Join the winning team, cardinal urges confirmands

Nov 01, 2024

TAIPING: The Taiping Catholic Church celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation for its young people on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, Oct 13. The Mass was presided over by Cardinal Sebastian Francis, who delivered an inspiring homily focused on the Holy Spirit’s role in guiding the faithful.

In his homily, Cardinal Sebastian encouraged the 34 confirmands to embrace the Holy Spirit in their journey of faith. “We have a choice from now until death,” he said. “I pray that each of us, especially the young disciples being confirmed today, will make the right choice with the help of the Holy Spirit. Join the winning team – Team Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead you to an adventurous life of creativity, inclusivity, and bridge-building. The evil spirit, on the other hand, will lead you to divide and rule through superiority, domination, and manipulation. May you have the Spirit of Wisdom to make the right choice.”

The parish community played an active role in preparing the confirmands for this significant milestone in their faith journey. Besides attending weekly Sunday classes, the confirmands received support from various ministries and parishioners. They participated in a series of activities, teachings, and formation sessions designed to deepen their understanding of the sacrament.

A key highlight of the preparation was the Confirmation camp held at the Minor Basilica of St Anne, Bukit Mertajam which offered the confirmands an opportunity to reflect on God’s grace and its transformative power. During the camp, they learned that through God’s grace, they are called to love others and bear witness to the Gospel.

As they received the Sacrament of Confirmation, the newly confirmed pledged to serve the Lord by contributing to the parish through their talents and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They expressed their commitment to actively participate in various ministries, continuing their journey as faithful witnesses of Christ.