Introduction to Confirmation

Transcription

1 Introduction to Confirmation October 19, 2014 FLAME 1 Catechist and Peer Lesson Plan OBJECTIVES To introduce the teens to the main concepts of the Sacrament of Confirmation and to deepen their understanding of them For our teens to relate the gifts of the Holy Spirit to their own lives For our teens to learn what their role in the larger church is post-confirmation For our teens to understand how and why they will choose a confirmation name and sponsor and to begin thinking about those choices OVERVIEW I. 4:00-5:10pm- Teen Mass II. III. IV. 5:10-5:20pm - Hospitality in the Narthex 5:20-5:30 - Large Group/attendance in Church 5:30-7:00pm Small Group Lesson Plan Start the small group with 5-10 minutes of the following activities: Ice breakers/ God Sightings/ Faith in Action The lesson s activities include the 5 components that should be in every faith lesson: Scripture Shared experiences by adults and teens Catholic Theology and learning I learned statements Putting our faith in action or lived experience. Remember to utilize your peer ministers! Please work through the lesson, choosing the activities you feel will best connect with your group. Here are the activities to pick from for this week: There are a lot of discussion questions based on the background material. Read them ahead of time and plan how you would like the teens to answer them. In one large group, in smaller groups, divide them up by numbers, attributes, hobbies, etc to get them moving. Group discussions on how the Holy Spirit is at work in their world. What Do I Do activity on teen handout. Have the teens fill out groups they are a part of, what the groups offer them and ask of them. Once they are finished, have them take a look at the list of questions following the chart and apply them to each group. Do they do these things? Why or why not? PDF Confirmation: Gifted with the Holy Spirit is available as a supplemental activity on the Flame lesson plan webpage. It goes deeper into 4 of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, allowing for scripture review and discussion. Stop by 645 to cover the remaining items: I Learned Allow time to share what the teens have learned. There is always a spot on the handout for the teens to write this portion of the lesson. This can be done verbally as well. It is important for you to be able

2 to assess if the teens in your group are meeting the objectives of the lessons. Peer Ministers can be utilized here to help you make sure teens are engaged and learning. Encourage students to take packets home and share with their parents or families Social Action and Challenges for the week (Lived Experience) Discuss ways to put the ideas from tonight into action Closing Prayer & Dismissal: Ask group members to share personal intentions. End with your covenant prayer if you didn t start with it. Background for Catechists and Peers What is Confirmation? Confirmation is the sacrament that completes Baptism; in it the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon us. Anyone who freely decides to live a life as God s child and asks for God s Spirit under the signs of the imposition of hands and anointing with Chrism (oil of anointing) receives the strength to witness to God s love and might in word and deed. He is now a full-fledged, responsible member of the Catholic Church. When a coach sends a soccer player onto the playing field, he puts his hand on his shoulder and gives him final instructions. We can understand Confirmation in a similar way. A hand is placed upon us. We step out onto the field of life. Through the Holy Spirit we know what we have to do and we have been given the power to do it. He has motivated us. His mission resounds in our ears. We sense his help. We will not betray his trust or disappoint him; we will win the game for him. We just have to want to do it and listen to him. What does Sacred Scripture say about the sacrament of Confirmation? In the Old Testament, the People of God expected the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Messiah. Jesus lived his life in a special Spirit of love and of perfect unity with his Father in heaven. This Spirit of Jesus was the Holy Spirit for whom the people of Israel longed; this was the same Spirit whom Jesus promised to his disciples, the same Spirit who descended upon the disciples fifty days after Easter, on the feast of Pentecost. And it is again this same Holy Spirit of Jesus who descends upon everyone who received the sacrament of Confirmation. In the Acts of the Apostles, which were written a few decades after the death of Jesus, we see Peter and John traveling about to confirm new Christians by imposing hands on those who previously had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, so that their hearts might be filled with the Holy Spirit. What happens in Confirmation? In Confirmation the soul of a baptized Christian is imprinted with a permanent seal that can be received only once and marks this individual forever as a Christian. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the strength from above in which this individual puts the grace of his Baptism into practice through his life and acts as a witness for Christ. To be confirmed means to make a covenant with God. The confirmed says, Yes, I believe in you, my God; give me your Holy Spirit, so that I might belong entirely to you and never be separated from you and may witness to you throughout my whole life, body and soul, in my words and deeds, on good days and bad. And God says, Yes, I believe in you, too, my child and I will give you my Spirit, my very self. I will belong entirely to you. I will never separate myself from you, in this life or eternally in the next. I will be in your body and your soul, in your words and deeds. Even if you forget me, I will still be there on good days and bad. From YOUCAT Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church

