I Want to Be A Part of This

Are you ready to decide?

Objectives:

To reflect on the work done so far in this program.
To demonstrate that when people abandon God and his ways, the world becomes a mess.
To teach candidates that God created them on purpose and for a purpose.
To understand the concept of being a 'Witness to Christ' and reflect on the experience of St. Peter and the apostles in being witnesses.
To identify and discuss real life situations when we need to be Witnesses to Christ as Confirmed adult Christians.
To help candidates discover the mission God is calling them to.

Prayer

I want to follow you

I’ve heard a lot about you Lord I have thought I have prayed And Yes it makes sense to me.. To commit to be a follower or yours Your disciple Help me to make sure I take this decision to follow you With courage…. With hope...

Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I do your will. Amen.

Engage - Watch & Discuss

Introduce the word ‘Witnessing’. Discuss one or two real life examples of giving witness in court or in similar situations. Ask candidates to write brief notes about something they witnessed in the space provided in Part B of the worksheet.
Explain that ‘Being a Witness’ is key to being a Christian. As Confirmed Christians we need to commit to witness to our Lord Jesus in all situations in real life. This includes school, work and family. It means that we decide that we want to follow Christ in our entire life. At Confirmation we are invited to make this commitment.
Show a poster of St Peter. Ask candidates what they already know about him. Establish the fact that having met Jesus his life changed. Read through the captions in the second part of Part B to illustrate how being a witness to Christ led Peter to work hard within the early Church and eventually to give up his life for him.

Discuss:

What is one ideas in this short film you found most helpful?

Discussion Questions:

In what ways do you think the world is a mess?
How do you sense God is calling you to make the world a better place?
What's one thing you can do today that will make the world a better place?

Watch the short clip on John Henry Newman

What do you think attracted these people to Catholicism?
Whose your favorite convert? Talk about this person and why you admire him/her.

Discussion Questions:

Jesus calls us to lobe our neighbor as we love ourselves. Who do you consider your neighbor?
Why do you think so many children die from lack of food?
Are you willing to make sacrifices to reduce the amount of suffering in the world?

Move on to Part C. Invite your child to provide examples of real life situations when we need to be a ‘Witness’ to Jesus. Briefly comment on these situations and explain that is not always easy to behave as a Christian and be a witness in today’s society.

Discussion Questions:

Who do you know has found and followed their mission in life?
Have you ever asked God what mission he has for you?
How do you think what you want for yourself is different from what God wants from you?

Discussion Questions:

Who do you know is great at serving people?
What does the story about the rich man and Lazarus make you think about?
Do you think you will be happier if you find and follow your mission?

Complete the exercise Virtue in Focus

Introduce Part D. Say that at this point in the Confirmation Program when candidates should have acquired a reasonably good idea of what it means to be a Confirmed Christian - taking a positive decision to be a follower of Christ, to be his witness and to be his disciple.
Invite your child to find some time to reflect on whether they are ready to take this commitment … to see if they are truly ready to be Confirmed.

Journal with Jesus

paragraph 1306

For Further Reflection

From THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Since Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist form a unity, it follows that ‘the faithful are obliged to receive this sacrament at the appropriate time,’ for without Confirmation and Eucharist, Christian initiation remains incomplete.

Closing Prayer

Witnessing

I know you’re there Lord. Although I cannot see you… I can feel… And I know… You are here. When I was little - others told me about you. And I believed. Now I believe because I know Because I’ve heard more about you Because I’ve heard you And I want to follow To be a disciple To be a witness too… Help me Lord Give me your spirit To go out into the world - and have the courage To tell others about you To show who I am To show what I stand for To openly show I am a Christian Your follower Everywhere I’ve met you now… I can witness for you.