You could put here an introduction to the book and how they can use it.
Chapter one: What is Confirmation
Chapter two: Preparing your Son or Daughter for Confirmation
Chapter three: Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor
Chapter Four: An Introduction to Conversation Starters
Conversation Starters for Chapters 1-6
Chapter two: Preparing your Son or Daughter for Confirmation
Chapter three: Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor
Chapter Four: An Introduction to Conversation Starters
Conversation Starters for Chapters 1-6
"The Way" - On the Road to Discovering Christ
Parent's Prayer
Lord Jesus, sometimes my heart is restless, and I am distracted by worldly desires and cares. When I pursue things that. are contrary to your will for my life, I feel unsatisfied. I am restless because I have not turned to you wholeheartedly. Help me to know that you are the source and fulfillment of my desires and the healer of my brokenness. Empower me, Jesus, to be a living witness to you, especially with my child, during this important phase on the journey toward the Sacrament of Confirmation. May my heart, being more fully united with you, be a beacon of your love to all the people in my life. Amen.
Parent's Reflection
"What do you want?" What an awkward and invasive conversation starter. Imagine that a stranger, without preamble, looked at you and asked, "What do you want?" What if the tone indicated this question was not simply about your immediate desires, but was an audacious inquiry into your deepest, most private longings?
In John's Gospel, Jesus' first words to his disciples embody this very question: "What are you looking for?" As you can imagine, the disciples do not know how to answer. So they answer with another question: "Rabbi, where are you staying?" Jesus replies, "Come and see."
Three lines of conversation have never been more loaded. The disciples clearly do not even know how to express the longing of their hearts. They are not seeking something as much as someone. Like us, though, they just cannot identify the source of their restlessness.
All of us have restless hearts. In this journey toward Confirmation, both you and your child are being called to follow Jesus and to discover more deeply the answer to the question, "What do you want?" This first phase of Chosen ("The Way") will break down barriers to belief and then introduce the basic gospel message. Your son or daughter will come see how Christ, through his Church, fulfills the deepest longings of our hearts.
One way you can help this process along is to support and encourage the relationship between your child and his or her Confirmation sponsor. Your teen's sponsor will facilitate specific activities and discussion questions as the program progresses. You also should share your personal experience of being Catholic, searching for happiness, and seeking God. Your personal testimony is one of the most effective ways to bring about genuine dialogue with your child.
Effective Talking
Genuine communication and conversation with teens can be a challenge. Above all, remember that teens crave recognition of their young adulthood Do not push too hard if you can avoid it. Listen first, then share your own experience, point beyond yourself to Jesus, and pray consistently.
Lesson One: Why Am I Here
Lesson 1 Overview
"Why am I here?" Depending on the student., this question may he answered several different ways. Naturally, most teens attend this class to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation, as their final Sacrament of Initiation into the Catholic Faith. Some teens approach this sacrament eagerly; others are compelled by their parents, with varying degrees of willingness, and may be looking forward to "graduating" from religious education. Chosen has been developed to meet the needs of both types of students.
The question posed in the title of this introductory lesson also hints at its primary purpose: to convey that the journey of faith in general. (and thus, of Confirmation preparation in particular) is not just something we do "on the side" of real life, but that it has everything to do with discovering the very meaning of life itself and learning how to live it to the full.
To the degree that you, as a parent, are both welcoming and respectful of this process of discovery (asking the Holy Spirit to speak to and soften the heart of your son or daughter with the truth of the gospel), you have an opportunity to be part of a profound transformation in the life of your teen.
A crucial part of this process of transformation is for your teen to discover the communal aspect of Christian life and to experience your patience, willingness to listen, and true concern for him or her. This is all a part of "pre-evangelization," engaging the audience "where they are" in order to prepare them for true "evangelization'—that is, bringing them to where God wants them to be.
Conversation Starters
Why do you think this program is called Chosen? What does being chosen have to do with Confirmation?
Lesson 2: “What Makes Me Happy?” (Discovering God as the Source)
Lesson 2 Overview
The purpose of this lesson is to consider the possibility that everything we need in life is ultimately found in God. Happiness, love, peace, purpose, and security are all qualities that are found in the lives of those who live according to the "master plan."
As young Catholic men and women, Confirmation candidates are on a quest for identity and. personal significance. As the influence of their peers increases, they continue to look to the example of their parents to guide them. However, this group is extremely sensitive to any perceived hypocrisy or inconsistency. Therefore, finding and holding up authentic models of faith (and acknowledging the consequences of following the wrong role models) is of paramount importance.
Conversation Starters
Not So Fast
If you want to make a gesture of your serious commitment to helping your son or daughter prepare for Confirmation, consider fasting once a week between now and the ceremony. Fasting is the small sacrifice of eating more simply or eating less food than usual for a period of time. It is an ancient tradition seen as a type of solidarity with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and a way to practice self-denial.
Lesson 3: “What’s Your Story, God?” (A Look At Salvation History)
Lesson 3 Overview
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce your teen to an overview of salvation history. We begin the story by addressing the question, "How could a good God allow so much suffering and evil.?" We explore the goodness of God's creation, how sin and. evil entered the world., and God's redemptive plan, (the "plot" of salvation history), which centered in the person and work of Christ and the establishment of the Church.
With this lesson, we move from "pre-evangelization" to authentic "evangelization," introducing students to the kerygma,—the proclamation of the gospel message that invites a response.
