Lesson #5 Celebration of the Sacrament of

Confirmation: The Rite

Adult Confirmation:Immediate Preparation

(Spring 2014)

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Opening Prayer(Acts 2:1-8)

Engage/Abordar

Have you ever received a gift that was unexpected? (Turn and talk, sharing your personal story.)

Explore/Investigar:

Think/Pair/Share Who is the Holy Spirit?

(Jot down all words/phrases that you can think of.)

Explore/Investigar:

“The Holy Spirit is Revealed Gradually,” (USCCA, pp. 104-105)

Essential Question(s) …for this lesson and for lifelong faith formation:

• When Catholics recite The Creed during Mass, we say: “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible….” How do the visible (and audible) parts of the celebration of Confirmation relate to the invisible beliefs of our faith?

• How do the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit guide and strengthen our Christian witness so we may become the living reflections of Christ in the world today?

Explain/Explicar

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Explain/Explicar

This sacrament, like all, is best celebrated within the context of mass, the Eucharistic liturgy. Why?

“How Do We Celebrate?” [USCCA, pp. 171-172]

Read-aloud: “Renewal of Baptismal Promises”

Explain/Explicar

Small Group Activity:Baptismal Promises

(Lines 8-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18)

What is the Church asking of us? In essence, what are we “confirming” as we celebrate this sacrament?

Explain/Explicar

Activity #2: Lectio Divina“Laying On of Hands” & “Anointing with Chrism”

Lectio (reading)Medio (meditation)Oratio (speech)Contemplatio (contemplation)

Explain/ExplicarActivity #3 (if time permits)

Connect/Conectar……to other sacraments:

Baptism

Baptism & the Anointing of the Sick

Eucharist

Extend & Enrich/ Extension y Enriquecimiento

“Jesus Gives Us the Transforming Spirit” [USCCA, pp. 102-104]

See excerpts from other religious textbooks Anointing with Chrism Three Oils of the Church

Evaluate/Evaluar

Journal Your Thoughts: If we receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism, then why do we need to be confirmed?

Self-Reflect/ Autorreflexion

• What new ah-ha do you now have about the Holy Spirit?

• What does the Sacrament of Confirmation say about our parish community and our universal Church?

• What new insights about Jesus and the Paschal Mystery (Suffering, Death, Resurrection & Ascension) do you now have?

Personal Commitment to Action/ Compromiso Personal a la Acción

Write yourself a short letter stating at least one way you will be a more active Catholic this time next year. Address the envelope to yourself; enclose your letter and seal it.

Further Reading/Lecturas Adicionales

• United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, Chapter 9, pp. 101-110 and Chapter 16, pp.201-211.

• Compendium: Catechism of the Catholic Church, #265 - #270.

• Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part II, “The Celebration of Christian Mystery,” #1285 - #1321.

For our next lesson [#6],“Church & Discipleship,”…

Read USCCA: “The Church: Reflecting the Light of

Christ,” Chapter 10, pp. 111-123.

Closing Prayer(Psalm 104)