Tag Archives: Confirmation

What Month Is It, Anyway?

26 Monday May 2025

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The Catholic Church’s liturgical seasons fall more or less the same time every year.  Advent in December, and Christmas the last week of December through the middle of January.  Lent usually starts in late February and runs into April.  The 50 days of Easter takes us into late May or early June.  Then, we also have months with special devotions:  May to the Blessed Virgin Mary, October to the Rosary, and November to the Saints and the souls in purgatory.

In the U.S., every month is also set aside to promote awareness to various other worthy causes, e.g.,  Human Trafficking Awareness Month in January, and Suicide Prevention Month in September.  Some months celebrate less serious interests such as National Ice Cream Month in July, and Zombie Awareness month in May.

The month of May is also devoted to Mental Health Awareness.  Yesterday, as in each Sunday Mass this month, one of the petitions mentioned was for all those suffering from mental health issues.  Certainly, this is something we should all pray for.  Our collective prayers are a type of spiritual social outreach.  But it occurred to me there is a petition that I’ve never heard mentioned at my parish church or any other church I’ve ever been to in all my travels – a petition for the faithful to evangelize.

Evangelization is the central mission of the Church.  The proclamation of the Gospel – the saving message of who Jesus is and what He has done for us – is a responsibility we all have by virtue of our baptism and confirmation.  Unfortunately, there are so few who actually take that responsibility seriously.  If we believe our prayers will be heard for those with mental health issues, or for any special interest, then shouldn’t we believe that our prayers for the faithful to muster up the courage to evangelize will be efficacious, as well?  A simple petition such as, “For all the faithful, that they evangelize by proclaiming the Gospel, let us pray…” will at least remind everyone of their role.  Or, we can get bold, and amp it up a notch with, “For each and every baptized Catholic to honor their responsibility by evangelizing at least one person this month and bring them to Jesus, or deeper in their relationship with Him, let us pray…”

If we want to follow and obey our Lord, we have to spread the Good News.  Every month of the year should be Catholic Evangelization Month!  It is that important, not only for the salvation of the souls of those being evangelized, but our own, as well.

“Good and gracious Lord, thank You for loving me.  Please help me and each and every one of the baptized faithful bring others to know Your amazing love, also.  Help us to realize the grace of Fortitude that was bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit at our Confirmations so that we may be effective evangelizers.  Amen.”

(What Month Is It, Anyway?was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2025 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Trophies and Spiritual Atrophy

21 Wednesday May 2025

Posted by in Evangelization

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As I’m writing this, our parish school’s 8th grade class is having its graduation ceremony.  I’m sure our gym is filled with proud parents hardly believing their “baby” boys and girls will soon be high school freshmen; and those same sons and daughters, while also proud and excited, may be having some separation anxiety knowing that they and their friends will disperse to either our public high school or one of four or five nearby Catholic high schools.  

This has been a big year for these youths.  Tonight’s graduation is only two months after they received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Unfortunately, many of them will consider their Confirmation to be synonymous with their “Catholic graduation”.  Now that they’re confirmed, they see no need for any additional catechesis, scripture study, or even prayer.  Many will begin to exhibit the onset of spiritual atrophy, and in four years, when they go on to college, many will cease practicing their faith.

Yesterday I attended a conference on evangelization at a nearby Catholic church which also has a school.  During a break I ventured into the hallway outside the meeting room and saw that school’s trophy case.  There were years of trophies representing championships and tournament wins for volleyball, basketball, soccer and other sports.  There were photographs, autographed volleyballs, and plaques with player’s names.  And as I admired this memorabilia, I wondered how many of those student athletes still practice their faith.  I thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if a school had a trophy case that celebrated the graduates who continued to practice their faith in the years to come?  Perhaps they could display bronze medals or plaques for those who continued to be faithful for five years on, silver for ten years, and gold for twenty-five years.”

