IntroductionThe Sacrament of Confirmation: A Catechetical Overview
Life in the Catholic Community
Participants
- Candidates
- Parents
- Sponsors
- Mentors
- Parish Community
- Pastor
- Religious Education Coordinator, Youth Minister, and Catechists
Remote and Immediate Preparation
Service
Retreat
Letter to the Pastor
Readiness of Candidates
Delaying Confirmation
Persons with Disabilities
Special Circumstances
Introduction
The Diocese of Saint Cloud last revised the Confirmation Guidelines in 1986. In a continuing effort to realize the vision of catechesis and sacramental formation contained in the Rite of Confirmation, the Catholic Education Ministries Office included updating these guidelines as part of their five year education plan beginning in 1995. The Office of Worship issued revised liturgical guidelines in November 1998.
As religious educators strive to form young people for this sacrament, it is necessary to acknowledge the cultural and ecclesial currents which affect the community's preparation of Confirmation candidates. To this end, Catholic Education Ministries offers the following guidelines, which incorporate information obtained from all regions of the diocese by means of on-site visits, surveys, and gatherings.
Such research indicates that one of the most pressing needs in the formation of youth for the sacrament of Confirmation is the evangelization of adults, particularly their parents, but also the parish community at large. The preparation of young people for Confirmation offers parents a unique opportunity to examine their own life of faith. Thus, these guidelines are written to address and encourage the full, conscious, and active participation in the life of the Christian community, not only of those to be confirmed, but also of their parents and all adults in the parish.
This booklet is intended for the use of parish staff members who are directly involved with catechetical formation of youth: pastors, religious education coordinators, youth ministers, and catechists. These catechetical guidelines do not constitute a diocesan policy; however, they are strong recommendations endorsed by the Chancery and formulated by Catholic Education Ministries for building an integral sacramental preparation program. It is left to each parish to determine how best to implement them.
Guidelines regarding documentation, age of candidates, the use of a Confirmation name, qualifications of sponsors, and juridical guidelines for the Rite of Confirmation are contained in the Liturgical Guidelines for the Rite of Confirmation (pages 9, 13-14), available from the Chancery.
go to top The Sacrament of Confirmation: A Catechetical Overview
"In the sacrament of Confirmation the apostles and the bishops, who are their successors, hand on to the baptized the special gift of the Holy Spirit, promised by Christ the Lord and poured out upon the apostles at Pentecost. Thus the initiation in the Christian life is completed so that believers are strengthened by power from heaven, made true witnesses of Christ in word and deed, and bound more closely to the Church." Decree on Confirmation, Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship
Together with Baptism and Eucharist, Confirmation is an integral part of the initiation of believers into the Christian community. The gift of the Holy Spirit, received first at Baptism, is deepened and additional gifts are bestowed for fuller life in the Church and the carrying out of Christ's mission in the world.
The foremost component in forming candidates for Confirmation is the sacramental rite itself. Because the content of the rite is the community's focus, it should serve as the foundation for sacramental preparation.
A consideration of the Rite of Confirmation provides the fundamental content for sacramental preparation: the Liturgy of the Word, renewal of baptismal promises, the laying on of hands and anointing with chrism, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the celebration of the Eucharist. When these essential elements serve as the framework of catechesis for Confirmation, the connection between preparation and celebration remains strong. Each area, taken in turn, highlights a dimension of the full Christian life into which candidates are initiated.
Pastoral practice and local custom call for the conferring of Confirmation around the age of sixteen, though variations occur. Given this reality, any program of sacramental preparation should take into consideration the ways in which adolescents learn and the challenges which face them. The questions which young people encounter--a search for meaning in life, their relationship to family members, friends, and the community, discerning God's will for their lives--provide opportunities to build relationships with them and a context within which to offer faith formation and instruction. Care must be taken to provide an experience whose contents incorporate more than a body of facts to be memorized.
Similarly, every effort should be made to integrate parents in this faith formation process. Taking into account the way in which adults learn (that is, by bringing their life situation and experiences to bear on the information or concept being presented), religious educators will seek opportunities to intentionally incorporate parents together with their children in this journey of faith.
