I’m sure that most of us know that the Holy Spirit can help us live a good Christian life. Either that or we can make it difficult for it to work in our lives. St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians tells us that “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His spirit in the inner man” (cf Eph 3:14-16)
Paul was asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen the Christians in Ephesus. In the New Testament, we can see that the Holy Spirit is the key to victory over sin and to living a holy life. The Holy Spirit provides spiritual power for ministry and to help us understand the Bible. These are the few examples in which the Holy Spirit works through us. All of this can only happen when we are “walking in” or filled with” the Holy Spirit.
There are people in this world who think that the key to victory over sin is self punishment, doing penance and abstinence. This is essentially pre Vatican thinking. St. Paul himself tells us that the key to living a holy life as a Christian is to walk in the Spirit. As Christians, we are commanded to walk in the Spirit since the Spirit is already living in us. (Read Gal 5:25)
When we start to walk in the Spirit, we will not be constantly sinning, no one can escape sin but the Holy Spirit can help us to lessen it. Once we start to faithfully and constantly walk in the Spirit, we will grow in the Spirit and the fruits of it will also bloom.
On our own effort, we will not be able to live a good Christian life, that is why God gave us the Holy Spirit so that we can continuously grow and receive God’s grace. The Holy Spirit lives in us and will never leave us. Whether we let it do something in our lives is up to us. God gave us that choice.
How do we experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives? First and foremost, we need to respond to its promptings. We should try to listen to what the Spirit is trying to tell us, what is it that it wants us to do. We should obediently follow its lead.
The Spirit is the power source of our Christian life. We are empowered by it if we obediently respond by faith. This is a gradual process. We need to continually submit our attitude, actions, decisions and lives to the Spirit. (Read Rom 8:5) Obedience is always difficult, That is why we have to continually ask the Holy Spirit to help us to be obedient to its promptings. In this way, we will slowly grow. Some may say that “Oh, I have attended LSS and that is enough growth for me” LSS is only a means to recharge our spirit and to guide us to follow the Holy Spirit that is in us.
How then, do we respond to this Spirit that God gave us? First we have to acknowledge that we are not superman/woman, we have to be honest and tell ourselves that we need the Holy Spirit in our lives. The second one is to go for confession on a regular basis, twice a month is good enough. This will help us to gauge how much we have grown in the Spirit. And lastly, we need to commit our lives to the one who gave it to us, God. “seek ye first the kingdom of God and all things will be given unto you”
We may not be able to see our own growth. But no matter how difficult life is, we must never give up, we have to faithfully believe that we are growing, no matter how slow. Life is definitely challenging, without challenges, we will not be able to realise the power of the Spirit.
If we follow the wisdom of the Spirit, it will guide and protect us. It will never fail us.
- Philip
Friday, August 26, 2011
Roles and Responsibilities of Parents
Parents should expect to:
• Worship with your families regularly
• Be actively involved in the Confirmation preparation of the candidate.
• Engage in discussions about the material being studied including sharing your understanding and perspective.
• Encourage your child to reflect and thoughtfully consider the decision to receive the sacrament of Confirmation.
• Pray for your child’s spiritual growth every day.
• Support and encourage completion of assignments, activities and expectations.
• Emphasise the importance of the sacrament of Confirmation by taking an active part in the celebration of Confirmation.
• Assist in retreats, service work, meetings, classes, spiritual events and social events.
• Faithfully bring your teen (and when necessary yourself) to meetings, programs, and prayer services that are planned to help your child prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation.
• Worship with your families regularly
• Be actively involved in the Confirmation preparation of the candidate.
• Engage in discussions about the material being studied including sharing your understanding and perspective.
• Encourage your child to reflect and thoughtfully consider the decision to receive the sacrament of Confirmation.
• Pray for your child’s spiritual growth every day.
• Support and encourage completion of assignments, activities and expectations.
• Emphasise the importance of the sacrament of Confirmation by taking an active part in the celebration of Confirmation.
• Assist in retreats, service work, meetings, classes, spiritual events and social events.
• Faithfully bring your teen (and when necessary yourself) to meetings, programs, and prayer services that are planned to help your child prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation.
Duties and Responsibilities of a Confirmand's Parents
“Parents and pastors of souls, especially parish priests, are to see that the faithful are properly instructed to receive the sacrament and come to it at the opportune time.” (Can. 890).
“Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. Through the grace of the Sacrament of Matrimony, parents receive the responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children. Parents’ have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God” (CCC #2223, #2225, and #2226, on the Role of the Parent).
As parents, you have the primary role in the sacramental preparation process for your child. You will help your child grow in the faith as you prepare him/her for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Your attendance at required events and Sunday Mass is important. In addition, your willingness, example, witness, and prayers make a difference in your child’s decision to receive the Sacrament.
As the primary educators of their children:parents are to be intimately involved in the catechesis for Confirmation. This will help them renew and strengthen their own faith, besides enabling them to set a better example for their children.
Because parents:
- Are the primary educators of their children.
- Are responsible for initiating their children into the sacramental life
- Serve as models for their child by being committed Christians
A PARENT MAY NOT BE A SPONSOR FOR THEIR OWN CHILD.
Requirements:
* Prepare your child for the decision to be confirmed through instruction, example, and prayer.
* Instill in your child the desire to continue their religious education.
* Assist your child in ensuring they attend all the Confirmation classes.
* Ensure your child attends the mandatory Confirmation Camp.
“Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. Through the grace of the Sacrament of Matrimony, parents receive the responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children. Parents’ have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God” (CCC #2223, #2225, and #2226, on the Role of the Parent).
As parents, you have the primary role in the sacramental preparation process for your child. You will help your child grow in the faith as you prepare him/her for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Your attendance at required events and Sunday Mass is important. In addition, your willingness, example, witness, and prayers make a difference in your child’s decision to receive the Sacrament.
As the primary educators of their children:parents are to be intimately involved in the catechesis for Confirmation. This will help them renew and strengthen their own faith, besides enabling them to set a better example for their children.
Because parents:
- Are the primary educators of their children.
- Are responsible for initiating their children into the sacramental life
- Serve as models for their child by being committed Christians
A PARENT MAY NOT BE A SPONSOR FOR THEIR OWN CHILD.
Requirements:
* Prepare your child for the decision to be confirmed through instruction, example, and prayer.
* Instill in your child the desire to continue their religious education.
* Assist your child in ensuring they attend all the Confirmation classes.
* Ensure your child attends the mandatory Confirmation Camp.
The Effects of the Sacrament of Confirmation
The Sacrament of Confirmation confers special graces of the Holy Spirit upon the person being confirmed, just as such graces were granted to the Apostles on Pentecost. Like Baptism, therefore, it can only be performed once, and Confirmation increases and deepens all of the graces granted at Baptism.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists five effects of Confirmation:
•It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation [as sons of God] which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!";
•It unites us more firmly to Christ;
•It increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
•It renders our bond with the Church more perfect;
•It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.
Because Confirmation perfects our baptism, we are obliged to receive it "in due time." Any Catholic who did not receive Confirmation at baptism or as part of his religious education should contact a priest and arrange to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists five effects of Confirmation:
•It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation [as sons of God] which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!";
•It unites us more firmly to Christ;
•It increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
•It renders our bond with the Church more perfect;
•It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.
Because Confirmation perfects our baptism, we are obliged to receive it "in due time." Any Catholic who did not receive Confirmation at baptism or as part of his religious education should contact a priest and arrange to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
Confirmation is the Sacrament in which one is enriched by the gift of the Holy Spirit and bound more perfectly to the Church. It strengthens us and obliges us to be witnesses to Christ by word and deed and to spread and defend the faith. It is the Sacrament in which one enters into full membership in the Catholic Church.
Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives us the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply as children of God, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us to bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds. (CCC #1316)
Confirmation, like Baptism, imprints a spiritual mark or indelible character on the Christian soul; for this reason one can receive this sacrament only once. (CCC #1317)
A Christian does not live as a child of God through his or her own efforts alone, but through the grace of God. We see this in a practical way when we look back on our own lives and the lives of others, even the lives of saints. Therefore, it is our duty to seek the grace that God offers us in order to live our lives as Christians in the way that God intends.
The introduction to the Rite of Confirmation states:
“…by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptised] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”
Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives us the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply as children of God, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us to bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds. (CCC #1316)
Confirmation, like Baptism, imprints a spiritual mark or indelible character on the Christian soul; for this reason one can receive this sacrament only once. (CCC #1317)
A Christian does not live as a child of God through his or her own efforts alone, but through the grace of God. We see this in a practical way when we look back on our own lives and the lives of others, even the lives of saints. Therefore, it is our duty to seek the grace that God offers us in order to live our lives as Christians in the way that God intends.
The introduction to the Rite of Confirmation states:
“…by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptised] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Confirmation Class Schedule 2011
Level 2
28.08.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
04.09.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
11.09.11 Loving God & Loving others
18.09.11 Respecting and promoting life
25.09.11 Living in truth
02.10.11 Understanding & appreciating media
09.10.11 Called to justice
16.10.11 EIP Planning
23.10.11 EIP Planning
30.10.11 EIP
06.11.11 EIP
13.11.11 Fellowship
18.11.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
19.11.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
20.11.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
27.11.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
Level 1
28.08.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
04.09.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
11.09.11 The Church serves the poor and the oppressed
18.09.11 PMR BREAK
25.09.11 PMR BREAK
02.10.11 PMR BREAk
09.10.11 PMR BREAK
16.10.11 The Church works for Unity with Other Christians
23.10.11 The Church dialogues with People of other faiths
30.10.11 The Church honours Mary
06.11.11 The Church honours the Saints
13.11.11 Fellowship
18.11.11 Level 1 Camp
19.11.11 Level 1 Camp
20.11.11 Level 1 Camp
28.08.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
04.09.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
11.09.11 Loving God & Loving others
18.09.11 Respecting and promoting life
25.09.11 Living in truth
02.10.11 Understanding & appreciating media
09.10.11 Called to justice
16.10.11 EIP Planning
23.10.11 EIP Planning
30.10.11 EIP
06.11.11 EIP
13.11.11 Fellowship
18.11.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
19.11.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
20.11.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
27.11.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
Level 1
28.08.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
04.09.11 NO CONFIRMATION SESSION
11.09.11 The Church serves the poor and the oppressed
18.09.11 PMR BREAK
25.09.11 PMR BREAK
02.10.11 PMR BREAk
09.10.11 PMR BREAK
16.10.11 The Church works for Unity with Other Christians
23.10.11 The Church dialogues with People of other faiths
30.10.11 The Church honours Mary
06.11.11 The Church honours the Saints
13.11.11 Fellowship
18.11.11 Level 1 Camp
19.11.11 Level 1 Camp
20.11.11 Level 1 Camp
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