January 26 Class Update: The Power of One

Greetings students (and parents)!

As the date of Confirmation draws near, we spent time in our most recent class on the deeper significance of Confirmation, when we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, completing our initiation into the Church.

One Bible passage that mentions the anointing of the Spirit is in Luke 4:14-21, when Jesus proclaims the fulfillment of a prophecy from Isaiah.

Then, we did a guided meditation on baptism, the sacrament when we first receive the Holy Spirit.  The meditation was from a homily by Father Chris at St. Teresa's, the church Paul attended in college.  The entire homily can be found here.  The meditation is from the 6:50 mark until about 11:00.

It is an experience that draws us more deeply into the catholic, or universal, Church, and equips us with the gifts to fulfill God's mission.  After sharing responses to the prompt of places we have traveled and want to travel, we looked at the story of Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples gathered in Jerusalem.  

Above is an image Paul took of the Pentecost window in Church, on the south side of the nave, the long part extending from the altar to the East Avenue entrance. If you look closely, you can see small flames on the heads of the people.

People from all over the Mediterranean world and Ancient Near East were gathered there and saw the descent of the Holy Spirit. On this webpage is a map of those places specifically mentioned in Acts 2. This account is a great story about how the Holy Spirit truly binds us together as one church.  Paul connected the story of Pentecost with his experiences at World Youth Day 2019 in Panama City.  You can read more about his trip and see photos on this post on his personal blog.

We listened to the song "I Believe", performed by Canadian singer Nikki Yanofsky for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and its lyrics contain ideas about the power of a world brought together as one.

We watched this version in class.

We also saw a small portion of the French language version, with the English translation included.

Here is a bilingual version performed by Nikki Yanofsky and Annie Villeneuve in 2010.

Here is a bilingual version performed by the One Voice youth choir.

Looking ahead, next week Tuesday, February 2, we aren't meeting for a virtual RE class.  Instead, you'll go to church for reconciliation, as a way of preparing for Confirmation.  Please spend some time preparing for reconciliation by reviewing the handouts from the RE office that include tips for making a good reconciliation and an examination of conscience.  Please contact us if you need us to send you those handouts again.  And if you haven't registered for a time to attend reconciliation, please do so at this link.

February 2 is also Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which happens 40 days after Christmas.  The story of this feast is recorded in Luke 2:22-40.  When St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary bring the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to dedicate Him to the Lord, a godly man named Simeon approaches the Holy Family and praises God for keeping His promise, that he would see the Messiah before his death.  Simeon's canticle is regularly prayed as part of the Night Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours.  We encourage you to offer up this short prayer at night before going to bed, found in Luke 2:29-32.  Here is a webpage with the lyrics, in both Latin and English, and a video of this prayer.

Confirmation liturgies are scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, February 6.

We look forward to being present with you next week for the sacramental experiences.

We're back in class again on Tuesday, February 9, when we'll have opportunity to continue learning about faith and what it means for our lives. 

As usual, please feel free to contact us with questions, for clarifications, etc.

Please be assured of our prayers for you as you prepare to be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

God's blessings,

Debbie Lopez

Paul Rubio