Confirmation

CONFIRMATION PREPARING FOR THE SACRAMENT OF CHILD MATERIAL

CONFIRMATION IS A CALL

3 WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE OUT OUR LIFE WITHIN THE CATHOLIC FAITH COMMUNITY, THAT IS, THE FAMILY OF GOD. 1. Write the name of your parish community on the line below. __________________________________________________ 2. Who are the leaders of this community? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ At Baptism you were first welcomed into the Christian community, the family of God. Confirmation gives you an opportunity to complete your initiation into the faith community. Your parents and godparents professed their own faith, the faith which they have shared with you. Now you are invited to profess your own faith – to make your own commitment. Have you made a commitment at some point in your life? Make a list of some commitments you have made in the past three years, e.g. at school, home, sport, club. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ In your own words, write down three things that you will promise during your Confirmation (you will find some ideas on the next page). __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Imagine that your Parish Community has gathered for the celebration of your Confirmation. Write a short message welcoming them to your Confirmation celebration thanking them for their prayers. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

5 • Read each of them carefully. • Highlight the most important words or phrases in each statement. • Make sure that you know what you must answer when the Celebrant asks you the questions. • Write two or three of them in your own words. Celebrant Do you reject Satan and all his works and all his empty promises? Your response I do. Celebrant Do you believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth? Your response I do. Celebrant Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered death and was buried, rose again from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father? Your response I do. Celebrant Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who today through the Sacrament of Confirmation is given to you in a special way just as he was given to the Apostles on the day of Pentecost? Your response I do. Celebrant Do you believe in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting? Your response I do. Celebrant This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus our Lord. All the people in the church answer: Amen. BAPTISMAL PROMISES At the time of your Baptism your parents and godparents renewed the commitment to the faith. It was this faith that they have passed on to you. Now it is your turn to pronounce this same commitment for yourself. It is essential that you understand the commitment you are about to make. The following statements will be used at the ceremony of Confirmation. THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS WILL BE USED AT THE CEREMONY OF CONFIRMATION. RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL PROMISES

7 At the time of your baptism your parents and sponsors (godparents) professed their faith which they promised to share with you. Now you can renew that commitment for yourself. During the rite of confirmation you will respond to these questions (Baptismal promises) the Bishop asks. This is your chance to profess your commitment to live as we are called to live, according to the promises you make and the beliefs they contain. • Read again the questions the Bishop will ask you. • Look at the Apostles’ Creed Prayer. • Find the ideas that are the same in each and highlight them. I _____________ in God, the F_____________ almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in J____________ Ch____________ , His only S__________ , our Lord, who was conceived by the H_________ Sp___________, born of the Virgin M__________ , suffered under Pontius P____________ , was crucified, died and was b____________, He d_________________ into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; he ascended into h_____________ , and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,the communion of s_____________, the forgiveness of s__________, the resurrection of the b__________, and life everlasting, ________________.Here are some ideas that will THE APOSTLES’ CREED

8 » Talk to your parents and your sponsor (if possible) about the messages you learn from these special prayers and readings. GOD HAS ALSO GIVEN US SOME GUIDING POINTS. WE KNOW THESE AS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Love God by putting him first and making him the centre of one’s life. We could set aside time for prayer each day. Honour God’s name. We respect what is sacred and not use God’s name as a joke or a throwaway phase. We speak about matters of faith with respect and not mock it. Keep God’s day holy by fulfilling our obligation to go to Mass on Sunday. Be obedient to all those who care for me. Be kind, don’t fight. Practice modesty and respect. We respect ourself by saying no to harmful situations and we respect others by not pressuring others when they say ‘no’. Be honest, keep only my own things; don’t spoil other people’s things. Speak the truth and do not lie. Be sincere knowing God knows us through and through. Be content and grateful for what we have and are given. We practice contentment by seeing the good in others. » Make a journal entry just for yourself. » Think of the best ways you can answer Jesus’ call. » Take some time to think about these things.