I was quick to tell myself, though, that the attrition in the faithful is not completely the fault of our Catholic schools or youth faith formation catechists.  Sure, some could be better.  They probably can improve at helping students build a loving and meaningful relationship with Jesus, a faith foundation upon which they will continue to build virtuous lives.  But, of course, there are other factors, as well, such as the pressures of the predominant secular culture that easily leads youths and young adults down paths of vice.  

And, then, there are the parents – what role have they played in instilling a strong faith in their children?  While it’s not a parent’s job to get their kids to heaven, it is their job, and in their control, to give their kids holy parents.  Have they provided an attractive example of how an adult lives a life of holiness?  Again, I checked myself so as to not put too much blame on the parents.  Many have good intentions.  The problem may not be with a lack of desire to lead their children deeper in faith, but that they can’t lead them past the point at where they are themselves.

I couldn’t help but see the hand of God in these thoughts.  There I was at a conference on how to evangelize adults, and because of a simple trophy case, I became fully aware that none of this is the kids fault, rather it is an adult problem.  Somewhere along the line we’ve lost the connection that the only way our children will develop and maintain a healthy life of faith is if us adults teach, guide, mentor and reinforce what that life looks like.  The teachers, the youth catechists, and the parents are all adults, and while youth faith formation is important, it is secondary to adult faith formation.  And to form adults who will form our youths, we need adult evangelists who will step forward and fill this void.  We need catechists for OCIA, competent leaders for Bible studies, willing facilitators to participate in adult faith formation programs, and spiritual mentors who will guide other adults to living lives of deeper prayer that will help them grow in holiness.  

I went back into the conference after the break with a renewed sense of determination.  I know I don’t have all the answers, but as our parish’s Director of Evangelization, there is an onus that goes with wearing that hat, a responsibility to put into place ways to lead people into a deeper relationship with Jesus that will move them along the pathway from minimal maintenance to missionary discipleship.

“Heavenly Father, I give You thanks for your trust in me, that my participation will bear fruit for Your Kingdom.  Inspire me, Lord, to evangelize other men and women to be Your disciples who will lead others closer to You.  And I pray that You will put in the lives of our children who have fallen away from the faith someone who will inspire them and bring them home.  Amen.”

Faith is Personal…but Should Never Be Private

26 Tuesday Mar 2024

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Jesus Sends the Apostles – Duccio di Buoninsegna, c.1300

We all know people who claim to believe in God but then won’t talk about it.  They clam up and say their faith is personal…end of discussion.  They are right, one’s faith is, and should be, personal.  But Jesus never intended for it to be private.  He tells us in the Gospels to go and be disciples.  How can we evangelize if we keep our faith private?

The most common excuse for keeping one’s faith private may be that the basics were never learned well enough in the first place to share it with, or defend it before, others.  One can easily deflect blame onto one’s teachers or parents, but to remain in this state is to succumb to the deadly vice of sloth, which is a laziness or a lack of love for the ways of God. The virtue opposing sloth is diligence, which may simply mean spending a little time each day learning more about one’s faith through daily prayer, reading scripture or other Catholic publications, or listening to Catholic television, radio, or podcasts, all of which can help us increase our understanding of our faith.

Another is our failure to fully understand and accept the graces we received at our Confirmation.  The infusion of the Holy Spirit supernaturally strengthened the virtue of fortitude within us, enabling us to share in the mission of Jesus Christ to spread and defend our faith.  Like a child who receives affirmation from a parent over a good behavior continues to improve in that behavior, we, too, simply have to believe we already possess what we need.

And, finally, the exigencies of modern life can make us forget that we need other people. Jesus didn’t live as a hermit.  He gathered family and friends with whom He shared life.  St. Paul urged the Corinthians to not live their faith privately but in community with one another.  Like an ember that falls away from a fire and dies out, we can grow cold if we don’t stay close to others who are on fire with their faith, and others can grow cold if we don’t bring our fire to them.

To effectively evangelize, we can’t be passive.  We have to actively learn, strengthen our relationship with Jesus through prayer and study, and build friendships with those whose fires need stoking.

“Lord Jesus, I pray for the grace to love You more dearly, and to exercise the grace which You’ve already bestowed on me in my Confirmation to bear fruit for Your Kingdom. Amen.”