3 As You Grow Your life has changed as you ve grown older and matured. You ve learned things, developed skills and become more independent. With this growth comes additional privileges and responsibilities. For example, very little was expected of you as a baby. But you were asked to do a great deal more as a six year old. Spiritual Growth Just as you grow in strength, size and intelligence, so are you called to grow in spirit. At Baptism you received the gift of grace, or divine life. As you ve grown, you ve been called to recognize God s love for you and the great gifts he has given you. Now you are ready to accept the responsibilities and privileges that are yours because of your Baptism. Now you have the opportunity to live out your anointing by the Spirit and share more fully in the mission of Jesus Confirmation Confirmation celebrates the gift of the Spirit that you received in Baptism. To be confirmed you must profess your faith, be in the state of grace, and want to receive the sacrament. In Confirmation the Spirit gives you strength to live by God s teachings more fully, to imitate Christ more closely, and to express your faith more courageously. You are bound more closely to the Church in Confirmation so you must be ready to assume the role of disciple and witness to him. The whole community celebrates with you as you commit to Jesus and his Church. The community prays that the Spirit will bless you with the grace you need to grow in Christ. Confirmation is celebrated during the Eucharist to express more clearly the unity of the Sacraments of Initiation. Discussion Questions: What can you do now that you weren t allowed to do when you were younger? In what ways do you contribute to your family today that you couldn t in the past? How have you grown spiritually as you are preparing for Confirmation? How do you expect to continue to grow in your faith after Confirmation? Gifts of the Holy Spirit The Bible says that from the beginning of Creation, the Spirit of God formed the earth and all of its surroundings, and that God will always be with us. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit comes to Mary as she answers the call to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to pray (Luke 4: 1-2). And Jesus reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah that the Spirit is upon him as he begins his ministry (Luke 4:16-21). After Jesus Resurrection and Ascension, the Holy Spirit comes on Pentecost. The Spirit fills the disciples with grace and gives them the courage to proclaim Jesus to the world. (Acts 2:1-4) From Confirmed in the Spirit Loyola Press 2007 With these the Holy Spirit endows Christians, in other words, he grants them particular powers that go beyond their natural aptitudes and gives them the opportunity to become God s special instruments in this world. From YOUCAT Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church

4 Activity & Discussion Work in groups to prepare a list of ways that you see the Spirit at work in the world today. You can refer to things you have read about, heard about, seen on TV, or observed firsthand. Discuss with the large group. What is an example of the Holy Spirit guiding your life? Which of the Spirit s gifts will most help you? Think of someone who exemplifies at least one of the gifts of the Spirit. With which gift do you most indentify this person? How does this gift lead the person to live his or her life? Matching Game (chart on the last page of Catechist Lesson Plan) Listed in the chart are the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit, their descriptions, and scripture that goes with it. You can play this game a few different ways the goal of each is to match the 3 pieces together. 1. Match the Gift with the Definition. 2. Match the Gift with the Scripture. 3. Match all three. This can be done in pairs (give half the group the gifts and the other half the definition or scripture) or it can be done in groups. The scripture passages will need to be looked up in the Bible by the teens in order to know what they are looking for. Let them use the Bible or their cell phone your call. Cut out each section from the table on the last page of this lesson to create this game. What We re Charged With At Baptism we received the grace that enables us to love and serve others without counting the cost, to see Christ in them, and to avoid hurting them. Grace makes us eager to reach out to others with concern. It leads us to use our gifts and talents to meet their needs. Confirmation helps our love grow stronger. We show we have loving hearts when we perform works of mercy. As members of the Christian community, we are actively concerned about those who do not have enough clothing, food, or a good home. We meet their physical needs through the corporal works of mercy. These works include feeding the hungy, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, burying the dead and giving alms to the poor. We also want to help those who are feeling hurt, discouraged, sick, or confused. We meet emotional and spiritual needs of people through the spiritual works of mercy. These works are instructing, advising, consoling, comforting, forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The Spirit helps us know what to do to come to the aid of our neighbor. Activity & Discussion Read the situations and consider whether you ever act in these ways: Let someone else be the center of attention Go out of your way to make a new person feel comfortable and welcomed Volunteer even when none of your friends do Avoid passing on rumors or gossiping Sacrifice your free time to visit someone who is sick Admit when you do something wrong and apologize How might the Gifts of the Holy Spirit help you to act in these ways? How might being a Confirmed Catholic help us with corporal and spiritual works of mercy? Jesus Christ instructed us to keep the Ten Commandments. When asked what the greatest commandment was, he responded: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. And he added, The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself Mark 12: Jesus Christ is our greatest role model and guide for our lives.