9 In how many different ways do human beings use their hands? Drawing, painting, playing musical instruments, science experiments … _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ What are some important things you do with your hands? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ JESUS USED HIS HANDS TO HEAL: They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when He had put saliva on his eyes and laid His hands on him, He asked him, ‘Can you see anything?’ And the man looked up and said, ‘I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.’ Then Jesus laid His hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently at him. and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (Mark 8:22-25) What did Jesus do? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Can you think of another story in the bible where Jesus has done something similar? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ LAYING ON OF HANDS

10 During the Sacrament of Confirmation you will stand in front of the Bishop (or his Delegate) who will lay his hands over you and pray that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit, whose special gift you will receive at this time. After he has prayed silently over all to be confirmed he will pray aloud asking the Holy Spirit to be your helper and guide. He then invokes the outpouring of the Spirit in these words: “Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who brought these your servants to new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, freeing them from sin: send upon them, O Lord, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete; give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety; fill them with the spirit of the fear of the Lord.”

11 CONFIRMATION BRINGS AN INCREASE & DEEPENING OF BAPTISMAL GRACE: • it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, “Abba! Father!” • it unites us more firmly to Christ • it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us • it renders our bond with the Church more perfect • it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit • to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross CCC 1303 GIFT OF THE SPIRIT IN THE LAYING ON OF HANDS THE CELEBRANT PRAYS THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL GIVE YOU: Allows me to see God working in the world always and everywhere. Helps me to make better choices as I live my Catholic Faith. Guides me and helps me make good decisions. Gives me the courage to stand up for what is right. Helps me to see God in all the actions of my life. Allows me to connect more deeply with God in my everyday life. Leads me to recognise God as the core of my life and everything I do. WISDOM FORTITUDE UNDERSTANDING FEAR OF THE LORD KNOWLEDGE COUNSEL PIETY

12 THE BEATITUDES When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to speak, and He taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Rewrite these verses in your own words. They are a guide to how a committed Christian should live. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Print some of these verses on small pieces of paper and share them with your family at your special prayer time. You could pray that each member of your family will receive a great portion of the “gift” you will receive a great portion of the “gift” you receive during these days of preparation for your Confirmation. Read below the text from the Gospel of Matthew 5:1–12.

14 What is your name? ______________________________________________________________________ Are you named after someone? If so, who? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Was there a particular reason that you received your name? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Does your name have a particular meaning? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ You and I are both known by a particular name. We’ve had this name all our lives. Most of us received it from our parents. When we received the Sacrament of Baptism the priest used it to name us. He said “(Your name)... I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” At the time of your Confirmation the Bishop (or his delegate) will call you by your baptismal name or you may choose another Christian name. THE NAMING

15 There are different kinds of oil. What are some of the things oil is used for? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Anointing with olive oil is an ancient tradition that is often associated with signing or sealing someone for a special purpose or intention. Read 1 Samuel 16:11-13 from The Old Testament – who was anointed? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Why was he anointed? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ The Sacred Chrism is olive oil mixed with balsam (and has a sweet scent) and is consecrated by the Bishop. At Baptism you were anointed with Chrism. During the Confirmation ceremony you will be anointed again with Chrism. It symbolises the gift of the Holy Spirit. ‘The consecration of the sacred chrism is an important action that precedes the celebration of Confirmation, but is in a certain way a part of it. It is the bishop who, in the course of the Chrism Mass of Holy Thursday, consecrates the sacred chrism for his whole diocese.’ CCC 1297 ANOINTING WITH THE OIL OF CHRISM

GETTING READY FOR THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION 16 At the time of your Confirmation the Bishop will use this name as he anoints you with the Oil of Chrism. Your sponsor will stand behind you and put his/her right hand on your right shoulder. The priest assisting the Bishop will say your name. Then the Bishop will say: _________ (your Confirmation name) be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. You answer: Amen. The Bishop will say: Peace be with you. And you answer: And with your spirit. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A SPONSOR? The sponsor’s function is to take care that the person confirmed behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfils the duties inherent in this sacrament (Can. 892). If possible, use your sponsor from Baptism (godparent). Your Sponsor should be: • No less than 16 years of age • A Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on. (Canon 874) Who will be your sponsor? Why? _ ________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________ Make a list of the things you normally do each day to show you are a Christian. _ ________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________