The larger faith community should also be encouraged to recognize its role in the formation of youth for this sacrament. The living witness of life in Christ which the parish provides is the life into which these young people are being initiated. How does the parish exemplify the standards of worship, community, service and knowledge of faith to which we typically hold candidates accountable? What opportunities for growth and involvement in parish life do we offer candidates after they are fully initiated? As with the RCIA, parishes should welcome the initiation of Confirmation candidates as an opportunity for new life and growth among the parish as a whole.
Religious educators should strive to prepare Confirmation candidates in an atmosphere that speaks of ongoing life in the Christian community, acknowledging that faith formation continues throughout our lives and does not end at Confirmation. Thus, typical elements of preparation which give the appearance of Confirmation as graduation (e.g. signing in for Mass, taking notes on the homily, testing, exit interviews, wearing robes during the liturgy) must be reconsidered in light of life's faith journey. This is not a time to fit a comprehensive course on Catholicism into six or nine months. While adequate preparation is necessary, the parish staff should carefully examine how the content being presented serves to prepare the candidate for reception of the sacrament.
Likewise, other components of the preparation program in the parish are to be woven integrally into the larger context of life in the Christian community. Participation in retreats and the accumulation of "service hours" are not ends in themselves, earning the reception of the sacrament upon their completion. A sacrament is by its nature an unmerited gift from God. Rather, these components of immediate preparation for Confirmation should be formative experiences in the faith life of the candidates.
The Mission Statement of the Diocese of Saint Cloud states:
We, the people of God of the Diocese of St. Cloud, in union with the universal Church, believe in and proclaim the presence of Jesus Christ in our world. Our mission is to be His heart of mercy, voice of hope, and hands of justice.In living out our mission we will:
Dedicate our lives to building up the kingdom of God, committing ourselves to lifelong formation in our faith through study, prayer, and active participation in the Liturgy
Devote ourselves to the development of strong family life, drawing on the values of the generations that have gone before us
Recognize the dignity of each person, seeking justice for all at every stage of life
Cherish our rural tradition, respecting the sacredness and beauty of the earth
Share the Good News, witnessing the love of Christ through our words and actions
Embrace the spirit of Vatican II, accepting the challenge to renew our own lives and the life of the Church
Celebrate the Eucharist as the source and summit of our faith, praying, as Christ did, that all may be one.
Affirming this shared mission and encouraging its full ownership is a worthy goal of Confirmation preparation for both candidates and all adults in our faith community.
go to top Catechetical Guidelines
Life in the Catholic Community
Be active members of the Church, alive in Jesus Christ. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit give your lives completely in the service of all, as did Christ, who came not to be served but to serve.
from the Instruction, Rite of ConfirmationAs a sacrament of initiation, Confirmation is best understood as a strengthening of members in the life of the Christian community through the deepening of the gift of the Holy Spirit received at Baptism. God's gift of love, total and self-emptying, comes through a twofold mission of Word and Spirit. In the Spirit, the community exists to bring the Word to the world, to be Christ's witnesses of God's saving love. Preparation of candidates for Confirmation should therefore be oriented to their full and ongoing participation in this mission of love, which is manifested in parish life.
To foster this participation, parish staff members and catechists can work to integrate youth into the wide variety of service and leadership positions in the parish. Liturgical ministries (lector, server, greeter, cantor, musician), membership on parish council and other parish committees, and involvement in parish-sponsored service to the parish and the wider community are only a few ways youth can experience apprenticeship in parish life.
The Code of Canon Law states, "The sacrament of Confirmation is to be conferred on the faithful at about the age of discretion unless the conference of bishops has determined another age, or there is danger of death, or in the judgment of the minister a grave cause suggests otherwise" (Canon 891). In response, the NCCB Committee on Canonical Affairs has proposed that "for the present, Bishops should continue conferring Confirmation at the age customary in their diocese until a national study might suggest a further determination."Current pastoral practice and local custom calls for the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation during the high school years, preferably during the candidate's junior year of high school. Confirmation is a parish community celebration, and thus candidates are prepared within the context of the parish religious education program, whether they attend Catholic or public schools.
