Fr. Kevin

Last in a series of letters to youth making their confirmation this month. I pray the
thoughts will be of value to both the teens and those who have already made their confirmation.

My younger brothers and sisters in Christ,

What’s next? Now that your confirmation is over, what happens? Is it just back to your
pre-confirmation teenage life or will things be different?

By now, you know what I hope your answer will be. I pray that you’ve started on what will be a
great journey with Christ. But is that realistic? Will the sacrament of confirmation cause a
significant change in your life?

It does for some. One youth told me he felt empowered to do things he’d never done before.
He challenged some friends over their trash-talking about a girl, befriended an outcast kid at
lunch, and defended his pro-life beliefs in a class. His only explanation for this new-found
courage was the Holy Spirit.

I experienced something different and, at the time, it didn’t seem life-changing. To be honest,
in my case, confirmation is a scene the director would cut out of my life’s movie. Why? In large
part, the sacrament hadn’t been explained well and so I just lived up to some rather low
expectations. But even so, something did happen. I started down a path God wanted for me. I
didn’t move particularly fast – that youth I just described raced into the Christian life. I sort of
shuffled my feet – but I did move and as time went by my relationship with God grew.

I’m praying that your confirmation experience will be memorable and significant but even if it
falls short of that, I know God will be with you in a new way. In particular, I know that he wants
to have a personal relationship with you and that’s the last topic I want to cover in these
letters. How do you grow in your relationship with God?

First, you need to read your Bible. This is “God’s word” and so if you want an easy way to hear
God all you need to do is start reading. Yes, I know the Bible can seem intimidating. Start with
the stories. A disciple strives to be like Jesus and the first step in that process is to know about
him – what he did and how he acted – so you might start with the Gospel of Mark. Or you can
read the story of Joseph starting in Genesis 37. Joseph is 17 when the story begins and even
though he lived a few thousand years ago you’ll appreciate his story. Have you ever gotten
blamed for something you didn’t do? Joseph did. God can teach you how to handle a situation
like this as you read the story. Ask older Christians for Bible story suggestions. Most aren’t long
and the more you read the more you’ll come to know God and how God wants you to act.

Reading the Bible is a way for God to talk to you. Prayer is a way for you to talk to God and
that’s my second suggestion. There are lots of ways to pray and anything that works for you is
a good way. Saying prayers you’ve memorized – the Our Father or Hail Mary – are good, but
you also should try just talking to God. Picture Jesus sitting next to you and just tell him what’s
going on – good things you’re thankful for and situations you’re concerned about. Spending
time with God is just like spending time with friends. The more time you give to them the better
you know them. That’s not to say that you need to pray for hours every night before you go to

The fourth in a series of letters to youth making confirmation at a special Mass today. I pray the thoughts will be of value to both those teens and those who have already made their confirmation.
 

My younger brothers and sisters in Christ, 

 What kind of story do you want to tell about your confirmation? 

 That may seem like an odd question, but at some point down the road you’re going to look back at some of the events in your life. I’m just asking, when you look back at confirmation, what’s it going to look like? Or think of it this way. Suppose someone is making a movie of your life and they’re putting together the final cut. When they get to the “confirmation scene” will they keep it in the film, or will they cut it because it doesn’t add anything to the movie? 

 The answers, of course, depend on what you do now. Confirmation, sadly, for many teens is just something they have to do – like going to a big family gathering in the summer. For them, confirmation doesn’t hold much meaning and, if they’re honest, it may not even matter if they get confirmed at all. With that attitude, they do the minimum preparation, go through the ceremony like a robot, and the “confirmation movie scene” just ends up on the cutting room floor. 

 I hope that doesn’t describe you. Confirmation can be a special moment in your life – something worth remembering and a scene worth keeping in that film. How does the sacrament become a great scene?  

 First, you’ll want to be clear on exactly what happens at confirmation, or to be more specific, what’s going to happen to you. Confirmation is a continuation of your baptism. While you didn’t have any say in what happened at your baptism, confirmation is all up to you. You’ll be the one who states your belief in our faith. It will be your chance to publicly take a stand for Christ – to say that you are a disciple and want to grow as a follower. 

 Second, while God’s spirit has been with you since baptism, at confirmation you’ll receive “the fullness of the Holy Spirit.” That’s just a fancy way to say that God will give you His Spirit in a more powerful way to help you live out the commitment you’re making. 

 That commitment might be a bit scary or perhaps make you wonder if you’re enough of a disciple to say you are one. In other words, you might think that you shouldn’t be confirmed until you’ve got your act together. Fortunately, God doesn’t see it that way. He knows we all have faults, failings, and even doubts. Don’t forget God made us and knows all about us. God’s willing to take us where we are right now. So, it’s ok if you’re not entirely sure or don’t completely understand your faith. If you make the commitment, God’s Spirit will help you with the rest. To use a sports analogy, if you commit to the team, God will coach you to be a better player. 

 It makes sense that everyone doesn’t experience the sacrament the same way, but for many the key moment is when the bishop extends his hands and prays for the Holy Spirit to come into their life. It’s a powerful moment – one where, in the movie, the music swells and the hero’s theme is played. Don’t forget this is a sacrament, so while the physical things – the anointing and hands – are being done, something is also happening at the level of your soul. Lots of youth feel it and even if they can’t describe it well, they know that something has changed in their life. They somehow know that they’ve had an encounter with God. 

 I hope you’ll spend some time this week thinking about your confirmation. It will help make it meaningful. Athletes often prepare for the “big game” by picturing it in advance. This is a religious “big game.” Pray about it. Get pumped! 

Your brother in Christ, 

Fr. Kevin