Welcome to the Diocese of Cloyne, Ireland.

Confirmation Homily - 2002

"I shall ask the Father and He will give you another Advocate"

(Jn. 14:16).

My dear friends, welcome to this special moment in your lives. It's really great to see you all here ready to be commissioned by God to be His Witnesses in the world. You are here with your parents, family members, teachers, friends and priests. You have been preparing for this day with enthusiasm, haven't you? And indeed so have your Parents.

My dear Parents, each one of you must be truly proud to see your child here today. You have played a big part in your child's life. You made promises along with the Godparents when you presented your child for Baptism. On that day you received a lighted candle symbolising the new seed of faith sown in your child's soul and you were asked to make sure it was kept alight. I'm sure there have been many storms blowing which have threatened to blow out that candle. But, thank God, you have been able to hand it on to your child without being quenched. In the ceremony of light your child has taken responsibility for carrying that light of faith through life and now is the time when a commitment to that effect is made. What a great day it is for you! I thank you in the name of Jesus Christ.

Yes, girls and boys, all we do today is done in the name of Jesus Christ. I wouldn't be here were it not for Him. Neither would you. And because He is here with us today He wants us to celebrate fully with Him. He is so happy to have you present here today and to see that that candle is still lighting, that the spark of faith once sown in your life at Baptism is now burning bright. Be happy and joyful with Him. Relax in His presence today and allow Him to speak to you in His own words, to love you in His own way. And how is that? By giving you all the gifts of His Holy Spirit.

You know, when Jesus was with his disciples at the Last Supper, before He went out to die for us, He spoke to those at table with Him. He told them He would soon be leaving them. They were all very sad and worried. They wanted to go with Him. They had got used to having Him around. They had felt safe in His presence, especially when they were challenged by those who did not agree with them. He was not afraid to challenge the people who were not truthful, the people who were leading people astray. But now that He was leaving He expected His disciples to continue to do as He had done, to be a light in the darkness of the world. And you know when you walk in the darkness with a light in your hand you can see where you are going, you can see all the potholes, you can be aware of the dangers ahead. There would be many storms ahead, many times when that light could be in danger of being blown out. Jesus knew how worried his disciples were and so he told them: "I shall ask the Father and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever" (Jn. 14:16).

Do you know what an Advocate is? An advocate is a person who takes your side, who defends you, who pleads your cause. Up to today you have had a number of Advocates in your life; your parents, your teachers, your priests. They are all people who would stand up for you, support you and give you good advice. Now that you have been given responsibility for the light of faith in your lives, that candle-light so precious to you as you walk in the darkness of this world, you may feel somewhat insecure, even afraid to make decisions, to step forward into the unknown. Well, Jesus says to you today: Do not be afraid for I have asked my Father to give you an Advocate to be by your side forever. He will speak in your name, He will be your helper and guide, He will give you wisdom and understanding; He will help you to make right judgments and to be courageous in sticking to them; he will give you the spirit of knowledge and reverence. And you know, girls and boys, one of the most beautiful gifts that one can ever have in this world is that of wonder and awe. In this world of ours, so advanced and sophisticated, we are all the poorer if we lose the sense of wonder and awe, especially when we are in the presence of God and His wonderful creation. And the Advocate that Jesus gives you will fill you with this extraordinary gift.

Yes, you know by now that the special Advocate that Jesus asks His Father to give you is His Holy Spirit. When the disciples of Jesus received this Advocate they became very strong in professing their belief in Jesus and in His teaching. They were no longer afraid and they grew in wonder and awe at the marvellous things they were able to do in His name. They realised that without the help of this special Advocate, without the gifts He gave them, they would not have been able to hand on the teaching of Jesus, they would not have been able to be the light in the darkness of the world. And you know, girls and boys, two thousand years later their names are household names, indeed some of you today may be taking their names in Confirmation. They were the bright Stars in the darkness of their day. I'm sure some of you could tell me their names. There were twelve of them. Let's see if you remember? How is it that after two thousand year we still remember them? It’s because the message they spread, the truth they proclaimed was not their own. It belongs to Jesus and Jesus is ever alive and with us, yes today. And through His Holy Spirit he enables people of every generation to walk in the light of faith, to stand up for His teaching and truth. Like His disciples of long ago, He raises up disciples for every age and He works through them. In fact, He wants them, through the use of the gifts of His Spirit, to be His representatives in the world of their day. I'm sure you have met some of these people yourselves in your own Parish, in your school, in your home. They are the people who have a sense of wonder and awe at God's presence in the world. They are the people who stand up for truth and justice, for purity and peace in a world which is sadly lacking in these virtues. They are the disciples of Jesus today who ensure that our tomorrows are times of peace and love because the God of eternal love is working through them. And they will always be remembered because their names are written in the Heart of God.

Do you remember that last year the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux came to our Diocese. Thousands of people turned out to welcome the presence of a young girl, who, when she was not much older that any of you, found the secret to be a true disciple of Jesus. Love was the secret and she wanted to be love at the heart of the Church. She had received all the gifts of God's Spirit as you receive them today and she tried to do the everyday chores, the ordinary things of everyday in an extraordinary way. She knew she couldn't do this without the Advocate, without the help of the gifts she had received. And she became a little flower in the garden of God. Wasn't it amazing how millions of people flocked, day and night, to be in the presence of her relics, to touch them and to be inspired by her beautiful life. She promised, before she died, that she would spend her heaven in doing good on earth. She is true to her word and she continues to do good on earth because she has given herself to God so that He might work through her.

That's what God wants to do with each of you, girls and boys. That's what He wants to do with me. He wants to work through me. Today you will receive the gifts of His Spirit and through each one of you God wants to be present to the world, He wants to be a light to the world, He wants to make of this world a place of peace and love. He wants to get rid of all the fear and sadness, the pain and suffering. This He can do through you – but only if you accept His gifts and use them.

Oh! What a joy it is to be here with you today and to see God working in each of you! Each of you, girls and boys, wishes to do well in life, to do great things. I know your parents, your teachers and your priests wish this for you. And so do I. You may not become the Pop-Stars of this world but you can become the Stars of this world, shining brightly and lighting the way for many others who are searching for meaning and love in life. This you will do if you let God work through you.

In a few moments you will step forward to be confirmed and I will seal your commitment with the gift of the Holy Spirit by anointing your forehead with the Oil of Chrism. Each year, at the Confirmation Forum, I bring the Oil of Chrism with me and I explain where it comes from and its effects when used in Confirmation. The Forum is a special gathering I have each year when I meet with your representatives. This year we had 158 participants from across this Diocese. How many of you were there? I let all the boys and girls present see and smell the Oil of Chrism so that they might understand the significance of it when I seal them with it on the forehead. As I do this today I want you to remember that God is, at that moment, giving you an Advocate to be with you for the rest of your life and He seals within you His gifts. God will work in and through you so that you will become the Stars of the world. How beautifully you will shine in the world if you live out the commitment you make to Jesus today!

As I sign you with the Oil of Chrism, as I seal you with the gift of the Spirit, I commission you to be God’s instruments in the world. I give you the assistance of God’s Advocate to be with you in all things and at all times so that you might always believe that God works through you.

So now, my dear girls and boys, do not be afraid! Carry the light of faith bright into your world and every morning, when you rise to face the dawn of a new day, repeat over and over again to yourself GOD WORKS THROUGH ME!