The Importance of The Sacrament of Confirmation

-Valentina Masache

Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments in the Catholic Church, before receiving confirmation you must be baptized. During confirmation you receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. To be able to receive the Holy Spirit, you have to be willing to let it enter and envelop you. The requirements you have to fulfill to be confirmed are to select a sponsor, pick a patron saint’s name, participate in a Confirmation retreat, have thirty hours of community service for your church, and attend your religious education classes. A sponsor for a Confirmation candidate is meant to assist the candidate in Confirmation. The sponsor must be actively involved in the Catholic Church. . Confirmation is important because it signifies a personal commitment to the Catholic faith and makes you more involved with the Lord. It should not be taken lightly, but should be taken as serious. This Sacrament will bind you to the Holy Spirit and strengthen your relationship with the Lord. For Confirmation you may ask to obtain one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit you think that you are in need of the most. The Gift of Wisdom helps you see life from God’s perspective and keeps you from acting foolishly. The Gift of Understanding aids you in comprehending all the truths of God, also to help you understand the deeper meaning of what God says. The Gift of Counsel helps us to see the right path or choice, especially during difficult times, to “act on our feet”. The Gift of Fortitude grounds our will as a child of the Lord and perseveres in overcoming our fears. The Gift of Piety allows us to respect God and to act as his secure, beloved children. Piety helps us act on our religious duties in the correct way and for the correct reason. Fear of the Lord helps us to be in awe of God’s power and might, and also be aware of our humanity and mortality. The Gift of Knowledge helps us declare whether or not something is “of God” or not. It allows us to see the truth even when there is confusion. In conclusion, Confirmation is an important part of our faith and should not be taken lightly. It unites us and the Holy Spirit together.

Valentina receiving Confirmation

-Michael Sullivan

Valentina, along with her fellow Confirmands, were Confirmed into the Catholic Church on Saturday, May 18, 2024, by Father Michael Quinnan. We warmly welcome the Confirmation Class of 2024 into our Parish, and we pray for their continued involvement in our Church. The future of the Church rests on the shoulders of the youth and, as a Parish, we are motivated by the knowledge that without the children we are not whole. The revitalization of the Church with the newly confirmed is the only possibility of the survival of the Catholic Church that has lasted almost 2,000 years. The Confirmation process breathes life into our whole Parish, like Christ breathed life into the Apostles in the Upper Room with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost so many years ago (John 20:22).

We pray that Valentina and everyone confirmed on May 18, 2024, will find a home in the Church of Saint Luke and the Catholic Church. We pray that they are touched by the Holy Spirit and are able to use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in their daily life to bring the Joy of Christ to their families and friends. And finally, we pray that they remain in the Church and are nourished by the Sacraments throughout the entirety of their lives.