Come, Holy Spirit!

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

Locked away in the Upper Room following Jesus’ ascension, the apostles and other disciples were frightened, distraught and confused, not understanding how they would ever be able to continue Christ’s mission of teaching, preaching and healing without the living Messiah amongst them.

“It was in this tiny place, in the midst of their grief and their fear, that the Holy Spirit of God came to them and said ‘Do not be afraid,’” said Archbishop Gregory of the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, gifts which emboldened the disciples and propelled them to spread the teachings of Christ to all peoples.

Fittingly, on Pentecost Sunday – May 23 – 86 adults from church parishes across the Archdiocese of New Orleans gathered at St. Louis Cathedral to complete their initiation into the Catholic Church through the sacrament of confirmation.

While the Holy Spirit made his presence known with “tongues of fire” and a “mighty wind” more than 2,000 years ago, Archbishop Aymond noted that every rite of confirmation conferred ever since offers the same awesome effects of setting hearts on fire and sending forth modern disciples into the world in need of healing.

To call on those gifts of the Spirit, the archbishop laid his hand on each candidate before anointing his or her forehead with sacred chrism.

“Today is your Pentecost!” Archbishop Aymond told the expectant confirmands, just prior to the rite, during the homily.

“It’s the same Holy Spirit that comes to you, giving you exactly the same gifts that were given to the apostles,” he said. “God will say, ‘You are mine; you are my beloved daughter or my beloved son; you are precious in my sight; you belong to me.’”

The archbishop noted, however, that it is not enough to simply receive the Holy Spirit and then testify to one’s faith using words alone. Like the apostles, the confirmed must go out and be “strong, adult witnesses of faith,” living out the very values modelled by Jesus – by being persons of prayer, charity, mercy, respect, honesty and generosity.

“Those are the things that the Spirit needs you to do, my sisters and brothers,” the archbishop said, urging the confirmands to reach out to those who are lost and tell them “that they’re not alone; God is with them.”

Like the rejuvenated apostles after Pentecost, adult witnesses also must have a “willingness to talk about Jesus,” the archbishop said, offering an example: not being afraid to make the sign of the cross in public.

Colby McCoslin, 19, of St. Bonaventure Church in Avondale, was excited to be confirmed after having lapsed in the practice of his faith since receiving his first Communion as a second grader. He decided to come back to the church as late-adolescent anxieties about completing his education and finding employment cropped up. Welcoming him back was St. Bonaventure’s loving, generous and faith-filled parish community, a place in which McCoslin had strong family roots.

“It’s very important to find your faith, because that’s one of the main things that’s going to help you keep on going in life,” said McCoslin, who asked his pastor, Father Francis Offia, to be his sponsor.

“Without him, my confirmation wouldn’t have been possible. He was my go-to guy,” McCoslin said.

Victoria Peluso, a self-described “cradle Catholic” from Connecticut, now living in New Orleans, said her confirmation at age 23 marked the day she freely decided to become a full-fledged Catholic – a step she was hesitant to take as a high school junior because she felt overwhelmed by outside pressure. Peluso completed her sacramental preparation at St. Patrick Church in New Orleans.

“Weekly Mass is like a reset,” Peluso observed. “It’s a moment for me and for Christ, and I can start my week on a clean, fresh slate with Jesus.”

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For a related story on the sacrament of confirmation, go to https://clarionherald.org/news/abp-hughes-confirmation-is-a-gift-not-a-rite-of-passage