You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world

Jun 17, 2016

By Anna James
Twenty-four students from the Church of St Theresa, who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on June 25, attended a retreat at St Pio’s Friary and Spiritual Centre, Ulu Tiram, Johor May 28-29.

At the start of the journey, one of the students, Brian Santiago, on his own initiative, led the class in a prayer. Then they prayed the Rosary. The bus ride became more exciting upon reaching Ulu Tiram, as the road to the retreat centre was unpaved, with jungle to the right and left. It seemed like a never ending road but when we arrived, the students were awed by the Centre’s serene atmosphere and the vastness of the landscape.

In total, four sessions were held. Each session centred on various aspects of the Sacrament of Confirmation. “Why be confirmed? What does Confirmation do to your soul? What do you have to do to receive Confirmation worthily?” were questions put forward by Fr Valentine Gompok OFM Cap, Guardian and Director of Retreat. Fr Valentine also asked the students what would happen to their faith journey after Confirmation.

Quoting Matthew 5: 13-14, Fr Valentine impressed upon the students that their gifts and talents can make a difference in the world. Attending BEC gatherings with their families and interacting with the elderly, getting involved in service organisations such as soup-kitchens, nursing homes and shelters, can provide a unique and transformative experience.

Confirmation is the Sacrament which gives us the strength to be good Catholics, to stay away from sin and lead good Christian lives (1 Cor 6:19) and gives us the strength to profess the Catholic faith openly. It completes and perfects the Christian life one begins at Baptism.

Attitude is Altitude, a video about Nick Vujicic was shown. “You can only win if you do not give up.” Born without arms and legs, he has faith in God and gives glory to the Lord for transforming his life.

Through the video Sarah’s Choice, the students learnt that it is important to be aware and conscious of their actions at all times before marriage. It is also a story of healing and forgiveness.

‘Why do you want to be confirmed?’ Fr Edward Rayappan, in his session emphasized that we will be filled with the Holy Spirit upon Confirmation. In the Gospel of Matthew, we are called to be disciples of all nations. We maintain our beliefs but mingle with other faiths. We baptize them with our lives (that is the way we live) because we say it best when we do not say anything at all. God does not depend on our faith but we need His faith in us. We pray because we believe, therefore, we should cast aside all ‘other spirits’ if we want the Holy Spirit to come to us. Respect for the Lord must be shown in the way we behave and dress when we attend Mass.

Deacon Anthony James touched on the significance of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. In small groups, the students shared John 13:3.

Calvin Ohssey spoke on Islamization. He presented the Athanasian Creed which was formulated between the 4th and 5th century to explain the Trinity in an effort to refute the Arian heresy.

In the evaluation session, Geraldine Lim shared, “Faith does not happen overnight. It is a journey. I am growing in my faith, little by little, through participation in my community of faith, through Faith Formation classes and prayers.”

This confirmation class of 2015/2016 has grown so much. From students who were timid to share, they have become more confident and more vocal in witnessing to their Catholic faith.