18 Who is involved with you throughout your day? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Name some of the things you think would show that a person was NOT following the ways of Jesus Christ. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ We read in John 15:12–16 Jesus said to His disciples: ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.’ LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES

19 JESUS GAVE US A NEW COMMANDMENT LIVING AS CHRISTIANS This is what I believe the New Commandment to be: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Ways in which I will live the New Commandment: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

20 Rewrite an important phrase from each of these readings. In what ways did Jesus show us how to live as a good Christian? John 20:19–23 In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘ Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.’ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’ After this he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

21 Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak different languages. When Pentecost day came round, the Apostles had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech. ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ This is what St Paul advises us to do in his first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 12:31-13:13 Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them. If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever. Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end. But if there are gifts of prophecy, the time will come when they must fail; or the gift of languages, it will not continue for ever; and knowledge – for this, too, the time will come when it must fail. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect; but once perfection comes, all imperfect things will disappear. When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and think like a child, and argue like a child, but now I am a man, all childish ways are put behind me. Now we are seeing a dim reflection in a mirror; but then we shall be seeing face to face. The knowledge that I have now is imperfect; but then I shall know as fully as I am known. In short, there are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.

22 Write a brief testament of how you desire to live as a Christian. _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________

24 Through the Sacrament of Confirmation we are called to live with certain principles and attitudes. Write your own prayer to the Holy Spirit for guidance to live as a committed Christian. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ “FOR JUST AS THE BODY IS ONE AND HAS MANY MEMBERS, AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY, THOUGH MANY, ARE ONE BODY, SO IT IS WITH CHRIST. FOR IN THE ONE SPIRIT WE WERE ALL BAPTISED INTO ONE BODY”. 1 COR 12:12 MY PRAYER OF COMMITMENT

25 ORDER OF CONFIRMATION PRESENTATION OF THE CANDIDATES After the Gospel the Bishop and the priests who will be ministers of the Sacrament with him take their seats. The candidates are presented to the Bishop. As each candidate’s name is called they stand and respond ‘present’. HOMILY OR INSTRUCTION The Bishop then gives a brief homily. This includes an explanation of the readings and so leads the candidates, their sponsors and parents, and the whole assembly to a deeper understanding of the mystery of Confirmation. RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL PROMISES After the homily, the candidates stand and the Bishop questions them: Do you reject Satan and all his works and all his empty promises? The candidates respond together: I do. Bishop: Do you believe in God the Father almighty, creator _ of heaven and earth? Candidates: I do. Bishop: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, ourLord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered death and was buried, rose again from the dead and is seated _ at the right hand of the Father? Candidates: I do. Bishop: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who today through the Sacrament of Confirmation is given to you in a special way just as he was given to the Apostles on the day of Pentecost? Candidates: I do. Bishop: Do you believe in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting? Candidates: I do. The Bishop confirms their profession of Faith by proclaiming the Faith of the Church: This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus our Lord. The whole congregation responds: Amen.

26 THE LAYING ON OF HANDS The Bishop faces the people and prays: Dearly beloved, let us pray to God the almighty Father, for these, his adopted sons and daughters, already born again to eternal life in Baptism, that he will graciously pour out the Holy Spirit upon them to confirm them with his abundant gifts, and through his anointing conform them more fully to Christ, the Son of God. All pray in silence for a short time. The Bishop extends his hands over the candidates and says: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who brought these your servants to new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, freeing them from sin: send upon them, O Lord, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete; give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety; fill them with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. Through Christ our Lord. Respond: Amen. THE ANOINTING WITH CHRISM Each candidate goes forward to the Bishop. The sponsor (one who presented the candidate) places his right hand on the candidate’s shoulder. The Bishop dips his thumb in the chrism and makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the one to be confirmed, as he says: N., be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit. The newly confirmed responds: Amen. The Bishop says: Peace be with you. The newly confirmed responds: And with your spirit.

