Elvis Gonsalves
BORIVLI, FEBRUARY 15, 2012: One of the most noteworthy experiences that I have experienced being the member of the Roman Catholic Church is the journey of receiving one of the seven sacraments, the sacrament of 'Confirmation'. It is said to be a time when a Catholic confirms his belief. By receiving this sacrament a candidate becomes a 'Spiritual Adolescent'.
Receiving this sacrament meant a year of preparation where in we were expected to attend Catechism, SCC meetings, perform a certain amount of community service and take part in various activities in the church.
We never really complained about it, as it was work transformed to fun. The Youth Fest, the retreat to Tabor and the incessant fun filled activities that made this journey of ours delightful. Unknowingly during this journey of ours we became more close to God which helped us boost our faith. Our teachers Ms. Cynthia and Sir Dhruv were very instrumental in enriching us with the Ten Commandments, the Gifts and the Fruits of the Spirit etc, filling us with knowledge and helping us come closer to God and know more about him. They planted in us the seed of ith with an expectation of bearing good fruits with branches spread all over. As Linda Conway has rightly said, "It is not what is poured into a student that counts but what is planted."
The last few weeks before receiving confirmation involved intensive training sessions taken by Fr.Allwyn assisted by Mr. Harry Menezes and Fr. Isaac who had specially come from Gujarat, and not to forget our very own Fr. Ronnie without whom we couldn't have reached this far. During these few sessions we were beginning to have a sense of responsibility towards the church and the community. We were told that now we need to put into practice all that we had studied. On Sunday, February 12, 2012 Bishop Percival Fernandez anointed us with the chrism oil and we were confirmed as the soldiers of Christ. Thus ended our journey of Confirmation with a hope of spreading the Good News and bringing about a change in our own lives and that of others.