Dear Christ the King Family,
This Sunday is particularly joyful here at Christ the King because at a special Mass at 3:00 Bishop Kevin Rhoades will be visiting and we have 44 teens who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation! For the past three years while I was at St. Joe Parish, I served as the 8th grade religion teacher and getting to prepare my students to receive this wonderful Sacrament and witnessing them be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit at their Confirmation was easily one of the biggest highlights each of those years for me. Especially last year at our Confirmation Mass at St. Joe, as Bishop Rhoades anointed each of them with the Sacred Chrism I got to stand by his side holding the plate that held the Chrism and be “right in the action” witnessing each Confirmation (a huge thank you to my brother, Fr. Matt, who thoughtfully said I should go up and be the one standing by the bishop since I was teaching many of those teens!).
At the reception we had in the gym after the Confirmation Mass, one of my students came up to me and was curious: “Fr. David, you looked like you were going to cry when you were up there next to the bishop! Were you nervous you were gonna spill the plate?” We laughed and I shared that no, I wasn’t nervous about that, but I did feel incredibly emotional up there because of what was happening to you! In that moment each of those boys and girls I knew was sealed with the gift of the same Creator Spirit who breathes life into all things–and the same Spirit who descended upon the disciples on Pentecost! With the guidance of that same Spirit, their hearts would be set on fire and they would truly begin growing into the young men and women they were created to be. And the same will happen for our boys and girls this weekend here at Christ the King! Each time I’ve witnessed Confirmation, those words from St. Paul take on a deeper and fuller life, and I am grateful God lets us see that through our 8th graders:
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
To our Confirmandi (those receiving Confirmation this weekend): Let the Holy Spirit stir your heart into flame and let His gifts flow through you every day of your life. God sees in each of you the Saint he made you to be in your unique gifts, and now you are fully part of the Body of Christ—you belong to Christ and that mark on your soul will never be taken away! And if you see us shed some tears at Mass don’t worry…they’re tears of joy and gratitude!
Come Holy Spirit!
Fr. David
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