June 13, 2021
11th Sunday Ordinary Time B
There is a disappointment not having Bishop Fisher or his Vicar General, Fr. Peter Karalus, to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation. I am your pastor and regional vicar. Using a baseball image, I am coming off the bench to pitch hit. Accepting this task, I pray to the Holy Spirit for the gifts of calm, appreciation, and joy to be part of such a wonderful event. This is the place to be, like the apostles, women of Galilee and Mary, the mother of Jesus, on Pentecost, in the Upper Room, devoted in prayer, beseeching Jesus to send the Holy Spirit.
Let me begin by thanking the candidates, your parents, families, sponsors, catechists, mentors and believing community – all who are in any way responsible for forming us in Christ. I am ably assisted by Deacons Dennis Kapsiak and Ron Adamczak.
I can attest to the readiness of the candidates. I have played a small role in their formation, I have read their letters requesting confirmation, and have interviewed most of the candidates.
It is important for us to reflect on Sacred Scripture – Bible readings chosen for this occasion on the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Each reading speaks of a gift or fruit of the Holy Spirit activated in us.
Prophet Ezekiel, a priest prophet, addresses the People of Judah held captive in Babylon. They feel forsaken and abandoned by God. Ezekiel speaks an oracle of hope of restoration by using an analogy of God taking a tender shoot from the top of a magnificent cedar tree and planting it on the mountain heights of Israel where birds of every king will dwell under it and find shade in its branches.
Saint Paul writes to the Corinthians to be steadfast in courage, to walk by faith, not by sight, and aspire to please the Lord.
In the Gospel according to Saint Mark, Jesus tells two parables or comparisons about the Kingdom of God. The first one is of a farmer planting seeds that sprout, grow, and ripen until harvest. It refers to the mysterious growth of God’s Kingdom in us and in the world. The second parable is about a small mustard seed growing into a large bush where birds of the sky will dwell in its shade. It is an illustration of the Kingdom of God planted is us. The seed is the Word of God. Small and inconspicuous at the start but then growing and maturing. It is a parable of hope and trust in God’s designs coming to fulfillment beyond our ability to notice the beginning or to see the end.
It is the law of the spiritual life that God wants good things to start small and grow over time. God rejoices in our cooperation, our participate through intelligence and creativity, and our being aware of and calling upon a hidden power, a life force.
At the Last Supper Jesus promises his disciples that he will send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the mutual love of Father and Son. Jesus asks the Father to share their divine life with his disciples, to send the Holy Spirit. We first received the Holy Spirit at our baptism. We are initiated into the Church and into the life of Christ through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion. Confirmation is the renewal and fulfillment of our Baptism. The Sacrament of Confirmation:
- Enables us to pray and call God Abba.
- Deepens our friendship with Jesus.
- Activates gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- Strengthens our bonds with the Church.
- Empowers us to be witnesses of Christ in the world and of the cross.
We can see the effects, gifts, and fruits of the Holy Spirit in the Saints. They are not perfect, but we see in them something of Jesus, a holiness that sets them apart.
We can see these same virtues or qualities of fidelity and integrity in the sponsors you have chosen to stand with you at confirmation.
We all need gits of the Holy Spirit to calm our fears, to heal and to instill hope.
Pope Francis: Confirmation is not a Sacrament of Goodbyes – goodbye to the church, to Mass and to the Sacraments. Confirmation is not a graduation ceremony but a commencement!
Can we be bold now? Let us profess our faith, renew our baptismal promises, and pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit!
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Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
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12th Sunday Ordinary B
