On Sunday, my youngest son will receive the sacrament of confirmation in our local Catholic Church. He has chosen the Franciscan name Maximillian Kolbe after being inspired by the story of him over the dinner table. On Thursday, his grandparents took him to the confirmation practice as both my wife and myself were not able to attend. We were later to hear that the regular Diocesan Bishop of Broken Bay was not able to attend, but rather, our former Bishop, David Walker would be there. Following, in preparation, my wife and I visited our local Koorong books. As we walked out of the Koorong Books, Bishop David Walker was walking in. How random? I thought to myself or rather, is this serendipity? How funny we were only talking about him, by chance he would be our bishop on Sunday, then he suddenly appears. I think there is no chance in this, but rather, that, we are all somehow connected.
Catholics believe that during Confirmation, individuals receive the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, just as the apostles did on Pentecost. This gift of the Holy Spirit is intended to guide and empower the individual in their journey of faith. Confirmation is often referred to as the 'sacrament of Christian maturity' or the 'sacrament of Christian adulthood.' It completes the process of initiation into the Church that begins with Baptism. The term 'confirmation' comes from the Latin word 'confirmare,' which means 'to strengthen' or 'to make firm.' Through this sacrament, Catholics are sealed with the Holy Spirit, marking them as belonging to Christ and setting them apart for a special mission within the Church. It is believed that through Confirmation, individuals receive an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which include wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts are meant to guide and inspire their actions and decisions.g
The Sacrament of Confirmation calls each of us to be more involved in our faith and Christianity by following the person of Jesus Christ. We no longer simply rely on parents to say yes for us, but we start to take steps with our own decisions of our faith. In Confirmation, we are given a Confirmation sponsor, a person carefully selected who is called to help guide the person to be confirmed. We have chosen our son’s 16-year-old cousin, who in the last years has demonstrated a real interest in being Christian, but also, she is someone our son looks up to. The African proverb “it takes a village to raise a childâ€. As parents, we feel it is important for our children that several people play an active part. Faith cannot simply be the random whim of the individual, but that together we all play a part. We are called to journey together in the Christian faith.
In the document 'Synodality in the life and mission of the church' (2018), it calls each one of us to play an active part in the life of the church. This document makes a clear distinction between the synods that followed the Council of Trent and the Reformation in the 1500s. Rather, following the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, all people are recognized not simply as “the people of Godâ€, but seen in their role “as priestsâ€. We are called to be the embodiment of Jesus Christ on earth. Thus, Jesus is not simply a historical character, or the subject for those with a priestly or religious vocation, but that Jesus is revealed in the “priesthood of all believersâ€. Everyone.
But how does that translate to a family? When one teenage child declares, “I don’t believe in God!â€, while the others actively resist going to church. The answer may not be far away from what you think. Pope Francis' notion of Church and the future of the church is through a synodal path. Where each person feels empowered to be at the table to speak. Each person has a valued part to play in the conversation. Each person is not seen as younger, less wise, or excluded. But rather included. Despite the differences. Despite the fact that one’s view on ethical matters may be different than my own. The emphasis here is not on who is right and who is wrong. Rather, the emphasis is on dialogue.
The table at which we sit is not just any table. It is our family dinner table. It is the table where Christ himself celebrated the first Eucharist and decided to get down and wash the disciples' feet. This act showed the greatest meaning of service, mercy, and love. We must do the same. The highest members must become the greatest servers. The ones who “take off the outer robe†(John 13:4), we must let go of our roles of authority, our priestly garbs, or our stern parental looks, and be willing to serve those most in need.
We cannot do this alone. We must be open to the Holy Spirit as a gift. The Holy Spirit can come into our lives if we invite the Holy Spirit in. Do we pray? Do we allow God to play an active part in our lives? Do we pray as a family? Do we pray as a married couple? How often do we pray together? It is not enough to simply pray individually. It is not enough to go to church alone and rush out. Jesus did not institute the Communion as a bunch of individuals. We must choose to step closer together. Not stepping away upstairs because someone has upset us.
The most important part of the synodal process is “listeningâ€. Active listening. Especially with those who have the great difference from ourselves. Those with different ethical views than our own. In our family, it is critical that the parents actively listen to their children. But sometimes, this requires the parents to be actively more and more involved with their children. Maybe not with statements like “how was your dayâ€, but rather being actively involved in their lives. Through what they are doing. Not just speaking but doing. Doing things together. So that when the time comes to speak about “faith†or “moral†matters, a connection has already been made.
In the end, the synod is never finished. The community of believers ebbs and flows. It is a continuous process of being involved. Of being at the table together in communion. Of “listening to the signs of the timesâ€. At different points, we are called to be more actively involved. But at other points, like Jesus, we might go into the wilderness to be alone for a while. When we bumped into Bishop David Walker, we did not speak long. I sensed in him a need to go somewhere, maybe into the wilderness, and that he did not have a lot of time. But he said, “thank you for stopping and saying helloâ€. We must learn to not just empathize with where each person is at but allow the other to be the other. Synodality is not about making everyone the same, but rather enabling everyone to play a more active part. Being Jesus' hands, feet, and heart today. In active listening in community. With intentionality as a family.
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