Conversation Starters
Parent's Prayer
Lord Jesus, sometimes my heart is restless, and I am distracted by worldly desires and cares. When I pursue things that. are contrary to your will for my life, I feel unsatisfied. I am restless because I have not turned to you wholeheartedly. Help me to know that you are the source and fulfillment of my desires and the healer of my brokenness. Empower me, Jesus, to be a living witness to you, especially with my child, during this important phase on the journey toward the Sacrament of Confirmation. May my heart, being more fully united with you, be a beacon of your love to all the people in my life. Amen.
Parent's Reflection
"What do you want?" What an awkward and invasive conversation starter. Imagine that a stranger, without preamble, looked at you and asked, "What do you want?" What if the tone indicated this question was not simply about your immediate desires, but was an audacious inquiry into your deepest, most private longings?
In John's Gospel, Jesus' first words to his disciples embody this very question: "What are you looking for?" As you can imagine, the disciples do not know how to answer. So they answer with another question: "Rabbi, where are you staying?" Jesus replies, "Come and see."
Three lines of conversation have never been more loaded. The disciples clearly do not even know how to express the longing of their hearts. They are not seeking something as much as someone. Like us, though, they just cannot identify the source of their restlessness.
All of us have restless hearts. In this journey toward Confirmation, both you and your child are being called to follow Jesus and to discover more deeply the answer to the question, "What do you want?" This first phase of Chosen ("The Way") will break down barriers to belief and then introduce the basic gospel message. Your son or daughter will come see how Christ, through his Church, fulfills the deepest longings of our hearts.
One way you can help this process along is to support and encourage the relationship between your child and his or her Confirmation sponsor. Your teen's sponsor will facilitate specific activities and discussion questions as the program progresses. You also should share your personal experience of being Catholic, searching for happiness, and seeking God. Your personal testimony is one of the most effective ways to bring about genuine dialogue with your child.
Effective Talking
Genuine communication and conversation with teens can be a challenge. Above all, remember that teens crave recognition of their young adulthood Do not push too hard if you can avoid it. Listen first, then share your own experience, point beyond yourself to Jesus, and pray consistently.
Lesson One: Why Am I Here
Lesson 1 Overview
"Why am I here?" Depending on the student., this question may he answered several different ways. Naturally, most teens attend this class to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation, as their final Sacrament of Initiation into the Catholic Faith. Some teens approach this sacrament eagerly; others are compelled by their parents, with varying degrees of willingness, and may be looking forward to "graduating" from religious education. Chosen has been developed to meet the needs of both types of students.
The question posed in the title of this introductory lesson also hints at its primary purpose: to convey that the journey of faith in general. (and thus, of Confirmation preparation in particular) is not just something we do "on the side" of real life, but that it has everything to do with discovering the very meaning of life itself and learning how to live it to the full.
To the degree that you, as a parent, are both welcoming and respectful of this process of discovery (asking the Holy Spirit to speak to and soften the heart of your son or daughter with the truth of the gospel), you have an opportunity to be part of a profound transformation in the life of your teen.
A crucial part of this process of transformation is for your teen to discover the communal aspect of Christian life and to experience your patience, willingness to listen, and true concern for him or her. This is all a part of "pre-evangelization," engaging the audience "where they are" in order to prepare them for true "evangelization'—that is, bringing them to where God wants them to be.
Conversation Starters
Why do you think this program is called Chosen? What does being chosen have to do with Confirmation?
- What were some of the personal goals that came up in class today? What were yours?
- Do you have a "Candidate Commitment" form I need to sign? Let's look at it now.
Lesson 2: “What Makes Me Happy?” (Discovering God as the Source)
Lesson 2 Overview
The purpose of this lesson is to consider the possibility that everything we need in life is ultimately found in God. Happiness, love, peace, purpose, and security are all qualities that are found in the lives of those who live according to the "master plan."
As young Catholic men and women, Confirmation candidates are on a quest for identity and. personal significance. As the influence of their peers increases, they continue to look to the example of their parents to guide them. However, this group is extremely sensitive to any perceived hypocrisy or inconsistency. Therefore, finding and holding up authentic models of faith (and acknowledging the consequences of following the wrong role models) is of paramount importance.
Conversation Starters
- Who is the happiest person you know?
- Why do you think he or she is so happy?
- Do you think it is possible to know God personally?
- Have you ever fell dose to God? Tell me about it.
Not So Fast
If you want to make a gesture of your serious commitment to helping your son or daughter prepare for Confirmation, consider fasting once a week between now and the ceremony. Fasting is the small sacrifice of eating more simply or eating less food than usual for a period of time. It is an ancient tradition seen as a type of solidarity with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and a way to practice self-denial.
Lesson 3: “What’s Your Story, God?” (A Look At Salvation History)
Lesson 3 Overview
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce your teen to an overview of salvation history. We begin the story by addressing the question, "How could a good God allow so much suffering and evil.?" We explore the goodness of God's creation, how sin and. evil entered the world., and God's redemptive plan, (the "plot" of salvation history), which centered in the person and work of Christ and the establishment of the Church.
With this lesson, we move from "pre-evangelization" to authentic "evangelization," introducing students to the kerygma,—the proclamation of the gospel message that invites a response.
Conversation Starters
- What is "salvation history"? (It is the story of God's plan of redeeming love, as revealed through Scripture and his Church.)
- If you could have lived at any time in salvation history, who would you want to meet. and why?
- How is the human family like the Trinity? (God created human families to reflect [in an imperfect but real way] the perfect love of the Blessed Trinity. The Holy Spirit proceeds" from the love of the Father and the Son. Similarly, in the total self-giving of married love, husbands and wives reflect the life-giving love of God in the procreation of their children, thus expressing the "communion of persons" [the family] that images the communion of persons" of the Blessed Trinity.)