I had the privilege earlier this month to witness 18 young people receive the sacrament of confirmation. I had journeyed with them for the past 15 months and was humbled by their “yes” to the Church, their “yes” to their faith community, and their “yes” to God.
With the Advent wreath as a backdrop during the ceremony, I couldn’t help but think of another “yes” that was a confirmation before there ever were confirmations, and was maybe the most important confirmation ever: Mary’s “yes” at the Annunciation. That incredible moment between Mary and the Holy Spirit is detailed for us in the Gospel reading from St. Luke for the fourth Sunday of Advent.
As we get closer to Christmas, spending a little time contemplating Mary’s “yes” and what it means to us, personally, might help us stay focused on the role of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. And since we are so preoccupied with preparing gifts right now, let’s not forget the abundance of gifts we receive at confirmation. Talk about gifts that keep on giving!
The question is, when was the last time you used your gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fear of the Lord, piety, or fortitude? If you’ve been confirmed, is it time to take those gifts down from that dusty spiritual shelf and put them to use? If you haven’t been confirmed yet, maybe you could add these gifts to your wish list this year.
Try to picture that scene St. Luke describes of the Annunciation, when Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit. She was just a young girl, probably about the same age as the young people whom I witnessed being confirmed. We know she was conceived without sin, so we know she was doing exactly what her parents, or God, were asking of her in that moment. Perhaps she was praying. Perhaps she was carrying out some mundane chore. Maybe she was humming a psalm while preparing a meal or hanging the wash on the line. She was probably “busy” with life, as the rest of us tend to be when the Holy Spirit comes calling.
Surely, Mary was not expecting the Angel of the Lord to appear in front of her. Nor was she anticipating an intimate encounter with the Holy Spirit, but she was open to it. Somewhat like we all were at our confirmations, Mary was chosen specifically at that moment in time to say “yes” to the Holy Spirit and the work he wanted to complete in her. Her complete trust and faith in God’s plan for her resulted in the birth of our Lord and the salvation of all people.
St. Luke’s Gospel says that the Angel Gabriel tells Mary “the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Talk about a confirmation moment! This was the moment that all of history had been waiting for, and it all hinged on that first confirmation.
It could be said that history still hinges upon each confirmation candidate’s “yes.” For every “yes” made at every confirmation ceremony throughout the world, the potential to impact lives by spreading the message of Christ is astronomical. Each confirmed Catholic, though not perfect like the Blessed Virgin Mary, has accepted his or her mission to be an apostle, to fulfill their baptismal promises to “be made sharers” in the mission of Christ, as it says in the Cathechism of the Catholic Church.
As I watched each of those candidates standing in front of the bishop expressing their desire to be confirmed, the profundity of this moment in the lives of these young people compared with the profundity of the Annunciation for Mary became so evident. At that moment of the laying on of hands of the bishop, the confirmandi were actively receiving the Holy Spirit, like Mary did. Their “yes” has allowed them to open themselves up to being filled with the Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, and all that entails. For Mary, the moment meant giving life to our Saviour in her womb and, thereby, to the world. For each confirmation candidate, their reception of the Holy Spirit in their lives also marks the beginning of their mission to bring Christ out to the world.
How many of us recognized the importance of our confirmation at the time? How many of us are truly preparing our children for this incredible moment in their faith life? How about our Advent attitudes? Are we walking around as joyful, confirmed, sealed vessels of the Holy Spirit? Can the people we interact with every day even tell we are Christian?
Advent is all about preparing “the path” for the coming of Christ, as we heard from St. John the Baptist on the second and third Sundays of Advent. One helpful way to do this is to recall what happened at our confirmation and what happened at Mary’s confirmation at the Annunciation. Are we saying “yes” to God with all our hearts, minds, and souls every single day?
Consider taking a little quiet time in your day to examine one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that is received at confirmation and really consider whether or not that gift is being used in your life. Another idea is to focus on two or three of the fruits of the Spirit and how to live out that virtue better in your life. The 12 fruits are: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.
I’m sure we can all agree that this year, especially, we’ve had plenty of opportunities to practice many of these fruits. But have we done so?
It may not be Christmas quite yet, but ‘tis the season of saying “yes” and getting gifts, including ones those from the Holy Spirit. Let Mary’s “yes” – the first confirmation – be our catalyst to allow the power of the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. We know through the Annunciation, which set into motion the salvation of the world, that the possibilities are endless.
Lazzuri writes from her home in Nova Scotia, where she lives with her husband, six children and her mom. She can be reached at clarelazzuri@gmail.com.
