In your last assignment, you and your sponsor discovered what your Spirit Given Gifts are through the online assessment. This assignment, we will explore gifts once again, but this time we will be looking at the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that you receive through the sacrament of Confirmation. They are:
1. Wisdom: empowers a person to see and evaluate all things – both joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, success or failure – from God’s point of view
2. Understanding: illuminates a person’s mind and heart to see the truth, to see things as they really are with an open mind, moving beyond the surface to the inner depth of the meaning of all of God’s creation.
3. Right Judgment [Counsel]: enables a person to judge individual acts as good or as evil, to make good and wise decisions
4. Courage [Fortitude, Strength]: enables a person to overcome difficulties or to endure pain and suffering, charging it with energy, perseverance and promptness, enabling the person to live the other virtues heroically
5. Knowledge: empowers persons to know the teaching of God and their true destiny, allowing them to see the things that become roadblocks to union with God, how to use created things rightly and even in a holy way.
6. Reverence [Piety]: empowers a person to give true worship and praise to God and have a deep respect for all of life and all of God’s creation.
7. Wonder and awe: enables a person to realize God’s tremendous love, greatness, majesty, and nearness
Review the gifts and their meanings with your sponsor. After you have discussed them, ask your sponsor to share their thoughts of you for each question. Together, you and your sponsor will answer the questions about you. Sometimes we cannot look at ourselves or our actions objectively and we need an outside person’s perspective. Your sponsor is that person for you! Your answers should reflect both your sponsor’s thoughts and yours. This is your last assignment with your sponsor. Take this opportunity to reflect with your sponsor on your relationship with God and on your journey in your faith.
1) When was a time in which you exhibited courage? Why were you courageous in this instance?
2) How do you reverence creation and show wonder and awe of God’s creation?
4) How have you grown in wisdom? When was an instance where you were a leader or a guide for someone else?
5) What knowledge about yourself and your faith have you gained through your confirmation process?
7) How have you become an understanding person? In what areas do you need to be more compassionate and understanding?
8) My sponsor feels that I am/am not (circle one) ready to be confirmed.
9) I feel that I am/am not (circle one) ready to be confirmed.
10). What is the most important thing that you can take away from learning and preparing for the sacrament of confirmation this year?