Dear 2020 Confirmandees,
Your life is about to change. I know it already has in these past few months, but it's about to change even more. You are receiving an incredible and life- changing gift. One that completes your baptism and enables you to more fully live out your faith as a Catholic- Christian. Through the sacrament of Confirmation, God is giving you the grace to go out into the world as young men and women and be soldiers for the kingdom of Heaven. He is giving you the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are the greatest gifts you could ever receive! (Go back and read my post, "The Holy Spirit- Greatest. Gift. Ever." to learn more).
I don't typically share personal stories on this blog, but this time will be an exception.
I was confirmed last year. I had gone through two years of classes with some of my very best friends in the whole entire world and was very well prepared to receive the sacrament. My teachers were amazing and I learned so much. When the day of Confirmation came, I was very excited. After Father's homily at Mass that evening, it was time for Confirmation. In our diocese, our Bishop gave permission for the priests to perform the sacrament that year, and this year as well due to COVID-19. When it was my turn to be confirmed, I walked up to the altar with my grandmother, who is my sponsor, and Father placed His hands on my head. He said, "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit." At that moment, and as I walked back to my pew, a feeling of warmth came over me. I couldn't stop smiling! I was on fire for Jesus, and have been ever since. The Holy Spirit has been working in my life and using me in ways that I never could have imagined. (For example, I never could've imagined that I would have a blog with 50 posts!!) And He will do that for you too. God has plans in mind for you that you couldn't even imagine. They are beautiful and they will fill your life with joy from the Lord.
Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you will become the saint that you are called to be. But you can only make use of a gift if you open it and use it as it is meant to be used. This being said, it is important to remember that CONFIRMATION IS NOT GRADUATION!! Just because you are going to be or are now considered an "adult" in the Church does not mean that you are free to skip Mass on Sundays or not go to confession. If anything it means you should participate in those things more often than you did before you were confirmed. This is only the beginning of your journey of faith. You have a responsibility to yourself, your loved ones, and to God Himself to open up those gifts of the Holy Spirit that you have received and use them for the glory of God.
So my final message to you, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is this: Don't be afraid to Trust God. He has an amazing plan for your life. Participate in the sacraments as often as possible, and be a witness to our incredible faith. Stay close to Jesus and His Mother, Mary. Develop a solid prayer routine. Ask for the intercession of your patron saints, and strive to imitate them daily. Find good friends who share your goal of becoming a saint and encourage one another to become who He made you to be.The world that we are living in desperately needs more holy people. I am confident that we, as the young Church, can fulfill that need. It also needs love. Our culture has lost the meaning of real love. We need to bring it back, and we will only be able to do so by prayer, and by treating every single person that we meet as the Child of God that they are. The more people that come to know and love Jesus with all of their hearts, the more love there will be.
Know that I am praying for you, and the Church is praying for you. You are so loved and so amazing. Your holiness and prayers are going to change the world. So get out there and be the saints that you are called to be! God bless you :-)
Love your sister in Christ,
Catholic Teen
To anyone who is reading this, please pass it on to any Confirmation students you may know! God bless you!
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