(Faith is Personal…but Should Never be Private was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2024 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Wisdom in Speaking

02 Saturday Dec 2023

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In last Wednesday’s Gospel, Jesus told His disciples that they were not to prepare their defense before hand because He Himself would give them a wisdom in speaking.  (Lk 21:14).  I know Jesus was alluding to their legal defense when they would eventually be persecuted, but today I had an opportunity to pray for wisdom in speaking in an unexpected situation.

I had gone to my office at the parish center to wrap up some unfinished business.  Upon entering the building I noticed someone was using one of the conference room.  Not long after settling in at my desk I was interrupted by a woman, a friend of mine, knocking at my door.  She is Hispanic, was the one using the conference room, and she was leading six fourteen and fifteen year old girls, along with three moms, in preparation for their Quinceaneras, their cultural right-of-passage into womanhood at the age of fifteen.

My friend asked me if I would come talk to the girls about their faith obligations once they make this transition into young adulthood.  I’m sure I had a scared, deer-in-the-headlights look on my face because: one, I stink at extemporaneous speaking; and, two, all I knew about this celebration is what I just wrote in italics above.  I had no idea what new faith obligations they might have once they “officially” become young women, and no time to ask or research it.  What could I say?  She is my friend and she asked because I am the parish’s Director of Evangelization.  She was trusting in me to enlighten these young ladies.  

It is about twenty steps from my office to the conference room.  With the first ten or so steps I tried to think of what to say but, getting no inspiration, I paced the last ten steps simply praying for the Holy Spirit to lead me.

My friend had the girls introduce themselves and I congratulated them on their upcoming milestone and asked if they were looking forward to it.  They smiled and nodded.  I made an awkward momentary pause, still not knowing what to say, but continued with, “Growing up can be exciting but it also brings more responsibility as you know.  One of those responsibilities is to not only stay strong in your faith but to pass that faith along to others.  We call that evangelizing.”  Mostly blank looks followed.

“How many of you have tattoos?”  That produced a smile or two and, thankfully, none had received one.  “That’s good”, I added with my own smile, “but you actually have a tattoo, an invisible one.  It’s the mark you received at your baptism, the mark that identifies you as a beloved daughter of God, and one who has the Spirit of Christ in you!”  Quizzical looks.   

You’re fourteen or fifteen so I suspect you’ve all been Confirmed, right?”  All nods.  “You may not know it but you were given another gift at your Confirmation, the courage and strength to tell others about your love for Jesus.  Is that kind of a scary thought, talking about your faith?”  More nods.

“Well, it’s really not that hard.  The best way to do that is to just be friendly with other people, especially those whom you don’t know well.  And, because you have the love of Christ in you, you will radiate a joy that they find different than in other people.  They will begin to want some of what you have.  They will want to be your friend.  It’s much easier to share your feelings with friends, isn’t it?”  Nods.

“But you have to be open to making new friends, which means that you have to intentionally reach out to meet new people.  And that can be kind of scary.  But, remember, you have been given the strength and courage you need to do that.  What’s the best way to make good new friends?  Well, the best way is to put your phones down and greet people person to person and have conversations face to face.  This is how you really get to know someone and they get to know you.  And, it’s the best way to share life and share your faith and introduce a new friend to Jesus.  It’s the adult way to have a relationship with someone else.”  Funny looks.

“Jesus told all of us to go and tell others about Him.  It’s our responsibility.  And it’s a responsibility that we have to accept as adults.  I love that you’re all so excited about this next step in your life!  it can be really exciting, too, to share your faith with other people, especially when you see them learning to love Jesus, too. 

“I wish you all well, and that your Quinceanera celebrations are amazing!  And, I hope you all embrace your young adulthood and the challenges and responsibilities it will bring.  God bless you all.”  Smiles and nods.

It’s difficult to tell what’s going on in a stoic young person’s mind.  Everything I said may have gone in one ear and out the other.  My friend and the moms seemed to love my comments, though.  Someday I may have the opportunity to look back on this and see whether or not my advice stuck with them.  If a connection was made with just one of those young women, and she someday puts those ideas into play, then all of my situational uneasiness will have been worth it.  But, for now, I will simply trust in the Holy Spirit, the One Who gave me the wisdom to speak those words, to take it from here.

