At
this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each
one heard them speaking in his own language. They were
astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are
speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in
his own native language?
We
are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and
Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt
and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we
hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God. They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one
another, “What does this mean?” (Acts of the Apostles 2:1-12)
I – The Feast of Pentecost:
1. Otherwise known as the Feast of First Fruits – A Jewish Celebration where the People of God offer their First Born, First Grown, First Live Stocks and Sacrifices to the Lord, in honor of His Blessings.
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| Jesus, the First Born. |
3. As
we have read, PENTECOST is the Feast that the Apostles and Mary were preparing,
right after Jesus ASCENDED into Heaven. The Apostles committed themselves to
Prayer and Fellowship for Nine Days, to prepare in receiving the Holy Spirit
for their Mission. We call this type of Nine Day prayer, a NOVENA. Click on this link to the NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, which we will start Nine Days before you receive
Confirmation.
a.
The Ascension is the belief that Jesus, by His
own Power, goes to His Father in Heaven. It should not be confused with the
RESURRECTION. The ASCENSION was after the Resurrection, where Jesus showed His
Disciples that Death had no Power over Him. (Acts 1:1-27)
4. On
this day, the Disciples of Jesus were given the strength to Proclaim the Mighty
works of the Lord in their lives. This is why Disciples are called APOSTLES –
they had an important Message of Hope to tell the world.
a.
Saint Peter describes his experience of
receiving the Power of the Holy Spirit as the first sign of Jesus ushering the
MESSIANIC AGE.
b.
Those who were moved by Saint Peter’s words,
were moved to receive Baptism. This is why your Parents and Godparents did for
you when you were babies.
c.
The Disciples of Jesus later would LAY HANDS on
the Baptized Christians, giving them the same Power of the Holy Spirit, which
we call CONFIRMATION.
d.
The Disciples considered this a completion of Baptism.
e.
For 2,000 Years, the Disciples have passed this
Catholic Tradition to their Successors: Bishops, and Priests, so that the
Church can be ONE with God’s Mission.
i.
Water is used for Baptism, while CHRISM is used
for Confirmation – CHRISM is Perfumed Olive Oil that is used for anointing a
Christian on the forehead. It is also used for those young men who have been
called to the PRIESTHOOD.
ii.
Water is used for Purification (Sin is taken
away), and the sign that one has entered into the Life of Christ and His Church.
The CHRISM is the sign that one is Sealed with Eternal Life – this means that the
Spirit of God will lead you towards Heaven. This is what Christ promised us.
II – What is the Sacrament of Confirmation?
1.
CONFIRMATION means, “making strong” or
“strengthening”. In other words, Jesus, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, gives
you His strength.
2. Christ
is the one who gives us this Sacrament, which shows us an outward Sign of His
Grace.
a.
The signs of Grace are 1) Laying Hands 2) The
Sign of the Cross 3) The CHRISM
3. In
the Gospels, Jesus often talked with His Disciples of sending us the Holy
Spirit to guide us. The Book of Acts of the Apostles describes the experience
of receiving the Holy Spirit, and how He guides them to Proclaim Jesus to the
World.
4. Passing
on this authority of giving the Sacrament, the Successors to the Apostles, the
Bishops of the Catholic Church, together with the Pope, continue this beautiful tradition.
a.
It is important to remember that the Bishop is
the only one that celebrates the Rite of Confirmation, but when in great need
of help, he can give the authority to your Pastor or Priests. This can only happen
when a person is about to die, or there are too many people who are receiving the
Sacrament of Confirmation.
b.
When the Bishop or Priest his thumb into the
CHRISM, he will make the Sign of the Cross on your forehead and say your name
(Saint Name) “Be Sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” Our response is,
“Amen”
c. The Sign of the Cross means that 1) Our sins have been taken away, restoring our life to God. 2) That we share in the suffering of Christ, while at the same time, Jesus gives us strength to stand up to sin, by the Power of His Cross.
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Homework #3: Due Sunday
Read Acts of the Apostles - Chapters 3 & 4 and Answer these Questions
1. What did St. Peter do to the Crippled Beggar? What name did he use?
2. In Chapter 3: 24-26, summarize in your own words what St. Peter said to the people?
3. What was the reaction of Caiaphas to Peter, when the Apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin?
4. What happened during the Prayer time with the Community (Chapter 4:23-31)?
5. What did the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus do for the community (Chap 4:32-37)
