By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
“And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).
The Spirit of God is revealed as power and light in the beautiful creation story. The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Blessed Trinity, is not mentioned until Pentecost in the New Testament — the creation of the Church. Jesus sent the Apostles the Paraclete, Advocate, Comforter, Counselor, a helper to continue the mission of salvation. This helper, this power of the Holy Spirit, is available to us today.
The Economy of Salvation is explained in paragraphs 1285-1286 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. “Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the ‘sacraments of Christian initiation,’ whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace.” “In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped for Messiah for his saving mission. The descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism by John was the sign that this was he who was to come, the Messiah, the Son of God.”
What does it mean to be confirmed in the Church? The rite of Confirmation is very Biblical; steeped in tradition, with three ancient rituals: anointing with oil, laying on of hands and being sealed with the Holy Spirit. In a nine part series, Dr. Brandt Pitre explains how the Sacrament of Confirmation empowers us to be evangelists prepared to make sacrifices.
The Prophet Ezekiel had a vision of God departing from the Temple on his heavenly chariot. We must also go out and spread the good news. Jesus knew the Apostles would need an anointing or indwelling of the Holy Spirit. “As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; just as it taught you, remain in him” (1 John 2:27).
Our first grandson, Brayden, is preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation this spring. I love teaching him about this sacrament in our homeschool religion class. His parents support his time with service hours, and he was thoughtful in choosing a Confirmation name and sponsor. He chose his godfather/uncle, our oldest son, Daniel, to support him in this sacramental journey. They participated in a retreat at our parish Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi in Greenwood.
The participants were asked to write a four-lined prayer together. The confirmand was to write a line, cover it up and pass it to the sponsor, who contributed their own line. Nothing was revealed or read until they had each written two lines. The facilitator asked them to raise their hand if their prayer made sense, they were pleased with their collaborative effort. Young people need to recognize the power of grace received in the sacraments. Through the waters of baptism, the Spirit of God will be with them when they feel alone, or when darkness hovers in their world.
With permission, I share their Holy Spirit inspired prayer: “Lord guide me through my daily activities and thoughts. Thank you, Jesus, for being here with me, for your love and mercy, and for dying to save me from my sins. Help me and those around me continue your mission. Never part from me and always be with me so I can know, love and serve you.” Amen.
Zoe Cannon lives in Morgantown, Indiana, and is a member of Sts. Francis and Clare Parish in Greenwood, Indiana.