CONFIRMATION INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

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1 CONFIRMATION INTERVIEW QUESTIONS This is only a sample listing of questions Father Costa may ask you. He may also ask you any other question not on this list. In order to be prepared, review your Knowledge Checklist for Confirmation Candidates (if you need a copy it is on the website under faith formation Confirmation II) 1. What are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit?(must have memorized) Piety(reverence), Understanding, Counsel (right judgment), Knowledge, Wisdom, Fortitude(courage), Fear of the Lord(wonder and awe) 2. Pick which gift of the spirit you feel is your strength? Explain. Which one do you feel you need to grow in? Why? Piety- reverence and respect for God and a zeal for prayer Understanding a deeper insight into the truths of our Faith Counsel to give and receive Godly advice Knowledge to see that we are nothing without God and see his providence or loving plan in everything Wisdom- know and do what is right à make Godly choices Fortitude- strength to do what is right even if it means being persecuted Fear of the Lord know that God is our creator and our judge 3. Explain why the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are important? They are super powers of the soul that will help get us to heaven by leading us to do good and avoid evil. One way of explaining it is consider our soul as ships, the gifts would be like sails used to catch the wind, which is the spirit. Theologically speaking, the gifts of knowledge understanding counsel and wisdom help our intellect know the TRUTH, and the gifts of piety, fortitude and fear of the Lord help our will choose the TRUTH. 4. What does the word Confirm mean? Why do you want to be confirmed? Confirmation means to strengthen, to be strengthened by the power of Holy Spirit. This sacrament will more closely unite us with Christ and complete the initiation process started at baptism. It is not an end, it is a stepping stone through which the Holy Spirit will give us the grace to live, love, profess, spread and defend the Faith as an adult. 5. How will receiving the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation help your relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church? Confirmation draws us closer to Christ and his Church by completing what was started at Baptism, making us full fledge members of Christ s Church(along with the sacrament of the Eucharist). We grow in sanctifying grace which is the divine life of the Trinity. We receive a character or seal that marks us for Christ and his kingdom. We receive actual grace to help us personally recommit ourselves to live out our baptismal promise, to reject sin and live for Christ.

2 6. Describe the first confirmation? Pentecost, it was 50 days after the resurrection and 10 days after Jesus ascension. The Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles in the upper room as wind and fire giving them the power and courage to go out into the streets and preach the Gospel were converted that day. 7. How do you intend to be an active member in the Church after Confirmation? 8. Tell me about your saint. Why did you pick him/her, what inspires you about their life, how did they serve the church? 9. How would you respond to these questions, Why are you Catholic rather than just being a Christian? Why would anyone want to be Catholic? If I am going to be Christian, then be a part of the only Church started by Jesus, the Catholic Church. It has the complete package given to us by Christ: the seven sacraments, beatitudes, love, mercy, Mary, the pope, the saints, the complete canon of scripture. It is one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church guided by the Holy Spirit with a guarantee of authority, indefectibility(last till end of time), and infallibility(will not make mistakes in faith and morals) that works for me. And I haven t even mention the real presence of JESUS in the Eucharist. You want a close personal relationship with Jesus, it does not get any better than the Eucharist! 10. What are the Ten Commandments? 1) You shall have no other gods 2) Do not use the Lord s name in vain 3) Keep holy the Sabbath 4) Honor your Mother and Father 5) Thou shall not kill 6) Thou shall not commit Adultery 7) Thou shall not steal 8) Thou shall not lie 9) Thou shall not covet your neighbor s wife 10) thou shall not covet your neighbors goods 11. Can you name the seven sacraments? Why are they important? Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick. We can not expect to make it to heaven without God s grace, and the sacraments are outwards signs started by Christ to give us grace sounds pretty important to me. The sacraments increase the life and love of the Trinity in us, called sanctifying grace. The sacraments also give us specific graces for our duties. 12. Why are the 8 Beatitudes important? Poor in Spirit, Meek, Mourn, Righteous, Merciful, Pure in heart, Peacemakers, and persecuted. The are important because they are the key to happiness, dying to worldly things and living for Christ! Christ offered this teaching to us during his famous Sermon on the mount. He was giving the attitudes we need to have if we want to live in his kingdom. In some ways he was taking the old law, the 10 commandments, and elevating it to

