|
Hi guys,
I find myself in the following situation. My niece is now 18 but due
to a problem with the local parish, she was not able to get
confirmed. I am not her Godfather but I believe the family considers
me her spiritual Godfather.
Similar to some CCD religious education classes, she was never really:
- taught
the faith
- the value of a daily prayer life, or
- the value
of daily Mass.
Religion to her is a pain. Being in an Uncle role,
what I can say is limited, because, as you know, the parents
are the primary educators of their children's faith. To do more,
would bother my brother and sister-in-law, and
my image as a religious person would to move to one that is
overstepping his bounds.
They have a family of four, and I was chosen to be the Godfather for
their last child, who is now six.
Once I heard about what happened to my niece, I told my sister-in-law
that, as his Godfather, having my God child confirmed was very
important to me.
My sister-in-law told me later that she was going to see
if my niece could get confirmed with his brother, my nephew,
who is three years younger than his sister.
The problem: My niece has no real interest in the faith.
In her first year at college, she is thinking of starting a
club: The
College Liberals.
She has a healthy sense of debate and I have shared with her
the importance of:
"agreeing to agree and agreeing to disagree, while still
being friends."
My question:
Although Confirmation imprints a character on the soul of
the recipient and the recipient receives the completed baptismal
graces needed to live a Christian life,
if she doesn't believe
in the faith, what good will it do her?
I'm not saying receiving the Holy Spirit is not important. I'm not
that stupid but I think she will say:
- What good is Confirmation if I don't really believe in the
faith?
- Isn't the idea of Confirmation that of saying "Yes, to Jesus and
the Church He founded" and
of being a solider for Christ and his Church?
She may argument:
If I don't believe in the Church and, some, if
not many of, its teachings, why should I get confirmed at
all.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Andrew
|