27 THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT “WHAT THE SPIRIT BRINGS ... IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS,GOODNESS, TRUSTFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL”. GAL 5:22 How are you going to live each of the fruits of the Spirit in your daily life? LOVE _ ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ JOY_ ______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ PEACE ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ PATIENCE _______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ KINDNESS_______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ GOODNESS _____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ TRUSTFULNESS________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ GENTLENESS___________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ SELF-CONTROL________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

28 24 21 Crossword puzzle for you to complete 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 5 14 15 16 17 9 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 AMEN EUCHARIST HOLY SPIRIT OUR SIGNS BAPTISM FATHER INITIATION PARISH SINS CHRISM FORGAVE JESUS RECONCILIATION SON CHRIST GIFTS JOURNEY SACRAMENTS SPIRIT CONFIRMATION GOD JOY SAINTS SYMBOLS CREED GOD LIFE SCRIPTURE WAY DIED HANDS MIRACLES SELF YOU EARTH HEATHER OIL SEND FOREHEAD Crossword puzzle for you to complete CROSSWORD PUZZLE AMEN BAPTISM CHRISM CHRIST CONFIRMATION CREED DIED EARTH EUCHARIST FATHER FOREHEAD FORGAVE GIFTS GOD GOD HANDS HEATHER HOLY SPIRIT INITIATION JESUS JOURNEY JOY LIFE MIRACLES OIL OUR PARISH RECONCILIATION SACRAMENTS SAINTS SCRIPTURE SELF SEND SIGNS SINS SON SPIRIT SYMBOLS WAY YOU

29 ACROSS CLUES 1 The Bishop and priest will lay their _________ over us. 3 The first Sacrament we received. 7 A name given to our Faith Community. 8 We are on a journey of _________ . 9 The Bishop will anoint us with the oil of _________ . 11 The third Sacrament of Initiation. 13 _________ family will help us to prepare for Confirmation. 14 Jesus _________ sinners. 15 A word we use at the end of our prayers. 18 A word used to describe God. 20 Our saviour. 22 Holy people. 25 We are on a _________ of life. 27 A name given to three sacraments. 28 The Holy _________ 32 These are used in our celebration of our Faith. 35 The second Sacrament of Initiation. 36 A name used to refer to God. 37 The Blessed Trinity. 38 A Prayer in which we state the things we believe. DOWN CLUES 1 The name of the first Bishop of our Diocese. 2 Jesus said: “I am the _________ . ” 4 Seven in number. 5 We receive at Confirmation. 6 A Sacrament of Healing. 10 Jesus worked _________ . 12 The Bishop will anoint me on my _________ . 16 Chrism. 17 Jesus is the _________ . 19 Jesus is the _________ of God. 21 We can read the Word of God in the _________ . 23 Jesus forgives. 24 We often use _________ to help us understand things. 25 Happy people show this. 26 Creator of heaven and _________ . 29 Our Creator. 30 This is me. 31 Jesus suffered and _________ . 33 _________ are special. 34 _________ forth Your Spirit.

30 “THE SPIRIT OPENS BORDERS, FIRST OF ALL, IN OUR HEARTS. HE IS THE GIFT THAT OPENS OUR LIVES TO LOVE. HIS PRESENCE BREAKS DOWN OUR HARDNESS OF HEART, OUR NARROWNESS OF MIND, OUR SELFISHNESS...THAT MAKES US THINK ONLY OF OURSELVES ... HE LEADS US TO AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD BY TEACHING US TO EXPERIENCE THE JOY THAT IS HIS GIFT. HE CONVINCES US, AS WE JUST HEARD IN JESUS’ WORDS, THAT ONLY BY ABIDING IN LOVE, WILL WE RECEIVE THE STRENGTH TO REMAIN FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD AND TO LET IT TRANSFORM US.” JUNE 2025 Write a response to Pope Leo XIV ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ A MESSAGE TO YOU FROM POPE LEO XIV!

©Office for Worship, Diocese of Parramatta 2026. Excerpts from the Roman Missal, 2010, ICEL. Excerpts from The Rite of Baptism for Children, 1971, ICEL. Excerpts from Catechism of the Catholic Church, English trsln, 1994, St Paul’s Publications. Used with Permission. Photographs include the work of: 321 Photography. www.parracatholic.org OFW4631_0624

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