“Dear Lord, thank You for this opportunity that literally came knocking on my door today.  You may have been testing me, or You may have been simply showing me that You believe in me, that I actually can evangelize when I need to.  Either way, I thank You, and I thank You for giving me the words to speak.  Lord, I pray for those young ladies, that they may keep the faith and that they will lead others closer to You.  Amen.”

(Wisdom in Speaking was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2023 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

How Will You Let this Easter Change Your Life?

05 Monday Apr 2021

Posted by in Bible Reflections, Easter

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Happy Easter to you!  I hope it was a day filled with joy.

Yesterday, we proclaimed, “Christ is risen!”  For the faithful it is the day that brings eternal hope to our lives.  It’s the day that reassures us there is a purpose to this life we live and all the struggles that accompany it so that one day we may be resurrected like Jesus and live with Him for eternity.  

But, how do you feel today?  Do you feel different than yesterday.? Or are you the same person you were a week, a month or a year ago?  For many, you’ve returned to work or, in some way, returned to your daily habits.  And, I’ll venture a guess, not all of those habits are completely virtuous.  I know, I’m there with you.

This morning I set my alarm and arose an hour earlier than I have been the last couple weeks.  A contractor was scheduled to show up early and begin remodeling the first floor of my house, and I wanted to make sure I had time for my morning prayer and meditation before they arrived.   As I read the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2: 14, 22-33) about Peter’s speech at Pentecost to the Jews of Jerusalem, my attention was brought to the contrast between the Peter of today and the Peter of last week, who, out of fear, denied Jesus three times.  

After the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter changed.  He found courage to proclaim the name of Jesus and His death, and profess His resurrection to all of Jerusalem, even to those who were responsible for His crucifixion.  I’m sure Peter was still the same in many ways – gruff and impetuous – but his timidity had been replaced with fortitude.  He spoke boldly and with authority.  He was no longer afraid to be associated with Jesus, rather, he rejoiced in the opportunity.

So I wondered how my life might change.  Do I have what it takes to “proclaim Your death, O Lord, and profess Your resurrection” as I say every time I go to Mass?  And, then I realized I do have what it takes.  I was given the grace to be courageous in my faith when I received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  If you’re a confirmed Catholic, then you were given that grace, too.

Well, it’s one thing to say I’m going to be more courageous, but it’s a whole ‘nuther thing to do it.  Unsure exactly how I would do this today, I resolved to pray for the Lord to present me with an opportunity and, when He did, that I would rise to the occasion.  

In the meantime, I decided to read about the saints of the day.  Today is the feast day of St. Vincent Ferrer, a Dominican friar from the 14th Century.  St. Vincent was a  tremendous preacher who converted thousands throughout Europe.  His efforts so built up the Church that he became the patron saint of those in the building trades.

As I finished reading about this great saint, there came a knock on my door.  It was the contractor’s crew arriving to start work.  We had a walk-around to show everyone the scope of the project and, then, as they were fetching their tools from their truck, it hit me:  God had just presented me with the opportunity for which I had prayed.  It was no mere coincidence that a crew of building tradesmen were beginning to work in my house on the feast day of their patron saint.  And, so, as they all gathered back inside I asked them if they would mind if I prayed for their safety and to a successful project.  I explained the connection with St. Vincent Ferrer, and they bowed their heads with me.  I prayed, “Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity to praise You and for the virtues of patience and perseverance that have brought us to begin this project.  I pray for the intercession of St. Vincent Ferrer, that he watch over these workers and keep them safe from harm, and that this project goes smoothly and successfully.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ our risen Lord.  Amen.”  And, then, in my mind I also prayed, “And, please, let their be no cost overruns!”

I love how God works for us when we love and trust in Him.  Don’t let this Easter go to waste.  Through prayer, place your love and trust in Him, and accept, realize and act on the grace of fortitude given to you in your Confirmation to proclaim the name of His Son, Jesus, to the rest of the world.

