"If anyone loves me he will keep my word" (Jn. 14:23).
My dear Girls and Boys,
This is an important day in your young lives. Not because of all that is going to happen to you when this Mass is over. No! It is an important day because you have reached a stage in your lives when the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, which you received on the day of your Baptism, is about to be given a great boost by your receiving the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit of God. These new gifts are meant to help you to remain faithful to Jesus and to grow in faith in such a way that you will be able, by the manner of your living, to be witnesses to Jesus in the world. You know, you just cannot remain faithful and witness to Jesus on your own. You need the help of the Holy Spirit of God, with all His seven gifts. I myself could not remain faithful if I did not use, every day, the gifts I received from God on my Confirmation Day, many years ago.
Now, why should we remain faithful to Jesus, why should we witness to Him in our lives? Jesus came from His Father in heaven to teach us all about the love God the Father has for us and of His great desire that each one of us return to the Father's Kingdom at the end of our lives here on earth. As you know, if anyone loves you it would be only but right that you should love that person in return. Jesus, in order to show how much you are loved by His Father, gave his life for you and me by dying on a Cross. That was the price He had to pay so that sin might be overcome in our lives and that we could go to His Father. No one who has sin in their lives and is attached to sin can enter heaven. Jesus, through His Death and Resurrection to new life, has enabled us to be forgiven our sins and so enter into life eternal. We have our sins forgiven by going to Confession which is one of the seven Sacraments Jesus gave us so that we might remain faithful.
And if we remain faithful to Jesus, then we automatically become witnesses to him in the world, in our homes, in our schools and in our places of recreation. Jesus once said to his disciples - and we are all disciples of Jesus through our Baptism - Jesus said: "You are the light of the world…your light must shine in the sight of all, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven" (Mt. 5:16). Now if anyone shines a light in the darkness it will be seen, it will be noticed. Jesus called you "the light of the world" and said "your light must shine in the sight of all". That light He is talking about is the light of faith within you. Not only will you be noticed, but you will also show the way to others who are lost in the darkness. But when the battery runs out the torch no longer shines and it is useless until it is charged again. So with you. Your light within you will fade out if you do not keep it charged. If that happens then you'll lose your way yourself in the darkness and you will be of no help to anyone else. The one way to charge the battery within you and keep the light of faith within you shining bright is to use all the gifts the Holy Spirit is going to give you today in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
So, Girls and Boys, Confirmation is very important in your life. Today you are committed to becoming witnesses to Jesus in your world, to be that "light of the world" for everyone to see. That means you commit yourself today to living every day in union with Jesus. Keep him in your life and He will guide you in all you do, especially during your teenage years. Are you looking forward to your teenage years? I wonder are your Parents? In your teenage years you will be tempted to push Jesus to the margin of your lives, to say that you need space in your lives, to say to yourself that you have more important things to be doing: your studies, your sports, your friends and relationships. But Jesus wants to be part of those activities as well. He will create all the space you need in your lives and He wants to make of you the best person in all you do. So do not abandon him. Talk to him every morning and evening, come together each week with His community to the celebration of Mass through which you join Him in giving praise to His Father and your Father in heaven. In living a good Christian life like this and showing to others that you care for them, especially the elderly and the sick, people will "see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (cf. Mt. 5:16).
At the heart of the Christian message is "love". It was because of love that Jesus came among us and gave His life for us. Before leaving this world He told us to "love one another as I have loved you" (Jn. 15:12). We must all be committed to loving one another and in so doing show our love for Jesus. The first line of the Gospel proclaimed today reads: "If anyone loves me he will keep my word" (Jn. 14:23). If we keep God's word we shall be open to God's influence in our lives. If you young people are open to God in your lives then God will guide you in life, He will show you what He wants of you in life and you will be successful. And you know He will call some of you boys to be priests and some of you girls to be religious sisters. You will hear his voice calling you. When you do, please keep that as your special gift from God and do not close your hearts to His call. We all need more young people to offer themselves for Priesthood and for the Religious Life. I, as Bishop of Cloyne, need more Priests so that God's Message of love and salvation may be spread and new generations of Christians may grow in faith nourished by God's Word and by the reception of the Sacraments. So please help me and pray for vocations to the Priesthood and the Religious Life. Parents, I ask you to be open to the possibility, indeed the likelihood, of Jesus calling a son or a daughter of yours to that special relationship of love in service in the Priesthood or Religious life. Do not hinder a young person from pursuing a call from God. He or she would only be responding to God's love and keeping his word. And He has said: "If anyone loves me he will keep my word" (Jn. 14:23).
My dear Girls and Boys, each year on Confirmation Day I give those being confirmed a motto for their lives. Today I give you yours and it is written on the small souvenir card I will give you at the moment of Confirmation. Your motto this year is taken from the opening line of the Gospel of this celebration: "Keep my word". Yes indeed, keep God's word and your light will shine brightly and you will be the best young people for a world that needs you. Pope John Paul II said to the young people of the world: "If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire" Yes, on fire with faith and love! Come now and be confirmed in your faith in Jesus Christ!
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