Today, we looked at the three Sacraments of Initiation: namely, Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), and the Holy Eucharist. In our Ukrainian Catholic Rite, they are typically received by infants, marking their rebirth as children of God and new members of our Church. We reenacted the Baptism of Emma Lucy and continued with her anointing, as we learned what takes place when a child is confirmed.
Chrismation is the sacrament that celebrates the third Person of the Holy Trinity. The children recalled how the Holy Spirit is often depicted as a dove, symbolizing His gentleness, purity, love, innocence, and beauty. Then they learned how He is also depicted as wind, and sometimes as a tongue of fire. The wind symbolizes the Holy Spirit's invisible, ever present, and life-sustaining force. It also symbolizes God breathing eternal life into a newly baptized and confirmed Child of God. The fire symbolizes the purifying power and strength of the Holy Spirit, and how we can release the power that resides within us, as we practice our faith in our daily lives.
Chrismation is an awesome sacrament that, in the Ukrainian Catholic Rite, immediately follows Baptism. The priest dips his thumb into Holy Chrism and, resting his hand on the head of the child, he traces the Sign of the Cross upon the forehead, and then proceeds to anoint the eyes, the nostrils, the mouth, the ears, the breast, the hands, and the feet saying slowly and only once:
THE SEAL OF THE GIFT + OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
The people then answer, "Amen", chanting "All of you have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia."
We then worked on our understanding of what it means to "put on Christ."
Father Ronny's anointing of particular parts of the body tells us that we are totally filled with the Holy Spirit and that the WHOLE person is made HOLY. The Holy Spirit comes to live within us, giving us the power to fight evil, and in essence become strong soldiers of Christ. We begin to think, speak and act in ways that cause us to rise above circumstance and begin using the gifts that were given in Confirmation. In so doing, we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and thus the will of God. When used these gifts are like seeds that have been watered, yielding fruits that are virtuous and good.
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit that are love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Who would not want a life that is filled with these virtues?
Indeed, we must put on Christ to experience a life that is rich, spirited, and filled with hope.
New Words:
Chrism, Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Classroom Reinforcement Activity:
As the children colored the Thanksgiving worksheet (below), we discussed each of the virtues. Then they were asked to think about how they might grow in one of them. We also learned a fun song so that these virtues might be committed to memory.
At Home Activity:
As a family, talk about the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, and focus on the one that your child had picked as a virtue in which they would like to grow. Find examples of how they already embody that virtue. Then brainstorm areas where they might work to improve. Recognize their improvement and celebrate, accordingly.
No comments:
Post a Comment