The Code of Canon Law states that "outside the danger of death, to be licitly confirmed it is required, if the person has the use of reason, that one be suitably instructed, properly disposed and able to renew one's baptismal promises" (Canon 889).
It is reasonable to expect, therefore, that candidates for Confirmation display:
• a willingness to learn,• a consistent level of participation in the parish program of preparation, and
• an ability to witness, both in word and in deed, to the faith in which they are to be confirmed.
When the context in which candidates are prepared is active participation in parish life, these expectations become more than requirements to be met; rather, they are the marks of active, adult participation in the life of the Christian community to which all of us are called.
Persons who because of developmental or mental disabilities may never attain the use of reason are to be encouraged either directly or, if necessary, through their parents or guardian, to receive the sacrament of Confirmation at the appropriate time. The immediate preparation for such candidates should be adapted in such a way as to incorporate them into the life and activity of the community to the full extent of their capacities.
The Rite of Baptism designates parents as the "first teachers of their children in the ways of faith" and entreats them to "make it [their] constant care to bring them up in the practice of the faith." It is thus fitting to integrate parents into the preparation of their children for Confirmation. Structuring the program so that parents can participate in the various elements of preparation (instruction, faith-sharing, service, worship) with their children encourages growth for the whole community of faith. Such an approach may serve as a welcome invitation back to the community for those parents who have been away from the practice of their faith.It is important to note that while parents are responsible for the faith formation of their children, it is the candidate who must discern whether he or she is ready to receive the sacrament. Parents should encourage their children to participate in the immediate preparation for the sacrament, but the final determination regarding whether to be confirmed should rest with the candidate. The candidate's motivation must exceed that of parental pressure.
While the complete juridical guidelines detailing the qualifications and role of sponsors are contained in Liturgical Guidelines for the Rite of Confirmation, p. 14, it is appropriate to reiterate Canon 893: "It is desirable to choose as sponsor the one who undertook the same function at baptism." This choice highlights the integral connection between the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.It is fitting that sponsors be integrated into the preparation of the candidate as much as possible, in order to strengthen their relationship with the candidates and enable them to carry out their responsibilities.
Candidates are encouraged to choose one of their godparents as their Confirmation sponsor. But often, these sponsors live at a distance and can be present only for the Confirmation celebration. In light of this, some parishes choose to enlist the help of adults in the parish to serve as mentors to the candidates. A mentor spends time with the candidate one-on-one during the months of immediate preparation, fostering an atmosphere of trust and communication in which the young person can explore questions and issues of faith and benefit from the mentor's witness.Mentors do not serve a liturgical or sacramental function, although some mentors may also serve as the candidate's sponsor. Mentor programs are unique to each parish, developed with specific parish needs in mind, and should include a list of desirable characteristics for mentors as well as provisions for formation of mentors. More information about mentor programs in various parishes is available through the Catholic Education Ministries office.
Because Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation in the Christian community, the role of the parish community in the preparation of candidates is key. Through its prayer and witness, the parish supports the candidates during their preparation and discernment. Every effort should be made to keep the parish informed of the candidates' progress through the parish bulletin, newsletter, and announcements, and as far as possible, the parish community should be welcomed to the Confirmation celebration.Ultimately, it is the pastor who recommends candidates to the bishop for reception of the sacrament of Confirmation, and so it is necessary for him to be acquainted with those to be confirmed and familiar with the preparation in which they take part. While this pastoral involvement will vary according to parish circumstance, in order to create an atmosphere that speaks of ongoing life in the Christian community, the parish leadership must be available and present to the candidates, their parents and mentors throughout the Confirmation process.7. Religious Education Coordinator, Youth Minister, and Catechists
Together with the parents and the pastor, the religious education coordinator, youth minister, and catechists are responsible for the "suitable instruction" (Canon 889) of candidates. This instruction encompasses several dimensions: doctrinal content, experience in liturgy and service, and growth in identity as members of the Catholic community.go to top Remote and Immediate Preparation
Preparation for any sacrament can be described in two phases: remote and immediate. Remote preparation is the ongoing instruction and formation in the faith life of the community which begins at baptism and continues throughout life. Immediate preparation occurs during the months leading up to the reception of a particular sacrament. Where remote preparation lays the foundation, immediate preparation builds on it by bringing people to a deeper understanding of the meaning and power of the sacrament they are about to receive.
