Page 13 - Confirmation Junior High
P. 13

                                                                                                                                                            Junior High
  Step 4 (5 Minutes)
Read Catholic Literacy. Help the young people review their baptismal promises. If possible, display the baptismal promises on newsprint or the board. Ask volunteers to take turns reading the promises:
• Do you reject Satan, and all his works and empty promises?
• Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?
• Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, su ered death and was buried, rose again from the dead, and
  JH L2-PRESS V1_6-7.indd 3 6/7/17 2:42 PM
   Catholic Tradition
God’s Word     Living Our Faith
“The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.” —Saint Gregory of Nyssa
What is conscience? Conscience helps us make
reasonable judgments about whether ac ons are moral.
Jesus’ law of love, and the Beatitudes urge us to do God’s will—to do good and avoid evil.
God placed Adam and Eve in a garden free from evil. They were lured into turning against
God and trying to live without him.
After this
Original Sin,
human nature
is still good
but is wounded,
meaning we all need
God’s grace to live a
moral life. The new life in
the Holy Spirit that we receive in the Sacrament of Con rmation strengthens us to lead the moral life and reach salvation.
A moral life today still involves following the Ten Commandments, the laws given by God through Moses. Even though the Commandments address some very serious actions, they also apply to everyday behavior. For example, verbal abuse violates the Fifth Commandment, “You shall not kill,” because threats and words of anger disrespect the dignity of life.
Gi ed with the Spirit Con rma on 3
      Sacred Scripture is the Word of God. God chose human authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the books of the Bible. Through Sacred Scripture, God reveals himself and his plan for our salvation—a plan that involves covenants between God and human beings.
What is a covenant?
A covenant is a solemn agreement that calls for commitments on both sides. Throughout history, God has made covenants with humanity.
The Old Testament records salvation history from creation through the Old Covenant. God gradually revealed himself and reached out in love to the Hebrew people. He established the Old Covenant when he revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses. In the New Testament, Jesus ful lls and perfects the Old Covenant. Through Jesus, God reveals himself and his love for us completely. While the Old Covenant was given to God’s Chosen People, the New Covenant offers salvation to all people through Jesus Christ.
The Creed, or statement of beliefs, that we pray together
at Sunday liturgy expresses the essential parts of our faith. But what is faith? The Catechism of the Catholic Church (see 150–155) tells us that faith is
The gift from God that allows us to respond to his revelation
The human act of responding freely and completely to what God reveals
Believing that God loves us requires faith—the gift, or grace, from God that helps us to accept his love
and teachings. But faith is also our personal response, our acceptance of God’s love and teachings.
To be saved from sin and death, we must have faith. Faith is necessary for salvation. This does not mean that people who do not know
the Gospel, through no fault of their own, are lost. Those who sincerely seek God and try to do his will as they know it through their conscience may also reach salvation. God can lead those who do not know the Gospel to faith, but the Church still can and must spread the news of the Gospel to all people.
Our relationship with God also calls for us to live morally. On our
        Catholic Literacy: Confirmation Strengthens Us to Live as Disciples
Con rma on enriches us with a special strength of the Holy Spirit, empowering us to make our own commitment to the
own, we can recognize that the Commandments,
   special rela onship with God that began at our Bap sm. We renew the promises that were made for us at Bap sm. We promise to be faithful to Catholic beliefs and are more perfectly united
to the Church. We are strengthened to live as true followers of Jesus and to par cipate in the sacramental life of the Church.
  is seated at the right hand of the Father?
• Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who...through the Sacrament of Con rma on [will be] given to you in a special way just as he was given to the Apostles on the day of Pentecost?
• Do you believe in the holy catholic Church, the commu- nion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrec on of the body, and life everlas ng? (The Order of Con rma on, 23)
Step 5 (10 Minutes)
Call on volunteers to take turns reading “Living Our Faith.” Review the meaning of conscience. Pause after each Commandment to review what the Commandment requires of us.
 Notes
        Gi edwiththeSpirit Con rma on 19
  The
Truth
 













































   11   12   13   14   15