Anointed in the Spirit Candidate Handbook - Saint Mary's Press

More documents

Recommendations

Info

What Is Asked of YouEven though candidates for Confirmation do not campaign, the Churchdoes ask that you be prepared and that you meet certain requirements.Here’s a checklist of guidelines:A Candidate’s Checklist❏ I am a baptized Catholic.❏ I have not been confirmed before.❏ I am over the age of seven (or otherage set by my bishop).❏ I want to live as a disciple of Christand be a witness to the Christian wayof life for others.❏ I am willing to seek guidance aboutthe Christian life from my Confirmationsponsor.❏ I want to receive the Sacrament ofConfirmation and complete my initiationinto the Church, which beganwith my Baptism.❏ I am willing to pray more often in orderto be better prepared to receivethe Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation.❏ I am capable of renewing my baptismalpromises. (We’ll talk more aboutbaptismal promises in chapter 3.)❏ I am willing to receive the Sacramentof Penance and Reconciliation beforereceiving Confirmation to makesure I am in the state of grace (seethe “Catholic Connection” sidebar onpage 21).❏ I attend Mass regularly.❏ I am willing to spend time preparingfor the Sacrament of Confirmationand learning more about its meaningand significance for my life.Your parish or diocese probably hassome additional guidelines or requirements,so check with your catechist orparish leader.Being a Candidate 17
What God PromisesThose who have been baptizedcontinue on the path ofChristian initiation throughthe sacrament of confirmation.In this sacrament they receivethe Holy Spirit who the Lordsent upon the apostles on Pentecost.(Rite of Confirmation, 1)18 Anointed in the Spirit: Chapter 1© Anton Novik/shutterstock.comFirst and foremost, God promises love.Because he loves us, God has revealedto us that he is one God in threePersons: the Trinity. This is the centralmystery of Christianity. The three divinePersons—the Father, the Son, and theHoly Spirit—are completely in unionStudy this symbol.Why is it a goodwith one another, and their love flowsrepresentation of theout to us. God has given himself to usHoly Trinity?and calls us to share in the love and lifeof the Trinity.God desires that we will respond to his Revelation with faith.Faith is first of all a gift from God. Someone cannot have faith withoutthe Holy Spirit, who helps us see our need for God. Being freeto choose our response to this gift is part of our nature as humans.Being faithful is possible when someone understands and freelychooses to believe in God and his Church. Our salvation dependson our faith.Having faith means that we believe. Believing is also an act ofthe entire Church. Don’t confuse Church—with a capital C—witha building. The Church is the community of faithful people who puttheir faith in Jesus Christ. It is the Church that teaches you. It is theChurch that is a role model for you. It is the Church that supports andnourishes your own faith.One part of a faith-filled response to God is to complete yourinitiation into the Church by being confirmed. Through the waters of
Page 2: A H i g h S c h o o l C o n f i r m
Page 7 and 8: Special FeaturesEach chapter includ
Page 11 and 12: © Pamela Moore/istockphoto.comYour
Page 13 and 14: 1Being a CandidateThink about the v
Page 15: What the Parish PromisesYour FirstR
Page 19 and 20: Candidates for SacramentsOne of the
Page 21 and 22: Confirmation during the Teen YearsJ
Page 23 and 24: The State of GraceGrace is the gift
Page 25: Responding to the CallYou probably

Anointed in the Spirit Candidate Handbook - Saint Mary's Press

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?