Immediate preparation for Confirmation takes place in the months prior to its celebration. The length of this time, which varies from parish to parish, should be determined by the content of the program; i.e. how much time is necessary to help suitably form candidates for reception of the sacrament.
Immediate preparation is not intended as a crash course in Catholicism, either to make up for what might have been lacking in remote preparation or to expose candidates to the truths of the faith in a last-ditch effort before we lose them. Rather, it is a time to focus on the sacrament itself. Therefore, the following areas are the basis for doctrinal instruction of candidates. They are not intended as questions and answers merely to be memorized by the candidates, nor as the whole of immediate preparation. Rather, they should set the direction for catechists, mentors, and sponsors, so that candidates will grow in an understanding of the sacrament.
1. What is Confirmation?
•a sacrament (including a definition of sacrament)
•the realization of full Christian initiation
•strengthening by the Holy Spirit
•the call to be a witness and a disciple of Jesus Christ2. What will happen during the Confirmation rite?
•Community gathers to welcome and celebrate
•Renewal of baptismal promises
•The bishop extends his hands as a sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit
•The essential rite of Confirmation is conferred through the anointing with chrism on the forehead, which is done by the laying on of the hand, and through the words, "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit."
•Sign of peace which concludes the rite and signifies communion with the bishop and with all the faithful.3. Who are the main participants?
•Bishop (or his designate: there are circumstances when it is necessary and appropriate for a priest designated by the bishop to confirm)
•Community
•Confirmandi (those to be confirmed) and Sponsors4. Why does the Catholic Church celebrate Confirmation this way?
•Role of the Spirit in the life and mission of Jesus
•Outpouring of the Spirit at Easter Sunday and Pentecost
•Expresses the communion of the confirmed with the Bishop and the Church (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1292)
•Confirmation is a sign that the Holy Spirit is the vital, divine heart of the Church and of all the Church does in order to make Christ present for the sake of the world.5. What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?
A disciple is one who:
•is called
•has a personal and ecclesial experience of the Risen Christ
•is a lifelong learner and an apprentice of the Master
•participates in the life and mission of the Church6. How can the Holy Spirit help us?
During the Rite of Confirmation, the bishop prays over the candidates:Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their Helper and Guide.
Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of right judgment and courage,
the spirit of knowledge and reverence.
Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.This prayer speaks of some of the ways in which the Spirit helps us.
Also, the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes how the Holy Spirit strengthens us:
". . .to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses
of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed
of the Cross" (CCC #1304).7. How does someone know that he or she is ready to be confirmed?
When a candidate can answer yes to all of the following, he or she is ready to be confirmed:•I believe what the Catholic Church believes and teaches
•I am in the state of grace.
•It is my will to receive the sacrament of Confirmation.
•I am ready to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both in the Church and in the world.
(see CCC, #1319)go to top Living as disciples of Christ requires taking to heart Christ's call to serve others. In recent years, preparation for Confirmation has sought to integrate this aspect of Christian witness into the candidates' experience. Like doctrinal content, the service component of immediate preparation is not an end in itself, but rather a means to an end, that of promoting full, conscious, and active participation in the life and mission of the Church. Therefore, the service component must be integrated in such a way that candidates realize the connection between being disciples of Christ and living a life of service. At all cost, the logging of "service hours" merely to fulfill a requirement must be avoided. Instead, parish staff and catechists should introduce candidates to some of the many ways they can become involved in a worthy and meaningful experience of service.
Involving adults (parents, sponsors, mentors, catechists) in the service projects of the candidates can help youth see the connection between witnessing in word and deed. In addition, group service activities can provide a significant experience where youth can explore together the impact of the service on themselves, those served, the parish, and the larger community, particularly when they meet afterward to pray, discuss, and reflect on their experience.
As with doctrinal content and the length of immediate preparation, the area and extent of the service project is determined by each parish. The goal should be to provide candidates with the opportunity to reflect on and integrate the call to service in their lives as disciples of Christ.
go to top When asked to name the most significant experience in their life of faith, many youth and young adults describe a retreat in which they have participated. This time away, dedicated to exploring one's spiritual journey to God with Christ, is often the most significant aspect of Confirmation preparation.
