The Family Foundation School Catholic Community Bulletin
Pauca Verba (a few words)
“The joy of Easter renews the whole world, while the choirs of angels sing forever to your glory.” (Easter Mass prayer)
Is the joy of Easter renewing my little piece of the world? Or is my life like a pocket with holes – that the spirit and truth of Christ is received, but falls out and is lost behind me?
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May is Mary’s Month! She stands in solidarity with us: in our joys and sorrows, our successes and failures, the obedience and promises we strive to keep, the faith we struggle to preserve.
Ave Maris Stella
Venantius Fortunatus (sixth century)
Hail, O star of ocean,
God’s own Mother blest,
Every sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest.
Taking that sweet Ave
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva’s name.
Break the sinner’s fetters,
Make our blindness day,
Chase all evils from us,
For all blessings, pray.
Show thyself a Mother,
May the Word Divine?
Born for us thine Infant
Hear our prayers through thine.
Virgin all excelling,
Mildest of the mild,
Free from guilt preserve us
Meek and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus
Joy for evermore.
Praise to God the Father,
Honor to the Son,
In the Holy Spirit
Be the glory one. Amen.
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The Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated at The Family Foundation School on Friday, May 15, 2009 at 4:00 P.M. I would strongly suggest that each of us who is to be Confirmed make a very good Sacramental Confession between now and then!
Confirmation means sealed. In the Sacrament of Confirmation I am anointed with the sacred oil of chrism. The oil is fragrant: that I would leave the lovely fragrance of Christ behind me wherever I go. Oil makes me shiny: that I would reflect Jesus Christ like light. Oil is used a base for many medicines: that I would be healed by the Holy Spir9t and made strong and well. Ancient athletes put oil on themselves to make themselves agile: I will need to be agile for the spiritual contest. I receive new spiritual gifts at Confirmation. The sign of the cross on my forehead with the chrism says: “Yes it is true, I belong to Jesus Christ.” See it in the way I relate, how I dress and dance, the music I listen to, how I speak, in what I think really matters and what no longer matters at all. There is no turning back. Tattoos “even religious ones” are now obsolete: I wear the only sign that says who I am – the invisible chrism-cross of Christ upon my forehead. A bishop confirms me: I belong to an ancient faith that goes back more than 2000 years, symbolized by bishops who are protectors and guardians of the faith to apostolic times. Bishops also symbolize that I belong to a faith bigger than my local community or my own set of personal opinions – bishops joined to bishops – all linked in fellowship to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.
An ancient theology of Confirmation is that it makes me a soldier of Jesus Christ! Whoa! Am I? And if I am Christ’s foot-soldier, am I on the front lines, or back in camp, in the infirmary?
