and the faith formation program at St. Blase. For all other, the preparation process will be determined by your particular needs and circumstances.

For adolescents the Preparation Process includes:

• Parent/Teen Orientation Session
• 2 Interviews (one at beginning/second at end)
• Faith Sharing one-on-one with sponsor
• One day retreat experience
• Involvement in Christian service

Celebration of the Sacrament takes place after Easter at a liturgy celebrated by the
Bishop designated by the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The Signs and the Rite of Confirmation

Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the "Sacraments of Christian Initiation." The reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. On several occasions Christ promised this outpouring of the Spirit, a promise which he fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and them more strikingly at Pentecost. By the sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnessed of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed. Candidates for Confirmation seek the spiritual help of a sponsor. It is appropriate that this be one of the baptismal godparents.

Laying on of Hands: From the time on the apostles, in fulfillment of Christ's will, imparted to the newly baptized by the laying on of hands the gift of the Spirit that completes the grace of Baptism. The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation, which perpetuated the grace of Pentecost in the Church.

Anointing with oil is a sign of abundance and joy; it cleanses and limbers; oil is a sign of healing, since it is soothing to bruises and wounds; and it makes radiant with beauty, health and strength.

By anointing, the confirmed receives the "mark" the seal of the Holy Spirit. A seal is a symbol of a person, a sign or personal authority, or ownership of an object. Christ himself declared that he was marked with his Father's seal. Christians are also marked with a seal: "It is God who established us with you in Christ and has commissioned us; he has put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."

This seal of the Holy Spirit marks our total belonging to Christ, our enrollment in his service for ever, as well as the promise of divine protection in the great eschatological trial.

Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace:

• it roots us more deeply in the divine affiliation which makes us cry "Abba! Father!"
• it unites us more firmly to Christ
• it increases the fits of the Holy Spirit in us
• it renders our bond with the Church more perfect
• it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross

From: Catechism of the Catholic Church for the United States of America © 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.

Gifts of the Spirit

Lord, fill me with your spirit of...

• WISDOM to learn from my mistakes, to grow in self-confidence and still be open to your Word
• UNDERSTANDING to see all things in the light of your love
• RIGHT JUDGMENT (COUNSEL) to choose good friends and know how to be one
• COURAGE (FORTITUDE) to be unafraid of growing and becoming the best I can
• KNOWLEDGE to be open to the truth and willing to search for it
• REVERENCE (PIETY) to express my love and need of you in my daily thoughts
• WONDER AND AWE (FEAR OF THE LORD) to keep alive your awesome, gentle presence in my life
  

Fruits of the Spirit

• CHARITY: Loving God and freely giving love to anyone who needs it
• PEACE: Creating a bridge between God, others and yourself
• JOY: Responding to life in a positive way
• KINDNESS: Taking care of the goodness inside everyone
• GOODNESS: Loving what is right
• PATIENCE: Being able to wait and hope
• LONG-SUFFERING: Knowing that tough times end and dreams are worth the effort
• GENTLENESS: Going easy on yourself and others
• FAITH: Believing that God will always be there
• TRUTHFULNESS: Facing yourself and others honestly
• SELF-CONTROL: Centering your life on God's loving direction
• CHASTITY: Respecting the power and beauty of faithfulness and sexuality

Sponsors Are Spiritual Role Models

We all have people we admire from childhood heroes to adult role models. We see certain qualities or accomplishments in others and in some way strive to imitate them. It might be the ability of a ballplayer or the skill of a doctor, or the knowledge and ease of a teacher, or the love and devotion of our parents. We see in others qualities and talents that make them great.

In the community of faith, we have role models. The most common are the saints - ordinary people who lived faith in extraordinary ways. There are priests and parishioners whose virtue and faith inspire others to greatness. Finally, there are sacramental sponsors in baptism and confirmation. They show us by word and example how to live and practice the faith we profess.

Choosing a sponsor is serious business. Sponsors are spiritual role models - future saint makers! We need to pick those who really believe, not simply because they are friends or relatives, but because they can show us or our children the way of Jesus. Good sponsors have the virtues and qualities that imitate the greatest of role models, Jesus himself. Who better to admire, to serve or to love?

©2005 Liturgical Publications Inc., used with permission