Five Tips for being the best Confirmation Sponsor

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Confirmation is a rite of passage where a young man or woman between 7-16 years affirms his or her Christian beliefs and takes up the adult role in the church. This is the time they fulfil their baptismal promises since they can make their own decisions at this age. The passage requires an older adult to sponsor that young man or woman.

The primary role of a sponsor is to help in preparing the confirmation and vouch for the readiness and beliefs of the candidates. A sponsor will bring the candidate to the priest to be anointed. The sacrament of confirmation plays a vital role in creating a strong spiritual bond between the candidate and the sponsor. As a sponsor, you must be committed in your duty by being part of the candidate’s life by presence and player. This is because it is believed that a sponsor’s player is efficacious before the Lord. Agreeing to be a confirmation sponsor is a serious commitment to the Almighty God in taking on this role.

Here are some of the requirements of being a Confirmation Sponsor

  • A sponsor should contact an older person other than the parent of the candidate
  • Must have taken the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist
  • Must be at least 16 years old and can be of any gender irrespective of the sex of person to be confirmed
  • A sponsor should be living a life in harmony with the faith and the obligation that he or she is about to take. If married, must be married in the Catholic church and if single, must strive to lead a chaste life and hence cannot live with a person outside nuptial.
  • Additionally, a sponsor must have a strong faith in the Catholic church, registered in a parish and frequently attend mass on Holy Days and Sundays.

The doctrines of the Catholic churches allow the person to be confirmed to pick a godparent as a sponsor. It can be the best alternative because the confirmation is connected to baptism. Nevertheless, a sponsor can be any person provided he or she meets the above qualifications. If you have been picked as a confirmation sponsor, here are some of the things to consider to ensure you succeed in this significant role.

  • Express your gratitude

It might make you feel nervous to request to be someone’s sponsor, irrespective of how close you are with the one to be confirmed. Note that this was still a leap of faith to request you and hope that you would accept the offer. By expressing your gratitude, you are just affirming for him or her that you are excited. This assist the person to be confirmed feel some confidence after probably feeling worthy.

  • Establish trust and initiate meetings

While you presumably have established a strong relationship with the candidate that some built-in trust, he or she has already presented a paramount appeal to you that must be handled with care. If you are requested to attend a meeting during the preparation stage, make sure you avail yourself and be on time. Participate in the meeting willingly. Follow the proceedings of the meeting and take your roles seriously. This will assist the candidate to gain trust in your and the procedure. This will also continue after the sacrament because sponsorship does not come to an end the moment the kid or teenager is anointed.

Even though most of the requirement of the event like gatherings and meetings will be communicated to you by the candidate, the best sponsor will organize few meetings with his or her candidate before and after the sacrament. Just a casual meeting like a dinner date or a walk is enough. Even though it is not a must you talk about the sacrament, showing that you are interested in strengthens your relationship and builds trust.

  • Give a meaningful Confirmation gift and be a good role model

Getting confirmation gift for your candidate is essential as it assists you to express your thankfulness for being chosen as a sponsor and also congratulatory. On top of that, the confirmation gift cab be something that will continue to push the candidate in the right direction regarding their faith and religion. Even though the confirmation jewelry should not be costly, the sponsor should give it more thought than the typical person.

This is a must-have trait for every sponsor. Therefore, you need to be aware of your words and actions. This is the stage in life where the person to be confirmed feel more independence both in church and developmentally. Additionally, they are still searching for significant figures for prompts on how to behave in life.

  • Be a living model of faith and Don’t forget this newly confirmed Catholic

At least some of the things that this teen admires in you is your strong faith in Christ. However, if you don’t have strong faith, you should do something about it. since it is quite understandable if you can’t handle this, you can decline to offer. Even though life you don’t have to live a righteous life, but make sure your faith is authentic and sincere.

Once the confirmation ceremony is over, make sure you attend the birthdays of your candidate without forgetting this anniversary. Call him or her on these special occasions or send them a card. Continue worshiping together and do some Christian service together once in a while.  

  • Pray for your candidate and yourself and attend important events

Once the candidate decides to undergo sacrament of confirmation, what they require spiritual strength. Therefore, your prayers mean a lot to them and try to share why you value and practice your Catholicism. Participate in the mass on Sunday and holy days with your candidate or even attend the reconciliation.

Make sure you participate in all events since this the most natural part of being a confirmation sponsor. The critical duty will be placing your hand on your candidate’s shoulder and say the confirmation name of the candidate to the bishop.  You will be a support, but the critical obligation as a sponsor on that day is only beginning.