“Set The World On Fire!”

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” This powerful quote comes from one of the famous and few women doctors of the Catholic Church… St. Catherine of Siena. This 14th century saint communicates the response needed by our newly confirmed youth as well as those to be fully initiated at the upcoming Easter Vigil. To be able to set the world on fire, not literally 😉 , but through living out the Gospel of Christ, comes once one receives the third and final sacrament of initiation, namely, Confirmation.
Last Saturday, Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, Michael Byrnes, celebrated Mass here at our parish and confirmed 12 of our 8th graders. They were sealed with the grace of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation, a sacramental completion of initiation that began at their Baptism. May we remind them as well as ourselves, who have already received Confirmation, that it is not a graduation or an end, but rather a new beginning, an opportunity to set the world ablaze with the love of Jesus.
Do you remember your own Confirmation? The words used to confirm you and I were and still are “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit!” They were spoken most likely by your bishop, but in rare cases by a priest. Also, these life-giving and life-sealing words in the Holy Spirit were spoken to us as our sponsor stood behind us in support with a hand on our shoulder. Chrism Oil, used in the ceremony at Baptism as well as in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, was marked on our foreheads, that in reality, points to a deeper spiritual marking on the soul.
Confirmation is also a sign of consecration (Catechism of the Catholic Church – CCC 1294) in which we receive a spiritual seal (CCC 1293). Furthermore, it is the completion of our baptismal graces (CCC 1285) and the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1302–1303). In addition, Confirmation is only applied once (CCC 1304).

Q: Who can receive Confirmation?

A: Only a baptized, unconfirmed Catholic (CCC 1285) or another baptized Christian from another tradition incorporated into the fullness of Catholic Church.
Now that these youth are newly marked and filled with the necessary graces of the Holy Spirit, they are empowered to go out and give living witness. We, who have already received Confirmation, can be reminded of our past reception of it, but are challenged to renew our commitment to give living witness of the Gospel to the world – to those around us who we encounter in every day life. Just as St. Catherine had a lot of fire in her words, so does Jesus. He states in Lk. 12:49, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” May the graces we have received in Confirmation by the power of the Holy Spirit inspire us once again so that we may set the world on fire, a fire that blazes a trail with the love of Jesus Christ. Amen? Amen!

– Fr. Jeff

Resources:
Scripture: Acts 8:14-17; 9:17-19; 19:6; Heb. 6:1-6
Catechism: 1285-1321