Jesus Christ is risen, from the dead, Alleluia!

We rejoice that thirteen student disciples have prepared for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation which initiates them into the fullness of the Catholic faith. Confirmation will be celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Saturday, April 26, 10:00 AM. Since many other parishes are pre-sent, only the immediate family can attend, but let us pray for these candidates who are in the final stage of preparation: Dominic Bartholome, Jack Buck, Brody Doerhoefer, Nora Frederick, Ellie Jennings, Stephanie Jimenez-Saldana, Toby Lodermeier, Brady McNamara, Jesenia Monjaraz, Patrick O’Reilly, Cody Ryan, Tim Strauss and Aaron Cruz.

On Holy Thursday Archbishop Hebda celebrated the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul. At this Mass the priests of the Archdiocese renew their priestly vows, and the Archbishop consecrates the Holy Oils used in the sacraments: The Oil of the Infirm is used in the Sacrament of the Sick and Dying; the Holy Oil (Oil of the Catechumens) is used as a sacra-mental before an infant or adult is baptized; and the Sacred Chrism is used at Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination and the consecration of altars and church buildings.

We read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church about the importance of the Sacrament of Confirmation:

1306: Every baptized person not yet confirmed [Catholic] can and should receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Since Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist [reception of Holy Communion] form a unity, it follows that “the faithful are obliged to receive this sacrament at the appropriate time,” for without Confirmation and Eucharist, Baptism is certainly valid and efficacious, but Christian initiation remains incomplete.

1307: For centuries, Latin custom has indicated “the age of discretion” as the reference point for receiving Confirmation. But in danger of death children should be confirmed even if they have not yet attained the age of discretion.

1308: Although Confirmation is sometimes called the “sacrament of Christian maturity,” we must not confuse adult faith with the adult age of natural growth, nor forget that the baptismal grace is a grace of free, unmerited election and does not need “ratification” to become effective. St. Thomas [Aquinas, STh, III, 72,* ad 2: cf. Wis 4:8] reminds us of this:

Age of body does not determine age of soul. Even in childhood man can attain spiritual maturity: as the book of Wisdom says: “For old age is not honored for length of time, or measured by number of years.” Many children, through the strength of the Holy Spirit they have received, have bravely fought for Christ even to the shed-ding of their blood.

1309: Preparation for Confirmation should aim at lead-ing the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit – his actions, his gifts and his biddings – in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of be-longing to the [Catholic] Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears spe-cial responsibility for the preparation of confirmands.

1310: To receive Confirmation one must be in a state of grace. One should receive the sacrament of Penance in order to be cleansed for the gift of the Holy Spirit. More intense prayer should prepare one to receive the strength and graces of the Holy Spirit with docility and readiness to act.

1313: In the Latin Rite, the ordinary minister of Confirmation is the [Catholic] bishop. If the need arises, the bishop may grant the faculty of ad-ministering Confirmation to priests, although it is fitting that he confer it himself, mindful that the celebration of Confirmation has been temporally separated from Baptism for this reason. Bishops are the successor of the apostles. They have received the full-ness of the sacrament of Holy Orders. The administration of this sacrament by them demonstrates clearly that its effect is to unite those who receive it more closely to the [Catholic] Church, to her apostolic origins, and to her mission of bearing witness to Christ.

1315: “Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:14-17)

1316: Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Chris-tian faith in words accompanied by deeds.

1319: A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the [Catholic] faith, be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both within the ecclesial community and in temporal affairs.

Some may wonder, “Maybe I wasn’t in the state of grace when I was confirmed. What then?” Catholic theology suggests that once a person celebrates a good confession (repenting of mortal sin by confessing the kind and number to the best of one’s ability and intending to live a devote life) the Holy Spirit be-comes activated in a powerful way whereby they have a greater understanding and zeal to live their faith by sharing the Good News by following Jesus Christ in his Catholic Church – the certain path to Eternal Life and Perfect Happiness.

Please note that the Divine Mercy devotions will be offered at Church of St. Michael, Pine Island, on Sunday, April 27, 1:00-4:00PM with confessions starting around 2:00PM.

Catholic Young Adults (age 18-45+) will gather for social/potluck, presentation and prayer, Sunday, April 27, at Holy Trinity Church from 6:30-9:00 PM, with Bjorn Otterness giving a testimony of how Jesus Christ is working in his life. RSVP to frmccabe@bevcomm.net to share what you will bring and who.

Peace in the Risen Christ,

Fr. Thomas McCabe