Here is the reflection I prepared for the Masses that were celebrated this weekend: an opportunity for us to welcome new members into the Church and to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation that took place last weekend.
Some thoughts about the Trinity
Last weekend, we celebrated the Solemnity of
Pentecost. With that celebration, we
brought the Easter season to a close, but we are still basking in the light of
that magnificent time of grace when Jesus spent some time with his
disciples, helping them to understand all that he had taught them. Last weekend, thirty-two young people from this parish celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation, and today we have the pleasure of welcoming them among us once again. This is a time for us to celebrate this special moment in the lives of our newly Confirmed young adults, and to continue strengthening them with our prayer. Even in the first days after the Holy Spirit
had descended upon the disciples and strengthened their faith, they may still have felt
as though they had just awoken from a dream, echoing the words that we heard in
the first reading today: Has anything so
great as this ever happened, or has it ever been heard of? (Deut 4:32) …
and yet they knew deep within themselves, without even the shadow of a doubt
that they were being led by the Spirit of
God as they went about speaking about Jesus. They also knew deep within them that each of them was a son or a daughter of God (Rom 8:14).
Today, we are the sons and daughters of God. We are the ones who continue the work of the
first disciples. Like those eleven who went to Galilee, to the mountain to which
Jesus had directed them, we seek him and we worship him (cf Mt 28:16-17) each time we come to this church or to any place of prayer.
God has given a very special gift to our young people. In fact, when they were Confirmed, the Holy Spirit presented them with seven very special gifts. When God gives a gift, it's not like a tangible gift that we might receive and then hide. The gifts of God are given so that we can share them with others. So it is that when they came down from that mountain, the Lord sent his
disciples into the world, instructing them to go out into the world, to make disciples of all nations, baptizing hem
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to obey everything that I have commanded you (Mt 28:19-20).
Since that time, Christ’s disciples and their descendants have continued the work of making disciples throughout the world. In fact, this weekend, we also had the great joy of celebrating the baptisms of four young children. As it was for the first disciples, we too are being asked to teach these young ones to obey all that we have been commanded.
The young people who have recently celebrated Confirmation still need our help. They have completed the Sacraments of Initiation but they still need us to pray for them, to support and encourage them and to help them in turn to be able to go out to the world, calling others to discover the joy of knowing Jesus, and of daring to become his disciples.
Since that time, Christ’s disciples and their descendants have continued the work of making disciples throughout the world. In fact, this weekend, we also had the great joy of celebrating the baptisms of four young children. As it was for the first disciples, we too are being asked to teach these young ones to obey all that we have been commanded.
The young people who have recently celebrated Confirmation still need our help. They have completed the Sacraments of Initiation but they still need us to pray for them, to support and encourage them and to help them in turn to be able to go out to the world, calling others to discover the joy of knowing Jesus, and of daring to become his disciples.
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