3 a higher standard. Jesus says Blessed or truly happy are those who live them. It is one thing to know them, it is another to understand and yet another to live them. 13. What does the Church teach about mass attendance? 14. What was your favorite part so far about your confirmation process so far this year? 15. Do you see an importance in receiving the sacrament of reconciliation regularly? Explain. Confession is like a spiritual bath. Can you imagine going a week without a bath let alone a year yikes. The church requires we go at least once a year during lent/easter time. We get spiritually filthy when we turn from God and his commands. Sometimes in serious instances, we can cut ourselves off completely from God s love with mortal sin. Confession is the shower for our soul to heal, refresh and make us new again so we can be the people God wants us to be. In our struggles, we need to cry out to God and he will rescue us. At least once a year confession, once a month is better. Shower for the soul!! 16. What do Catholics believe about the Eucharist? Jesus is fully present body and blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist. Jesus said at the last supper, This is my body this is my blood. It is more than just symbolic, it IS Jesus. In John chapter 6, Jesus says I am the bread of Life you must eat the flesh of the son of man if you want to have life within you. To deny that this miracle could happen is to deny that God is all powerful. Think about it, if he can create the world and the universe we live in then surely he can change bread into himself. This miracle is called Transubstantiation: change in substance (what it is) but not appearance (what it looks like, tastes like, feels like ). 17. Who is our current pope and why must we be faithful to his teachings? Pope Benedict the XVI. We must be faithful as Catholics to follow the Pope and the teachings of the Church. Jesus left us the Church to be a guiding light for us to get back to him by teaching and making us holy through the sacraments. Just like a mother makes lots of rules to keep her kids safe, Holy Mother Church has the authority from Christ to have authority when it comes to matters of Faith and Morals. Jesus told Peter, You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the Keys to the kingdom. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 18. If someone said, Why do Catholics believe in stuff that is not in the bible like purgatory or Mary s assumption. How can you believe it if it s not in the bible? Church teaching is not based on scripture alone in fact scripture said there are so many things Jesus said and did, all the books in the world could not contain them. Therefore, the Church sees God s revelation in three forms: written (bible), oral, (Tradition) and teaching of the Magisterium). Likewise, nowhere is the word Trinity mentioned specifically in the bible, but it is a term accepted by all Christian faiths. 19. What are some social injustices in the world that as Confirmed Catholics we need to be aware of and be fighting for? Poor, unemployed, education for all, dignity of human life à abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human trafficking, violence, murder, racism. 20. What is your favorite Gospel story and why is it important for you to read the bible often?

4 Answers will vary. Mine is Jesus calming the storm at see because I love boats/water and whose life isn t at times in a storm and in need of help. I try to read the bible often Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome 21. Why is prayer important and what are some prayers you say? Stress the fact that prayer is vital to being Christian. Prayer can be Adoration(telling God you love him), Contrition(telling God you are sorry), Supplication(asking for things), and or thanksgiving(thanking God). The highest form of prayer = Mass, but don t neglect such activities as Adoration, personal prayer, the rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, grace before meals Suggestion: Try 5 minutes of silent prayer during the day to listen to the voice of God in your life. 22. What are some talents you have that you can use to serve Christ and help others? 23. What is your confirmation name? Why did you pick this name? 24. Who is your sponsor? Why did you pick this person? 25. What about the Bible most challenges you? Puzzles you? Encourages you? 26. Call to mind a person who has witnessed powerfully to you about the richness and beauty of the Christian life. Who is this person? What about their life impressed you? Explain. 27. If you could pick three gifts of the Holy Spirit to receive, which three would you choose? Why for each? 28. Describe an experience that has brought you closer to God. 29. Describe what you did for service this year. How did this help prepare you for confirmation? 30. Describe your most significant obstacle to being a full and active member of the Catholic Church. 31. What steps will you take to keep growing in your faith after Confirmation? 32. Why do you desire to be confirmed? 33. As you are choosing to be a fully initiated Catholic, tell me what it means to you to be Catholic. 34. Why does the Church need you and why do you need the Church? 35. What is our Pastor's name? 36. What is the Mass Schedule hear at Annunciation of the Lord? 37. Who is our Bishop? Where does he live? 38. What is the Rosary? How many mysteries does the Rosary have? 39. What are Holy Days of Obligation? 40. What are the four marks of the Church?

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