“Growth in Grace”

Catechist Summary * Slides * Interviews conclude this week!

Track A (Religious Ed. / Catecismo): Monday 2/9/2026, 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Mission Hall
Track B (Catholic schools): Wednesday 2/11/2026 and Thursday 2/12/2026 in 8th Grade Religion class

NOTE: This is a hybridized session briefly covering several topics which happens only in years when Confirmation Masses are a little earlier in the Spring (late February or early March). Certain aspects of this session may be further split up and expanded into multiple sessions (namely Spiritual Growth & Lent, The Power of Prayer, The Gift of Grace, and a bit of One Faith Many Voices) in years when Confirmation Masses are a little later in the Spring (late March or early April).

Gathering (5 min.)

Students can sign up for roles in the Confirmation Masses. Speaking roles in English and/or Spanish include giving the welcome, proclaiming one of the Readings, or leading one of the Prayers of the Faithful. Carrying roles include carrying flowers to the altar, taking the collection (using baskets), and bringing forward the gifts of bread and wine.

If Ms. Hohner can get the mock-ups printed in time, students may also have the opportunity to proofread the nametags for themselves (for the Confirmation Name) and for their Sponsor(s) to be used at the rehearsals and Confirmation Masses.

Track A draft nametags will be printed by table group: one page for candidates and a page for Sponsors.
Track B draft nametags will be printed in alphabetical order (also divided by homeroom for Queen of Angels School): one set of pages for camdidates and one set of pages for Sponsors.

This is an opportunity to correct spelling, provide Sponsors’ last names, decide whether or not to use a nickname, etc. Please sign your initials in the corner of each nametag after you have reviewed it and added any corrections or additions.

Opening Prayer (5 min.)

Prayer of St. Richard of Chichester

Thanks be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits you have given me, for all the pains and insults you have borne for me.
O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.

Being Confirmed, Receiving Grace (10 min)

Grace is a share in God’s own life. Sanctifying grace received in the sacraments awakens in us new strength and purpose. We can tap into that strength whenever we are faced with a difficult decision or task.

Grace is an unmerited gift! No amount of service hours, written assignments, journal pages or comments in class discussion would ever be enough to earn this gift! Our class assignments have been for our catechists, parents and Pastor to know where you are at on your journey, because we don’t have the perfect vision of God to see directly into your heart.

The Holy Spirit will be far more interested in…

…whether you put forth effort to grow spiritually.
…if you participated because we said you had to or because you honestly want to be closer to Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
…if learning, service, and reflection will be part of your lifelong practice of your faith.

Video of real people from St. Nicholas Parish (now St. John XXIII Parish after being united with St. Mary Parish), including Ms. Hohner’s friend Jocelyn!

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Q5y_g5-e0

“Confirmation makes itself known when you do things.” Things like making decisions, choosing your friends. serving the needs of the community, praying, joining parish ministries.

Being Confirmed is like making the basketball team. Your Sponsor is your coach. If you get involved, you are playing in the basketball game. If you just sit on the bench, you are wasting your gifts and talents you could be sharing with God’s family. And if you do that, you will never get better at playing the game.

Your Confirmation is the moment you have been working toward, but that moment is just the next step in a longer journey. Remember that Confirmation is NOT Graduation!

Breakout Activity at Tables: Your Prayer Style (25 min)

Read directions for prayer type inventory packet carefully!

Take inventory (p. A)
Read descriptions of spiritual path (p. B) & Styles of Prayer grids (pp. C-D), keeping in mind your score in each category.
Discuss or reflect individually on your personal result and prayer suggestions.
Consider the flow chart for what to do when it seems like God isn’t answering your prayers, at least not in the way you had hoped.

A Prayerful Confirmation Mass (5 min)

Review the Invitation to Prayer and Laying on of Hands Prayer to call down the Holy Spirit in the Confirmation Mass, using page 6 of last year’s Confirmation Mass program booklet:

Track B St. Matthias School: 2025 English program booklet
Track B Queen of Angels School and Track A Religious Ed: 2025 bilingual program booklet
- though not all Track A Religious Ed students will be in the bilingual Mass, using the bilingual Mass program booklet to practice allows for unity of instruction

Consider ways to call yourself back to prayer if you find your mind or hands becoming less prayerful during the Confirmation Mass.

Invitation to Spiritual Growth (5 min)

Think back to “Is Your Faith Still in Kindergarten?” video & S.M.A.R.T. Goals (metas de C.L.A.V.E. en español) you wrote on cards (and took a photo of) from last Fall. Let’s hope you’ve been growing while preparing for Confirmation!

