eBook Confirmed in the Faith ePub

Adoranin

Have you talked to a catechist recently? Or to a teacher who has `volunteered' to prepare some children for the reception of the sacraments? If you have, chances are that you will have heard about the difficulty of the task due to the lack of sound, straightforward teaching resources--once upon a time called "textbooks"--for sacramental preparation. Even the most skilled teacher or the most diligent catechist needs something to put in the hands of pupils that is comprehensive, orthodox, and written specifically for the age of the person being taught.

Here it is, written by Dora Nash, Head of Religious Education at the Oratory Schoool, Reading. Confirmed in the Faith contains a doctrinally rich narrative, appropriate activities, a glossary of theological words to learn, topics for discussion and appropriate references for further reading. The book is designed for each pupil to keep and to use, and its modest price facilitates this.

It is a particular joy to see, stated at the very outset on a page addressed to the prospective candidate for Confirmation, that Confirmation "is the Sacrament in which Jesus seals you with the Holy Spirit. You are joined more closely to Jesus and become a full member of his Church." Too many texts and, sadly, even clergy, teachers, and catechists when asked "What is Confirmation?" perpetrate the Pelagian heresy--whereby what I do is what is primary in the order of grace--and respond along the lines of "Confirmation is the sacrament where I choose to be an adult Catholic." No, God's action is primary. Confirmation is not the sacrament of choice. Not that personal commitment can or should be ignored in the preparation of young people for this sacrament as it is celebrated in the West today, and Dora Nash deals with this effectively in the first section of the book.

Other sections deal with the Holy Spirit, being a member of the Church, the seven sacraments and living the Catholic life. The obligation to attend Mass on every Sunday and Holy Day is clearly stated and well supported. Frequent individual confession is presented as a normal part of Catholic life. A good, simple introduction to personal prayer is given, and the missionary and social responsibilities of being a Catholic are outlined. Usefully, the Rite of Confirmation is explained. One correction needs to be made to pages 36 and 37 of the text, which assert that ordination is "the sacrament in which a man becomes a priest"--we deacons and perhaps even those who are bishops beg inclusion here please!

This is an invaluable resource for all who are responsible for preparing children for Confirmation. One may only hope that before too long similar texts shall appear to assist in the preparation of children for making their first Confesssion and receiving their first Holy Communion.

Yla

A good priest recommended this to me, and I have in turn recommended it many times. The sacred, traditional illustrations alone are lovely. This books proves how much distraction and fluff there is in most cathechetical books. It presents the material one needs to know to be confirmed succinctly and in a serious, yet simple format. Excellent. It's still in print, but it is a title published in the UK. I found copies available in the USA through Liturgy Training Publications.

Shazel

To prepare our oldest for her confirmation this spring, we've been using Dora Nash's Confirmed in the Faith: A Catholic Confirmation Course. Published by the U.K.'s Gracewing, it consists of six sessions that cover core concepts like Christology, the Holy Spirit, ecclesiology, and sacramental theology. Confirmation itself is likened to a "personal Pentecost" -- a helpful term that captures the essence of the sacrament. The book's language is accessible to middle school-aged students without being contrived, and the discussion questions have a healthy mix of the cognitive and affective. (In other words, they are content-driven and aren't navel-gazing exercises.) Confirmed in the Faith also fosters a healthy spirituality, as it includes many traditional prayers with explanations of their origins. We're midway through the book and have been covering a session per week. If you're looking for a "Crash Course in Confirmation," this is the book for you. Highly recommended.