Session 6: Confirmed for Life

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Session Breakdown: Please ensure that you read the session descriptions in the leader book as they are much more detailed. The following is a brief overview with adaptions that may need to be made to accommodate a school setting.

Session 6: Confirmed for Life

Takes place after confirmation

Before the Session:

The Gathering area:
Classroom: leaving it set up as it normally is will be fine.
The leaders guide has this session taking place in the church, but for most, that isn’t a possibility so the school is fine.
The Ritual Area:
Make sure you choose an area that is relatively private and has a smartboard or projector available (If possible use the same space as used in previous sessions).
Darken lights, have calming music playing (monks singing, etc.)
Desk or table draped with a white cloth
Rug in front of table for students to sit on or chairs formed in a semi-circle around central table.
Session 6 presentation set up on smart board or other presentation form, ensure that it will not ‘sleep’ due to inactivity.
On the Table place;
The Bible
Cross (preferably upright)
Perfumed oil (any oil (olive oil, etc.) is fine, add essential oil for light scent, but remember possibly allergies)
Picture of the Bishop

Beginning of Session: Gathering

Introduce Session in words such as
Today we are going to reflect on the celebration of confirmation and focus on some ways that we are able to live as confirmed Christians.

Ritual Experience: Awakened to Grace

Have students enter the Ritual area and sit in the chairs/on rug. Remind them to sit silently.
Have everyone stand, say;
Blessed be God
Students respond: O blessed be God
Go to slide 2 of session 6 presentation, say:
Let us pray
Ever-living God, we praise you for all the gifts you give to us. We praise you for the gift of new life received through the waters of baptism. We thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit sent to be our guide and companion. We praise you for nourishing us with the gift of Jesus’ body and blood. As we learn to live as confirmed Christians may we always walk in harmony with the Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, on God forever and ever.
All: Amen
Go to slide 3 of session 6 presentation
Invite everyone to sit and say;
Today we are going to recall the celebration of confirmation. As I review the celebration, and ask questions I would like you to simply listen and allow your many different memories to surface, do not respond to the questions at this time. If it helps, close your eyes. If you were not at the confirmation celebration, picture in your head what you imagine it would have been like. Remember to keep a respectful silence and not to distract others.
Say (allow a moment of silence between each question)
Recall what happened at home just before you left for church. Remember who was present and what we going on.
When you arrived at the church, whom did you see? What were you feeling? Were there more people there than you expected? Was there anyone you were surprised to see?
What do you remember of the beginning of the celebration when Bishop Gerard first came in?
What images do you recall from the readings?
When it came time for you to stand with your sponsor, how did you feel? What do you remember about the baptismal promises?
Do you remember how you felt when Bishop Gerard stretched out his hands and prayed for all the candidates? What word do you remember?
Can you recall how you felt when Bishop Gerard sealed you with chrism? And then offered you the sign of peace?
You returned to your place and the liturgy continued. The bread and wine were brought forward. What words do you remember hearing about bread, wine, eating, and drinking?
Recall the communion procession, the people, the feelings you had, the songs we sang. What were the last words of the celebration? How did you feel leaving the celebration?
Invite the students to open their eyes and share on word, image or memory from the celebration
Once everyone has had the opportunity to share, thank them and tell them we will now be returning to the classroom.

Living the Sacraments

Have students return to the classroom
Do not clean up the ritual space at this time. Wait until the session has completely ended.
Have students sit at their desks and say
On the day of baptism God gives the gift of new life and welcomes those being baptized into the Christian family, the Church. During our session together we recalled that during baptism we are anointed, reminding us that we belong to God’s royal family. The cross reminds us that we have received a new identity in baptism. Each time we sign ourselves with the cross we recall that we have put on Christ. We are called to reflect the light of Christ to the world. God opened our ears and our mouths so that we can proclaim the Good News to others.
When you are confirmed- anointed with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will guide and support you in your life as a disciple.
The Christian community supports us as we try to live as disciples. That is one reason we gather each Sunday for Eucharist with our parish family. We belong to God and to our parish family. We are bot baptized and confirmed for ourselves. We are baptized and confirmed so that we may live as confirmed Christians.
Ask
How do confirmed Christians live?
Allow for responses.
See hoped for responses on page 92 of the leaders guide.
After students have responded, say;
This work is so important that the Sunday Eucharist is often called “the sending out”- except we don’t use the English worlds sending out we use a world that comes from Latin, mass. I am sure that most often we use the world mass when we are talking about coming to church. When we call it the Mass we are saying that it is the gathering from which God sends our Christian family to do Christ’s work in the world.
The priest says, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord” And we answer, “Thanks be to God”
Our answer helps us to remember St. Paul’s worlds about living as Christians.
Take our the bible and read Philippians 4:4-7 or you can read the adapted text on page 104

Bringing the Session home:

Have students open the family book.
As a class or individually read pages 47, discuss it before completing it.
As a class read and discuss page 48