A DEACON DAD SPONSORS A YOUNG MAN FOR CONFIRMATION

“Deacon, will you be my confirmation sponsor?” are some of the sweetest and humbling words I could ever hear from a young person (or any person). This time, the young man, who would be addressed as “Michael” (for St. Michael the Archangel) happens to be a good friend of one of my own sons, and the son of one of my good friends. Within relationships, lifelong bonds can and often are built.

The role of a Confirmation sponsor share similarities with that of a baptism godparent. In fact, it’s wonderful for a godparent to also be the sponsor for a candidate for the sacrament of Confirmation. At other times, adding players to the “spiritual warrior team” makes sense.

Confirmation is the sacrament whereby the anointing with sacred chrism to strengthen the person while the administering bishop invokes the Holy Spirit to seal the candidate with His gifts happens.

When helping to prepare my “Confirmation godchild” for the sacrament, I challenged him by asking, “Are you ready for the gifts”? And we talked about the gifts. We talked about examination and formation of the conscience. We talked about the basic call to holiness.

Michael’s confirmation was last Saturday, November 23rd at St. Brigid Catholic Church in Johns Creek, GA. Atlanta Auxiliary Bishop David Talley spoke of the many ways how teens communicate today. He spoke of how young people “text and tweet and Skype and post and email” so frequently that it often annoys the adults “to blue blazes”. The bishop recognizes and relates why this occurs to the extent that it does and he nailed it. Bishop Talley said the reason our teens “text and tweet and Skype and post and email” is that they have a deep longing for relationship.

He took the name “Michael” because of his relationship with and devotion to St. Michael the Archangel. St. Michael is the patron saint of military personnel (among others) and Michael aspires one day to his serve his country one day in the armed forces.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that “the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace.” The Church relates the sacrament to our longing for relationship. “For ‘by the sacrament of confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with special strength of the Holy Spirit.” So for anyone who proclaims to be “spiritual”, formation oriented toward the sacrament of Confirmation, properly understood, should be attractive.

It was a powerful moment when Michael received the “mark”, the seal of the Holy Spirit” with the sacred chrism. “The seal of the Holy Spirit marked” Micheal’s “total belonging to Christ”… Michael submitted himself to completing this special relationship that began on the day of his baptism many years before.

As sponsor, I became a team player and helper for the bishop, cheering my Michael on to receive and to “be sealed with” each of those precious gifts of Wisdom and Understanding and Counsel and Fortitude and Knowledge and Piety and Fear of the Lord. And not only receive the gifts, to use them with missionary zeal, to do as Jesus commanded when he told his first bishops ,”Go and teach all nations”… We witnessed the indelible character being put on his soul. My responsibility was to be Michael’s spiritual helper, affirm his readiness for the sacrament and to pledge my ongoing support. And much support he’ll need…Bishop Talley exhorted the confirmandi to “set this world on fire; not with destructive fire, but with healing fire!”

I also pray to the Lord Almighty that Michael’s journey will be joy-filled (even fun-filled) and lead him to happiness with God forever in heaven. And let the fire be burning bright! Amen!

Deacon Dad / sponsor getting a “piggy-back” ride from Michael.