Confirmation and you

Friday, Sep. 19, 2014

The school year is in full swing and our churches are again filled with youth who are preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

Confirmation is a beautiful sacrament in which we ask for and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. In the Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, it explains that “To be confirmed means to make a ‘covenant’ with God. The confirmand says, ‘Yes, I believe in you, my God; Give me your Holy Spirit, so that I might belong entirely to you and never be separated from you and may witness to you throughout my whole life, body, and soul, in my words and deeds, on good days and bad.’” (No. 205)

It is clear from this explanation that Confirmation is a time when we say “yes” to God and dedicate ourselves to become mature and responsible members of the Catholic Church.

However, one of the observations I often hear is, “After Confirmation, we lose the youth. They think that it is like a graduation ceremony and then they don’t come back.”

This is an accurate observation; according to the Pew Research study Religion Among the Millennials, one in five adults under age 30 say they were raised in a religion but are now unaffiliated with any particular faith. 

However, I do not believe that this has to be a reality. It is our responsibility to make the faith relevant and welcoming to all because that is the mission that Christ gave us. (MT 28:19)

The first thing we need to do to change this trend is to change our attitude toward young people. Instead of writing them off and expecting the youth to be absent from the Church, we need to have an attitude that is joyful, welcoming and empowering. When you encounter a young person at church, I urge you to smile, introduce yourself, and personally invite them to join you for a donut after Mass. When you have an opportunity to talk with young people, please ask about what their interests and talents are, and then connect those to activities and groups associated with the Church. 

For example, if a young person says, “I love to meet with new people,” connect her with the greeters at church. If a young man says he enjoys reading, make a suggestion that he check out the Bible study. If the youth has a talent or interest that is not presently represented at the parish, empower them to start it. 

Nobody wants to be part of something that is boring or dreary, especially the young who are filled with the wonder of what is possible when they have said yes to God. The entire message of Christ is one of joy and we need to create, in a tangible way, that joy in our communities. 

These are just a few suggestions. I would love to hear some that you have. Please email them to me at Samantha.Almanza@dioslc.org.