This week we finished our discussion of the Sacrament of Confirmation.
First, we reviewed last week’s work which focused on Pentecost and the Holy Spirit. I guess I didn’t do a very good job teaching Pentecost, because, in spite of much discussion and a role-playing exercise, not a single student could describe what happened. Sigh. Fortunately, they did remember that the Holy Spirit is simply God. We transitioned into a discussion of the role of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
We discussed the reaffirming of baptismal promises in Confirmation. We had the students pair up with their table-mate, and think of and write down some of the core beliefs of Catholics. We gave them some hints, like “Think of the Apostle’s Creed.” It went OK.
We discussed, again, the role of Confirmation as a major milestone on their growth as Catholics. Most of them weren’t asked if they wanted to be baptized, but when they approach young adulthood, they do get the chance to decide and confirm their faith. We compared it to other young adult ceremonies in other religions, like evangelical protestants “born again” or the Jewish Bar Mitzvah
We returned to the text and asked them to read a page silently and look for the answers to a few questions.
Why does the Confirmation sponsor place his or her hand on the shoulder of the candidate?
How does the bishop anoint the candidate?
Why does the newly confirmed offer peace to the bishop?
We talked about taking a Confirmation name and the role of a sponsor. We finished up with a short discussion of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The next two classes will be devoted to the Ten Commandments. This is one of my favorite lessons of the year, because it usually prompts a ton of questions and discussion. I hope these lessons will do he same. Parents, as always, you are welcome to sit in.
St Peter the Apostle CCD- 5th Grade 