Annie's Cousin is Confirmed
Peter, Uncle Hugh's son, was one of Annie's dearest cousins. He was a senior at the Brothers' school and this fact brought Annie a lot of prestige, especially among the older girls at the Convent.
Another reason why Annie felt particularly close to Peter was because he was Dad's godson.
He had been born and baptised before Dad and Mother started going out together but Mother was as fond of him as Dad was.
"Uncle Pat, you've got to be sponsor for my confirmation," Peter had said to Dad at the reception after the wedding of Aunt Theresa.
"I was getting worried in case you'd never ask," Dad had said, slapping his young nephew on the back.
A few weeks later, Peter came to visit the family on his bicycle to discuss Dad's duties for the big day.
Since then, Dad had already attended a few meetings for parents and sponsors of the confirmation candidates.
Peter himself had been going to confirmation classes ever since the beginning of the year.
Now, eight months later, his confirmation was nearly at hand.
"Is Father Tom going to confirm you?" Annie asked.
"No," said Peter, "the Bishop is coming over to do that."
"Why is that?"
"That's the way it's done, Annie," Dad explained.
"The Bishop is the usual Minister of Confirmation."
Peter, who was full of new knowledge about the Sacrament, explained to Annie how it was conferred, that the Bishop extended his hands over the candidates, praying that they might receive the Holy Spirit and that the anointing of the forehead with chrism in the form of a cross signified that the Christian who is confirmed must always be ready to profess the Christian faith openly and to practise it wisely and with devotion.
Dad was listening with interest.
"You're taking me back to my own confirmation," he said.
"I was only about seven or eight at the time and we didn't have much of a preparation course.
Tell me more about Confirmation."
"The anointing received during Confirmation gives strength to bear difficult times for the love of God," Peter said.
"And we are reminded by the Sacrament to be courageous and faithful witnesses to God in our lives."
That night in bed, Annie lay thinking about her cousin and the beautiful Sacrament so soon to be conferred on him.
It seemed to her a great privilege to be confirmed as a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ.
It always had, ever since their teacher had taught the class about Saint Tarcisius, the young boy, carrying the Sacred Host to Christians.
As the time went by and the ceremony came closer, Annie prayed frequently for her cousin.
When the day itself arrived, she took her place beside her father, in the pews behind the confirmation candidates.
Mother and the boys had gone to early Mass, because Trudy, who was becoming livelier every day, could not be trusted to keep still during so long a ceremony.
With fervour Annie joined in the entrance hymn, the words of which she knew off by heart.
The bishop looked splendid.
He was accompanied by Father Tom and another priest, Father Timothy, as well as lay ministers and several altar servers.
"Thou who art sevenfold in Thy Grace," the people were singing.
Annie knew what that meant.
Dad had explained that the words referred to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit of God, which are wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence and the spirit of wonder and awe in God's Presence.
She looked at Peter, who was standing in the pew in front of them, praying earnestly.
Inspired by his example, she turned back to the altar and followed the proceedings with as much reverence and concentration as she could muster.
After a sermon by the Bishop, the candidates rose to be questioned.
They undertook to reject Satan and all his works and all his empty promises.
They renewed the vows taken on their behalf at their baptism and confirmed their belief in each of the twelve articles of the Creed.
Confirmation resembled baptism in many ways, Annie found, especially when the Bishop said:
"This is our faith.
This is the faith of the Church.
We are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Shortly afterwards it was time for the candidates to come up one by one, accompanied by thier sponsors.
Annie stood aside to let Dad pass.
He was very much moved, she could see, and she pressed his hand as he stepped into the aisle to join Peter.
Though the bishop spoke in a low voice, Annie could clearly hear the words he said as he anointed her cousin by tracing a cross on his forehead after dipping his own right thumb into the chrism.
Peter had chosen a saint's name instead of using his own baptismal one.
He had read about St Michael the Archangel and developed a great devotion to him.
The Bishop said: "Michael, receive the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit," and Peter responded: "Amen."
The Bishop then said: "Peace be with you."
"And with you," Peter replied.
As the people who had been confirmed returned to their seats, the organist played a beautiful voluntary.
After the ceremony, the intercessions were read out.
Then the Bishop prayed to God to grant that His Work begun at Pentecost might continue to grow in the hearts of all believers; after which Mass continued.
When the newly confirmed rose again, this time to receive Communion, Annie almost envied them.
They were now adult Christians, responsible for their own faith.
She too would one day be confirmed, having strengthened her baptismal promises in public and knowingly having chosen to be a disciple of Jesus and members of His Church.
Meanwhile Annie made up her mind to spend more time in prayer and to start performing small acts of kindness, healthy self-discipline and caring towards others, in order to show God how much she loved Him.
Guitarists broke into the rousing hymn: "God's Spirit is in my heart," as the newly confirmed filed out.
Family groups gathered everywhere around their own sons, daughters and other newly baptised.
Peter stood inside the circle of his relatives.
He was smiling broadly and posed cheerfully for all the photographs, but still there was a new air about him; a quiet determination Annie had not seen in him before.
"Good for you, Peter Michael," she said, shaking his hand with vigour.
"May you be a wonderful disciple of Jesus, now and always."
Peter squeezed his cousin's hand very tightly and said in a most serious way:
"Thanks, Annie, I certainly do intend to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I can think of nothing in this world more challenging and exciting."
And, as he made this calm and confident statement, the people around them fell silent and became thoughtful.
Edited by Catherine Nicolette
Watercolour image by Catherine Nicolette
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