Confirmation is Not the End!

It's not uncommon for students and parents going through the Confirmation process to fall into the mindset that Confirmation is the last step of their religious education, after which they "graduate" from having to be involved in the Church (or even having to attend Mass at all!).

So when the formation classes are over, and the volunteer hours are complete, and you have received the Sacrament of Confirmation . . . What's next? 

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit – his actions, his gifts and his biddings – in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life.” (1309)

Confirmation is the START of life as a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church, the Body of Christ. With that comes a greater responsibility, not only to share your faith but also to be a continuing example of the faith in and OUT of Church. It is that simple and that challenging. We are now called to go deeper and deeper into our faith so as to grow in our relationship with Christ and His Church.

Read The 5 Spiritual Effects of the Sacrament of Confirmation

Like any organization, once you are initiated, are you done? Of course not. You have only just begun. In the Church you continue to be a mature, active member and you work in tangent with other members to nurture and grow in faith, hope, and love.

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For those whose formation classes may be done or coming to a close, it is important to realize that your catechesis will never end. You will continue to be filled with questions, and your faith will grow by leaps and bounds if you respond with an eager pursuit of the answers. You can spend your entire life studying and reflecting on the faith.  As you grow older, you will discover more about yourself, your relationships, your God-given desires, and God himself. And you have a guide and helper dwelling inside you—the Holy Spirit.

Confirmation bestows the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, gifts given for the purpose of fully living your faith in the world as a Child of God.  The Sacrament gives you the spiritual tools you need for your life-long adventure of living out your Catholic faith.

To encourage young people to stay active in their faith after Confirmation, here are some ideas for continuing involvement in the parish or diocese:

• Connect with parish youth groups, or organize your own activities for young people.
• Join a Catholic Bible study, or start a Catholic Bible study for your age group.
• Join a parish ministry in an area you are passionate about. They need young people!
• Help out with coffee and donuts or other social functions before or after Mass.
• Make a regular Holy Hour in Eucharistic Adoration; make it a group activity with a meal afterwards.
• Organize teens to pray the rosary together before or after Mass once a week.
• Volunteer for First Communion/Reconciliation preparation classes.
• Pray and ask God where he wants to use you!

After Baptism and First Holy Communion, Confirmation is the third and final Sacrament of Initiation into the Catholic Church. This places Confirmation at the beginning, not the end, of our Sacramental journey.  After Confirmation, keep going!  Regularly make use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and prayerfully consider a vocation to the Sacrament of Marriage, the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or the Religious Life. And don’t forget: Confirmation is just the beginning!

And don't forget: Confirmation is just the beginning!

Do you have other advice for teens who have recently received their Confirmation? If so, please share with our readers in the comments below.

This article has been updated and was originally published in May 2014. © The Catholic Company. All rights reserved.

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