At the time, we set goals (where we want to go) but didn’t look closely at where we were already (where we started). This would never work in navigating on Google Maps or Waze, where you need a clear starting location to get directions! Maybe we are used to our phones automatically detecting this for us. So let’s start making plans for growth after Confirmation by taking a look at where we are right now.

Breakout Activity at Tables: Spiritual Life Snapshot (20 min)

Tree parts worksheet for each student to complete a spiritual life tree

Lent: A Time for Spiritual Growth (10 min)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJBMw2pQZiA

ALTERNATE VIDEO, in case the one above ceases to work in the week leading up to Ash Wednesday (as happened in 2024 at this time):

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9rM5VOqndg

During Lent, we seek unity with Christ through personal sacrifice. Lenten sacrifice in the spirit of Jesus, as our Lenten discipline as disciples of Jesus, should be about giving up something you need in order to benefit another person (like Jesus giving his life for us on the cross), not just giving up something you enjoy but shouldn’t have because it’s bad for you (candy, cartoons, coffee). Lenten sacrifices are not the same as New Year’s Resolutions! Consider this short video’s example of a sacrifice (no spoken dialogue, so watch closely to follow along):

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-LK_MyvnLA

This year, as a sign of our growing spiritual maturity, let’s stretch beyond the things we have done as children during Lent! Take on something extra (daily prayer, service, Scripture reading, spiritual journaling). If you do choose to make giving something up a part of your Lenten discipline, consider how you can give up a related thing you need (like the money or time spent on that thing) to benefit someone else (through charitable donation, service, or prayer for the needs of the world).

We can join our parish to use CRS Rice Bowl as a tool for our for prayer, fasting & almsgiving this Lent. This is a way to help the victims of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza as well as others in need around the world, including victims of natural disasters, war, and climate change.

Breakout Activity at Tables: My Lenten Sacrifices (10 min)

Students write on the side of their CRS Rice Bowl bank what they are sacrificing for Lent. Groups should also look at the calendar and recipes from the booklet inside the bank.

Reminders and Closing Prayer (10 min)

Reminders:

Confirmation interviews conclude this week! Ms. Hohner is still missing a couple of Letters to the Pastor!
NO class next week, Presidents Day Holiday on Monday 2/16
final class for all students Monday 2/23 @ 6:45pm-8:30pm in Mission Hall
rehearsals Wednesday 3/4, bring your Sponsor or a parent
- 6pm at St. Matthias Church, 2310 W. Ainslie, for the English-only 10am Mass on Saturday, March 7
  - Track A English-speaking RE students who are fine with an English-only Mass
  - Track B St. Matthias School students
- 7:30pm at Q of A Church, 2330 W. Sunnyside, for the bilingual 1:30pm Mass on Saturday, March 7
  - Track A Spanish-speaking or bilingual RE students needing a bilingual Mass
  - Track B Queen of Angels School students

Homework:

textbook pages 75-76
journal pages 43 and 63
make sure your Sponsor (or parent/other adult) knows to come to Wed 3/4 Practice
if you missed the retreat Fri 1/30: go to parish confessions on a Saturday morning, 9am-10am at Queen of Angels Church

Closing Prayer:

At your Baptism, your parents and godparents made some promises on your behalf, mainly because you were probably a tiny baby or a small child when this happened. They took responsibility for your sprirtual growth as Catholic Christians! On the day of your Confirmation, you will renew those Baptism promises with your own voice, supported by your Sponsor(s). Let’s practice doing this in a nice firm voice so we can be heard and believed!

Renewal of Baptism Promises (from slides or inside back cover of textbook, or center pages of old Confirmation Mass booklets)

Do you reject Satan and all his works and all his empty promises? I do.
Do you believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth? I do.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father? I do.
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who came up on the apostles at Pentecost and will be given to you sacramentally in Confirmation? I do.
Do you believe in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting? I do.
This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

You should take home the copy of the old program booklet to continue to practice this, as well as the dialogue you will have with the bishop when you are anointed with oil.

Let’s conclude with a shorter prayer (from back cover of textbook)

O Lord, may I feel your strength and love each day of my life. Let me know your guiding presence so that I can grow into the fullest person I am called to be. Increase in me the fruits of your Holy Spirit. May your peace and light accompany me and guide me. Let me realize how deeply loved and precious I am in your eyes. Amen.