“Lord Jesus, thank You for this blessing today.  I pray that, in our fallen society, this Easter season will bring a resurgence of hope to all Your faithful.  Through the intercession of St. Vincent Ferrer, may a  fortress of strength be built in our hearts such that we may all proudly and courageously proclaim Your death and resurrection.  Amen.”

(How Will You Let this Easter Change Your Life? was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2021 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

You Are Mine

23 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Bible Reflections, Confirmation, Fear

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I’ve been trying to improve my prayer life by making more time to read sacred scripture and meditate on what the Word of God is trying to tell me in relation to my life. I have to admit there are many days when, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot make a connection. But, at other times, His message is loud and clear. Or, at least, I think it is.

Such was the case this last Sunday. The Gospel reading was from John 14:15-21, regarding the “Advocate”, the Holy Spirit:

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept because it neither sees nor knows it. But, you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you….On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.”

As I listened to this, I thought, “This is one of the problems in our faith today. People forget that Jesus is with us always by the Holy Spirit that He placed within us. It’s like we forget the whole point of our Sacrament of Confirmation. We remember the meaning of Baptism, we experience Communion every week, and, we are reminded, reluctantly for many, of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But, we forget that the Holy Spirit was poured out upon us at our Confirmation. Imagine the difference we could make if we only remembered this!”

A few minutes later, I joined the congregation of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Shell Knob, Missouri in singing one of my favorite hymns, You Are Mine.  The first verse and refrain simply reinforced my earlier thought:

“I will come to you in the silence, I will lift you from all your fears,
“You will hear my voice, I claim you as my choice,
“Be still and know I am here.
“Do not be afraid, I am with you. I have called you each by name.
“Come and follow me, I will bring you home, 
“I love you and you are mine.”

Fast forward to last night, Monday evening. I arrived in Kansas City, Kansas to attend my first, in-residence week of formation, study and practice in the Spiritual Mentorship Program offered by the Apostles of the Interior Life, and the School of Faith of the Archdiocese of Kansas City. I’ve been studying for and looking forward to this week since January. As I knelt in the chapel after night prayers, I felt my nervousness grow. I was afraid – afraid that I won’t have what it takes to become a good spiritual mentor, and afraid that my faith was too new and poorly grounded. I feared not being able to remember everything I will need to remember, and, consequently, be inadequate in the example I set for others.

I prayed for God to open my mind and my heart to what I will be learning this week. I prayed that my detailed and analytical mind won’t blind me from understanding the concepts which will be presented (not seeing the forest for the trees has always been a struggle for me). And, I prayed for the ability to internalize the message so that I will easily be able to relate it to others. I simply prayed, “God, help me do this!”

As I took a breather from my verbal prayer, I became distracted and lost my train of thought. Normally, I get frustrated with distractions while I pray, but this time the distraction – the tune for You Are Mine that was running through my head – was a blessing. As I tried to remember the words to the song, not only it but the Gospel and my thoughts about it from Sunday’s mass came flooding back to me. And, in a moment of humiliation in front of the Lord, I saw that, through my self-righteousness, I was the one guilty of not remembering the point of my own Confirmation. I realized I was asking God to help me do this and help me do that, as if I was in this alone and the burden was all on me.

In that moment I lost the slump in my posture and knelt more upright. I felt a surge of adrenaline. My prayer changed from fear and despair to anticipation and new hope! I prayed, “Oh God, it is You Who led me to discern this opportunity and Who brought me here. I know that, through Your Holy Spirit, You are with me and You won’t leave me hanging. You have ‘come to me in silence’ and You have lifted my fears; I am not afraid because You are with me. I trust in You. I love You and I am Yours.”

“Oh, loving and forgiving God, You teach me in many ways, often uncomfortable ways. You know what I need and You set the stage in advance so that when the moment comes I may learn from the experience. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for living within me. Help me to always feel your presence. Amen.”

(You Are Mine was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)
©2013-2017 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.