Parishes are encouraged to offer this opportunity to candidates. Various formats are possible: evening, day-long, or overnight. In whatever format, adequate adult supervision must be provided. The diocesan Consultant for the Formation of Youth oversees a program in which retreat teams are available to conduct Confirmation retreats. Other options are also acceptable.
It has been the custom in recent years for candidates to write a letter to the bishop, explaining why they want to be confirmed. While the intent of this practice--to articulate one's motivation in seeking to be confirmed and to share it with the bishop--is laudable, the outcome is less satisfactory, resulting in a volume of mail which would be difficult for anyone to read and respond to. In order to make this practice more fruitful, we encourage a revision whereby candidates address their letter to their pastor. In this way, they can compose their letter with the reasonable expectation that someone will read and be able to respond to its contents.
Such a letter may include: the request to be confirmed and why the candidate seeks to be confirmed, the name chosen for Confirmation and why, who the candidate chose for a sponsor and why, and how the candidate intends to continue participating actively in the parish community after Confirmation. The pastor or another parish staff member may then wish to compose a letter to the Bishop, including some of the needs, concerns, and hopes of the candidates so that the Bishop may address these in his homily during the Confirmation liturgy. In any case, Bishop Kinney welcomes letters from some candidates or their pastor so that he may be familiar with their needs and concerns as they approach the sacrament of Confirmation.
go to top The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes readiness for Confirmation in the following way:
A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith,
be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament,
and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both
within the ecclesial community and in temporal affairs (#1319).These guidelines for sacramental preparation are designed to address these areas of readiness. Willing participation in all aspects--liturgy, formation sessions, service, and retreat--is an indicator of the candidate's readiness.
Interviewing candidates is another indicator of readiness, but the timing of this interview should be considered in light of the goal of the program, that is, being formed in the life of the Christian community. Scheduling the interview immediately (e.g. two weeks) before the Confirmation celebration can be of questionable value, since it tends to take on the appearance of a final exam or exit interview. Typically, when this interview is conducted by a pastor from a neighboring parish (especially when the focus is on the candidate's knowledge of doctrine), little is accomplished in terms of discerning readiness; it becomes, rather, another step on the way to "graduating" from formal religious education.
A more useful practice is to schedule the interview at the beginning of the immediate preparation period, in order to determine the willingness of candidates to be formed in the program. Such an interview, conducted by the pastor, religious education coordinator, youth minister or catechist, can bring to light significant areas of growth which should be addressed in the following months. Or the interview may take place closer to Confirmation and focus on the candidate's experience during formation for the sacrament and his or her intention to remain active in the life of the parish. This time may also be used for candidates and catechists to evaluate the program of immediate preparation.
The Diocese of St. Cloud will no longer assign neighboring pastors to parishes for the purpose of a doctrinal examination. However, we encourage parishes to invite another pastor to be a part of the formation process (e.g. by working with the group to better understand elements of the Catholic faith) so that candidates may benefit from the pastoral gifts of another priest.
go to top In some cases it becomes clear that a particular candidate is not ready to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Certain behaviors or circumstances such as absenteeism, lack of willingness to learn and participate, immaturity, or lack of integration into the parish community may indicate that the person is not disposed to receive Confirmation at this time. In this case, the religious education coordinator or catechist, together with the pastor, the candidate and his or her parents, may decide to delay Confirmation until a later date. In such a situation, it is crucial that the parish staff maintain contact with the candidate to foster his or her continued formation in the faith and to encourage reception of the sacrament as soon as the candidate is ready.
As the US Bishops wrote in 1978 and affirmed in 1989, "No parishioner should be excluded [from active participation in the parish] on the basis of disability alone" (Pastoral Statement of US Catholic Bishops on People with Disabilities, #20). In 1995 they further reminded us that "Catholics with disabilities have a right to participate in the sacraments as full functioning members of the local ecclesial community. Ministers are not to refuse the sacraments to those who ask for them at appropriate times, who are properly disposed and who are not prohibited by law from receiving them" (Guidelines for Celebrating the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, #2).
