Acts of the Apostles 2:1-13 - The Pentecost Story
The feast of Pentecost is a Jewish festival called Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks as it is five weeks after Passover. It was probably originally a feast to celebrate summer and an early summer harvest (in the northern hemisphere). The Acts of the Apostles was written decades after the events it describes here. So the author, who was not a witness, is relying on what has been passed down. Thus the writer grapples with words to describe what happened. “They heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven” (2:2)“and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire” (2:3). The author suggests that it was not exactly a wind nor flames of fire. Thus we must be careful that students do not think of the Holy Spirit as a powerful wind or tongues of fire.
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Ephesians 1:13-14 - The Seal of the Holy Spirit
The operative words are the verbs ‘you have heard’ … ‘you have believed’ … ‘you have been stamped or sealed’ and as a result given freedom. The process is a logical sequence to adult Baptism, a practice of the early Church. For us today it not only reflects Baptism but Confirmation as well. Freedom is certainly God’s gift to us in Baptism and Confirmation.
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1 Samuel 16:1-13 - David is Anointed
The story of King David’s anointing is quite surprising. God chooses David to be king when he is only a boy - the youngest in his family. King Saul, the current king has been rejected. God sends Samuel, the last of the judges, to Jesse who is David’s father, to anoint one of his sons as king. All of Jesse’s sons are brought in except David who is considered not old enough to be king. Jesse has fine looking sons but God does not choose any of them. Instead God chooses the one no one expected. He chose David, as king – because “God does not see as people see; people look at appearances but God looks at the heart” (v7).
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Additional Scriptures
The following Scriptures can be used as extra support to understand the Sacrament of Confirmation.
John 14:15-17 Another Advocate
Isaiah 11:1-2 The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Exodus 14 Moses leads Israel through the Red Sea
Romans 6:3-4 Baptism: We die with Christ and rise with Christ
Isaiah 11:1-2 The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Exodus 14 Moses leads Israel through the Red Sea
Romans 6:3-4 Baptism: We die with Christ and rise with Christ