Pope Leo spoke of what he called "one of a bishop's greatest joys" as he welcomed an exuberant group of young Italians to the Vatican this morning, May 16. This joy, he said, is "celebrating Confirmations, because it is truly the gift of the Holy Spirit."
The sacrament of Confirmation is normally administered to young people by the diocesan bishop, though it can be delegated to a priest if there are too many youth.
The Pope spoke off-the-cuff to the approximately 1,000 young Catholics from the Archdiocese of Genoa in northern Italy, beginning by saying he was more familiar with one of the Genovese parishes, bringing cheers from that group. Then he reflected on the sacrament of Confirmation.
It is wonderful to receive this Sacrament, because the fullness of the Holy Spirit gives us this enthusiasm, this strength, this ability to follow Jesus Christ, to say ‘yes’ to the Lord always, not to be afraid to follow him courageously, to live our faith in a world that so often seeks to lead us away from Jesus.
Noting how next Sunday is the celebration of Pentecost, the Pope said that "all of you are and will be part of this mission, because we are all sent: to your families, to your friends, to everyone. You too must be a living witness to the Spirit who lives within us."
One gift of the Holy Spirit you particularly need
The Pope then said that while conferring the sacrament is "one of the greatest joys for a bishop, there is another aspect that is a source of sadness."
"It is that sometimes," he said, "after the bishop confers Confirmation, the gift of the Holy Spirit, you never see the young people again! They disappear from the parish."
I would ask: pay particular attention to one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, known as perseverance. Do not forget what you have experienced during this time; let that joy also come to Rome, to celebrate together, to pray together; may this joy live in your hearts and may you continue to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ; may you persevere in the faith; may you return to the parish —there are so many activities, so many opportunities—but above all in the life of faith, because Jesus Christ wants to walk with you, with each one of you, and with all of you in community, which is so important.
We do not live our faith alone; we live it together. And forming these bonds of friendship and community is a way of living out perseverance as disciples of Jesus.
So, do not forget this. It is good to come to Rome, it is beautiful to receive the Sacrament, it is wonderful to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, but it is so important that each of you also makes this commitment, this promise to the Lord: that you truly wish to continue as His friends, His disciples, His missionaries, and that you wish to persevere in the faith. So I leave you with these words.