"In accord with canon 777, n.4, pastors are responsible to be as inclusive as possible in providing evangelization, catechetical formation and sacramental preparation for parishioners with disabilities. Persons with disabilities, their advocates and their families, as well as those knowledgeable in serving disabled persons, can make a most valuable contribution to these programs. Parish catechetical and sacramental preparation programs may need to be adapted for some parishioners with disabilities. Further, parishes should encourage persons with disabilities to participate in all levels of pastoral ministry (e.g. as care ministers, catechists, etc.)" (Guidelines for Celebrating the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, #5).
The demands for living into mature discipleship with Christ are the same for all persons; therefore, it should not be assumed that a person is to be excluded or exempt from the rigors of preparation and discernment for receiving the sacrament of Confirmation merely because of the presence of a disability. Accordingly, in adapting preparation programs care is to be taken to maintain the balance between accommodating the unique needs of a person with a disability, challenging the candidates to grow in their knowledge and witness of faith, and determining readiness in ways which are respectful of the varying abilities to comprehend and express Catholic faith, ranging from its most simple to highly abstract terms.
Pastors and the parish staff involved in the formation for Confirmation are to work together with parents or guardians and the candidate with a disability to provide for a suitable preparation process. As much as possible, alternatives should be adaptations to the overall parish process for immediate preparation for Confirmation. These adaptations may include providing sign-language interpreters or real-time captioning for gatherings, holding sessions in physically accessible spaces and shifting physical activities, or providing individuals with cognitive or behavioral issues with modified formats such as meeting with the whole group for opening activities and closing prayer and then meeting with a one-to-one teacher for the content portion of the session.
The fundamental question in making adaptations or exceptions within the program is
"Do these changes:
- allow God's Word to be echoed in ways that resonate with peoples' differing circumstances and abilities,
- enable the candidates to respond to this Word in meaningful ways, and
- transform the faith community as we walk together in the Spirit?"
Catholic Education Ministries' Consultant for Ministries with Persons with Disabilities is available to assist parish staff members in adapting their programs to meet the needs of persons with disabilities.
go to top The behaviors and circumstances mentioned in "Delaying Confirmation" may at times indicate an underlying situation in the life of the young person which merits special attention. While catechists, religious education coordinators, and youth ministers are not expected to diagnose such problems, they should be familiar with resources available in their area that will help them identify and assist troubled youth and provide support to their parents and families.The Saint Cloud Diocese discourages home-based Confirmation preparation, since it is alien to the theology of initiation into the Christian community. Those families who have been home-schooling their children during the years between the reception of First Eucharist and Confirmation are encouraged to maintain their involvement in the faith formation of their children and to enroll their children in the parish religious education program in preparation for Confirmation. However, the parish and the family may also agree on a mutually acceptable program for use at home in preparing the candidate for Confirmation.It is appropriate that those adults who have been baptized and have received Eucharist but have not been confirmed receive the sacrament of Confirmation when the Bishop or his designate visits for the parish celebration of Confirmation. Because the Bishop is the ordinary minister of this sacrament, and because these adults have already received Eucharist, their confirmation should take place here rather than during the Easter Vigil.Their immediate preparation for the sacrament will differ from that of the youth but should include instruction and formation in doctrine, worship, service and community. Such preparation should respect their age and life experience and should invite them to ongoing faith formation and participation in the life of Christ through his Body, the Church.
go to top Conclusion
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness, and chastity. . .Since we live by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's lead." Galatians 5:22-23a, 25The celebration of every sacrament is both an event and a process in the life of the Christian community. The event is a celebration in a certain time and place whose effect lasts beyond space and time, becoming a power in the process of Christian conversion, not only for the recipients of the sacrament, but also for the broader faith community.
It is our hope that the preparation for and celebration of Confirmation in the parishes of the Saint Cloud Diocese, as illustrated in these guidelines, may be a powerful source of ongoing conversion for all members of the Body of Christ. As we strive to live out our mission as disciples of Christ, may we grow to full Christian maturity, alive in the Spirit and following the Spirit's lead.
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