5 What Do I Do? (on the teen handout) Have the teens write down information about groups that they are part of. Don t forget family. Have them think about why they joined the group, what it offers them and what the group asks of them. Go over the discussion points listed following this activity in the teen handout. Confirmation Sponsors and Names The amazing thing about Confirmation is we don t have to travel this journey alone. In addition to Jesus Christ as our greatest role model, we get to add in a few more key players to our deck. Sponsors Just as our parents chose Godparents or Sponsors for us at Baptism, we now get to chose Sponsors for our Confirmation. The role of a Sponsor is to guide you, to help you on this path of discernment towards Confirmation. They are there for support, to answer questions, to overall support you in your faith journey in any way they can. When choosing a sponsor, it is important to look for someone who is prayerful, open, dependable, loving and who lives out their faith in their everyday life. A sponsor should also be a baptized, practicing catholic, so that they can better serve you on your own journey towards becoming a fully initiated Catholic as well. Lastly, sponsors should not be parents for the same reason parents are not godparents: a sponsor is a support and addition to your spiritual life. As you prepare to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, begin thinking about who this role model will be. Godparents, grandparents, confirmed siblings, family members, family friends, teachers, coaches etc. are all possibilities for sponsors. You will not have to officially choose your sponsor until the fall of your Flame 2 year, but use this time now to begin discerning and having conversations with those around you. Confirmation Names When we get Confirmed, we choose a Confirmation Name. Your Baptism, or Christian, name is the name that you were given at birth. That is, your first name. Some people choose to re-affirm their Baptismal name at Confirmation. In the Christian tradition, taking a new name signifies spiritual conversion. In other words, that there has been a significant spiritual change in your life. For example, Saul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus radically changed the course of his life. After his conversion, Paul began to preach that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. (Saul -> Paul) This is why, if you choose to take on a different Confirmation name, as opposed to reaffirming your Baptismal name, it should be one of a saint or Christian person whom you admire. The reason choosing a Confirmation Name can be viewed as an opportunity to add a second person, in addition to your sponsor, to your arsenal of key faith players in your life, is because by choosing this name, you are creating an incredible bond with that saint or Christian person. You are making a statement, that you appreciate this person, relate to their story, their struggles, their triumphs, and that you aspire to be like them in their love for Jesus Christ and his people.

6 How do you know who to choose? Think back in your life. Has there ever been a story of a saint that has stuck out to you? How about a hobby or cause you have a strong passion for? Each saint is considered a patron saint of one thing or another. Some examples of some well-known saints and their patronage are: St. Michael the Archangel: Patron of grocers, mariners, paratroopers, police, and sickness St. Patrick: Patron of Ireland St. Francis of Assisi: Patron and Animals, Merchants & Ecology St. Lucy: Patron of Blindness St. Rose of Lima: Patron of Latin America and Philippines St. Christopher: Patron of Travelers and Transportation St. Cecilia: Patron of musicians It s a great idea to find a saint or Christian person with whom you can relate or feel connected to. He/she is to be a role model and guide for you throughout your life. In good times and bad, we can ask our patron saint to pray with us and for us. How incredible is that? Start thinking about which name you will choose. Spend some time, do some research and know why you are making your choice (the Bishop may ask you why upon receiving Confirmation) There are many resources out there, one being the internet! Go home, and try searches like patron saint of [insert hobby/cause here] or saints who [insert life experience that calls to you here]. Ask your parents who they chose. Ask your already confirmed friends or family members. This is one of the last decisions you will make before becoming a Confirmed Catholic Please remember to dismiss class at 7:00PM only Do not dismiss students earlier.

7 MATCHING GAME WISDOM THE G I FT O F K NOWI NG TH E RIG HT C HO ICES TO M AK E TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE LUKE 12:16-26 UNDERSTANDING RIGHT JUDGMENT THE G I FT O F C OMPRE HE NSION. IT HELP S YOU TO BE TO LE RANT AND SYMPATHETIC TO O T HERS AND TO HAVE T HE ABIL IT Y TO GRASP T HE TEAC HI NG S O F THE CHU RCH AND YO UR P ARE NT S THE G I FT O F K NOWI NG RI GHT FROM WRO NG. I T HELP S US TO LIVE THE LIFE T H AT JE SU S WANT S US TO LIVE AND K EEPS US FROM E VIL. 1 KING 3: KING 3:16-28 KNOWLEDGE THE G I FT O F E NLIGHTE NM ENT TH AT COMES FROM ST UD Y ING GOD S WORD AND TE AC HI NG S JOB 36:3-5 COURAGE THE G I FT TH AT ST AND S U P FO R OUR FAI TH AND GIVE S U S THE ST RENGTH T O M AKE TOU G H DECISIO NS DESP ITE PE ER PRE SSURE, O B ST ACLE S, AND CHALLENGE S ACTS 7:54-60 REVERENCE THE G I FT O F C ONFI DE N CE IN GOD T H AT SHOWS RE SPEC T WHE N WE SE RVE GOD AND OTHE RS ACTS 3:11-13 WONDER & AWE IN GOD S CREATION THE G I FT O F AP PREC IA TIO N FOR GOD S C REATIO N AND TRU TH S ACTS 2:42-44