Never having had to preach at a Confirmation like this before, I must acknowledge that I have relied on Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans for his ideas in this homily.
It’s exciting to be a teenager. You are becoming independent. Today you take responsibility for your faith and your relationship with God. Ask yourself: when is the last time you said “thank you” to your parents? Probably you’ll have to think about it. My father died fifteen years ago. I am sure I told him “thank you,” but I surely cannot remember when, maybe back in 1997 when he paid for my car to be repaired. Our parents are always present to us one way or the other, and we take them for granted. They provide us with everything we need growing up, food, clothing, allowance, education, and advice. We just become used to their being there for us. Familiarity too often leads to neglect.
The same can be said about God in our lives. God is everywhere. He sees everything. He knows everything. He created us. We would have nothing, including our parents, unless God gave it to us. We have life through our parents…if you ask them on a good day they will admit that you were and are a miracle. But God ultimately is the origin of all life, our life. So how do we respond? We treat God exactly the way we treat our parents – with benign neglect. We begrudge Him an hour of our time on Sunday. We say a quick prayer before an exam or a football game, or when we are having relational problems, or when we need a favor. Then, just as with our parents, good times and life’s demands get in the way of knowing God better. Sports, clubs, homework, our friends, fun – all this consumes our time. Then who has time for God? This can happen to monks too. All the while God waits. But He doesn’t wait outside. He waits within. He is everywhere, remember. He is present. He loves us, and like a parent whose son or daughter never says “thank you,” He patiently waits for us to think of Him.
Tonight you will be confirmed. God is entering your life in a very special way. Yes, you have prepared. You have studied. We would hope you know what it is you believe – able to explain, defend, and witness to the faith, we say. We would more hope you can live what you believe. Saying “thank you” is a good place to begin your relationship with God. It is a good place to begin every conversation you have with God for the rest of your lives. Every prayer we say should begin with a “thank you.” “Thank you” acknowledges God's existence in our lives. It says, “You are there. You care. You are important to me.” That word Eucharist is a Greek word meaning “thanksgiving.” This is what worship of God is all about. Jesus gave us an example of this. At the consecration in this Mass, listen to what Jesus did when He took the bread to become His Body. He gave thanks. Giving thanks is what the Eucharist is all about, because giving thanks brings into the present the “real”, and in the Eucharist Jesus is really, truly present.
In a moment, I will anoint your head with oil. This is the sign of the Sacrament of Confirmation. God enters your life just as surely as my thumb will be placed on your forehead, just as surely as that blessed oil will enter the pores of your skin. You might say, “Fr. Michael confirmed me.” But you would be better to say, “God confirmed me.” A sacrament is what it signifies. And what does that mean? It means that Jesus is present, and where He is present, God is present, and in the Sacrament of Confirmation, it is the Holy Spirit that does His work with you & in you. He will never leave you. Once confirmed, always confirmed. That is what sacramental character means. God is faithful to us. Even “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself” (1 Timothy 2:13) The first words of Jesus to His disciples following His Resurrection were “Peace be with you.” After I anoint your forehead, I will say those words to you. So they are “Resurrection” words. Just as Jesus was present to His disciples, He is present to you. God is with you. If you allow Him, He fills your life with peace. God surrounds us. He envelops us with Himself. But He even does more than that. He enters us. His “peace” is given to us. The reason “thank you” is so important is that it acknowledges God’s peace, His gifts, and His life in us. Your life should be a “thank you” to God.
In the ancient Church, people received Confirmation when they were Baptized. Centuries ago those new in the faith would come back for more instruction so they could enter more and more into the mystery of what it is they committed to live and believe. An ancient instruction given to them says this: But be sure not to regard the chrism merely as ointment [oil]. Just as the bread of the Eucharist after the invocation of the Holy Spirit is no longer just bread, but the body of Christ, so when the Holy Spirit has been invoked on the holy chrism it is no longer mere or ordinary ointment; it is the gift of Christ, which through the presence of the Holy Spirit, the body is anointed with visible ointment and the organs of sense with a symbolic meaning, and the soul is sanctified by the holy, hidden Spirit. It’s exciting to be a teenager, and even more exciting to be filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God For this gift, and the Church thanks God for you, and thanks you for your commitment.