Photo: iStock. Like most parishes in the country, we recently celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation. As the day approached, I had mixed feelings. I had no worries about the Liturgy and knew that the teachers in the local school had been preparing with the boys and girls. I had no reason to believe the children were not engaged by, and looking forward to their Confirmation.
My mixed feelings were around my own role in the preparations. My mind wandered to earlier days of being a priest when I seemed better at visiting the schools and engaging with the pupils. I felt I knew them better in the past than I know them now, and that may well be down to a factor as simple and real as my getting older. Still though, I wondered could I have done more, and the wondering suggested ‘yes’, but what more was, I’m not sure.
A few days before the ceremony, I called in to see the children of fifth and sixth classes who were to be confirmed. On entering one of the rooms, the teacher was not there, and the children were having their ‘little lunch’, but they chatted with me and I have to say, it felt good to be able to spend a bit of time with them. I asked if they were ready for Confirmation, and one girl replied: “Physically, yes. Mentally, no”! On asking what she meant by that, she went on to say that physically she knew what clothes she would be wearing and how her hair would be ‘done’ on the day, but mentally she was not prepared. “Spiritually?” I asked. “No”, she replied! “Well,” I told her, “You have two things to work on in the coming days!” So had I!
Later that day, I was in a clothes shop in Sligo and, by chance, met another of the class there with his parents. He was getting fitted out for the Confirmation Day. I thought again of the girl’s comment from earlier in the day and realised another of the class was close to being physically ready for the Ceremony. I talked with him for a few minutes, and it was obvious he was excited for the days ahead. The way it should be.
The next morning, the children came to the daily Mass in the parish and, though I don’t normally ‘preach’ at daily Mass, I invited people to sit down. I spoke of the comment from the day before, and the girl lowered her head, but I reassured her that she had spoken important words, and I thanked her for them. Her head lifted and, with it, my Spirit. I said that it is one thing to be physically prepared, costly perhaps, but easy, and the clothes worn on the day will have their day. No matter how beautiful or current they are, in a year’s time, chances are they will no longer fit. On the other hand, the Gifts of The Spirit never grow small and, on the contrary, grow with us, ever giving and ever changing.
As the children listened, I encouraged them to unwrap the Gifts of The Spirit over the course of their lives and that it could well take them a lifetime to unwrap them. Their calling was to enter a place of spiritual and mental readiness to be open to God’s plan and role in their lives. As we left the church, I thanked the girl again. “You gave me something to think about”, I told her, “Do you believe that?” She smiled and said, “Yes, I do”.
On Confirmation Day, I saw her outside the church with her family. She was beautifully dressed and clearly happy. I waved to her and, as I entered the church, she called to me, so I walked over to her and she said, “I’m spiritually prepared”. It was the highlight of the day for me and a reminder that we sometimes get overly worried about children’s readiness for or understanding of the Sacraments when maybe we just need to let them grow into and with the Sacraments. It’s a life’s journey.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on them ……
Plus one
Recently in the parish we had a Sunday called +1 where we asked people to invite one person to come to Mass with them. Maybe the person stopped going to Mass during Covid and now watches ‘online’, or it could be someone who has drifted away from attending. The hope was that people might recognise in their circle of family and friends, one who might benefit from the invitation to come to Mass. It is difficult to say how it worked, but there seemed to be a few extra at Mass and the only word to be spoken was ‘welcome’. Might be worth a go in other parishes. Certainly cannot hurt!