Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Confirmation Prep-- post #1



             My daughter and I are embarking on a journey of spiritual growth and sacramental prep this year.  My daughter will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation sometime in the spring.  There seems to be a lot of varying opinions as to when it is best to confirm our young people and there also seemed to be a lot of emotions wrapped up in it all.  I guess I do see that there is some benefit to earlier Confirmation, but I’m not upset that my daughter wasn’t confirmed earlier.  I’m just excited for her to experience this beautiful sacrament and if this is the year our parish chooses- in ninth grade- than this is the year we will enjoy the blessings of the preparation and of the sacrament itself.

Since my **almost** ninth grader is my oldest, she is always the first to see me through new parenting hurdles.   Sometimes these firsts cause me a bit of anxiety.  The first time giving birth- I was terrified.  The first time I had to potty train- I was completely intimidated.  The first day of home schooling ever- I had no idea what to expect.  But this first- I am SO excited about.  

My own confirmation prep was… a bit disappointing.  It came at a time in my life (eighth grade for me) when I was first starting to question the importance of religion and whether I really believed what my parents believe.  It should have been the perfect time to ask all my questions and get some answers.  But, I failed to voice most of my queries and those I did ask were not always answered by people who really understood themselves.  Therefore, a great opportunity was missed in my life to really come to know and understand and appreciate my Catholic faith waaaaay sooner than I ever did.  

Thankfully, all these years later I have the answers I needed back then and I LOVE and appreciate my Catholic faith more than anything.  I’m sure the answers came in God’s perfect timing and there was a reason I didn’t understand it all back in eighth grade but I want to give my children every opportunity to see the beauty and the fullness of our faith NOW.  So I seek to teach my children everything I can about our Church and our beliefs and, if need be, I’m willing to learn new lessons and revelations along with them.  I feel privileged to be entrusted with this awesome responsibility.  Confirmation prep gives me a new direction to go in with my daughter and a whole new wealth of resources.

And there are SO many resources I’m finding.  The more I find, the more excited I am, and the more I want to share my discoveries….So, I’m planning to post about our experiences here over the course of the next few months.

First up, will be a post about my daughter’s discernment in picking a Confirmation Saint…...She picked the perfect one and I can’t wait to share!  And then I have to post about her Confirmation sponsor and then the Lighthouse Catholic Media C.D. I bought for her at a home school conference this summer and the article I found online this morning….etc…..

2 comments:

  1. Oh, Kari! I'm so excited for your daughter!!! What a special time in her life. Yes, there is much debate surrounding the "right" age to be Confirmed. I read where back in the late-1800s early 1900s, children made their Confirmation and First Holy Communion at the same time. Personally, I don't think a 1st or 2nd grader is ready to make that decision, but the prevailing thought (of those TODAY who wish to see the Church go back to that age) was that to be filled with the Holy Spirit at a younger age gives the child more tools to fight the darkness. Again, I think that through Baptism we receive Grace and our parents form us so that at a more-appropriate (child-development wise) age, we can discern whether we wish to be a practicing Catholic.

    I was in the 5th grade so I do have strong memories of this very special sacrament, BUT...as a 5th grader I was more concerned about having the correct Baltimore Catechism answer for the Archbishop, should he call on me!, than truly understanding what it means to accept the Creed and all that the Church believes and teaches. Another example...we were to choose a Saint's name for our confirmation name...but that was it. At age 10, I was all about the prettiest sounding name...and not about the meat behind the name...the Saint who bore that name...and why they were a Saint. Why wasn't I asked to at least research the Saint???!!! Oh, b/c it was 1979-1980 that school year. Enuff said???!!! :)

    I know that you are going to do such a beutiful job preparing your daughter and your post definitely sounded like a much more confident mother....even if this is your first kiddo getting Confirmed!

    Thanks for your visit today...good thought that you shared!!!

    Val

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    1. Valerie-

      Your experiences of Confirmation sound much like mine. It WAS all about picking a pretty name, wasn't it? I think part of the reason I am so excited about my daughter's Confirmation prep is because my own was so lacking. This is my chance to really delve into all the sacrament has to offer and to really make sure this chance is not missed in my child's life.

      Hope you are settling into your new work schedule and enjoying the blessings of each day!

      Kari

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