confirmation preparation
Your preparation
Thanks for registering for our Confirmation preparation here in the Parish of Saint Benedict’s, Ealing. It’s great to have you with us for this great journey of faith.
We have a fee of £70 to cover the costs of the preparation. If you haven’t already contributed, please do so. Below you will find a Red Button which says “Confirmation Contribution”, just click on that to make the contribution. The contributions cover the digitalisation of the preparation, the Catechetical Coordinator, the Confirmation Masses with the music and print outs etc., the Family Prayer Events we have as part of the programme etc.
Sometimes parents want to contribute a little more to help our Catechetical team do even more to reach others. If you feel called to do this then you can get in touch – formation@ealingabbey.org.uk
If you would like to speak to us about our bursaries please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can send an email to our Catechetical Coordinator – formation@ealingabbey.org.uk
Week 12 - Why a Church?
1
Watch the video together
2
Have a conversation together
3
Write a few thoughts that come from the content (these are private and will help the teen to remember for conversations later with their Catechists)
Intro
It’s Week 12 of our preparation. That means it is the last week of prep before Christmas. You have this week and then some time off to celebrate Christmas. I’m sure you’re feeling exhausted from this term and everything that has been going on. So use this video as a way of preparing for Christmas, for drawing your mind to what are the most important things at Christmas. Then enjoy your Christmas break. We will resume our preparation on the week of Monday 11th January. Have a blessed Christmas when it comes. Pray for your family at this special time, say yes to Jesus, and give generously to others as God gives generously to all.
How do I access this man who lived 2000 years ago? How do I live this call of love? We uniquely encounter the love of God in His Church. But really? The Church? There are so many negative views of the Church. It’s out of touch. It’s full of bad people. It’s just too boring. Maybe when we say “The Church” we mean a little more. The church is the family of God that’s been lovingly gathered through our entire story. It’s the place we were meant to encounter His grace that prepares us for every step of life. The God that is love knows how we’re made – material and spiritual – we need tangible ways to live our faith. We can’t be spiritual but not religious. This is where we’ll find ultimate happiness in life. This is where the God that has been seeking humanity, who wrote the deepest desires onto our human hearts, encounters us. Jesus’ first words to humanity in the Gospel of John are “what do you seek?” The one that asked the question not only knows the answer, He is the answer. The answers to everything. And you find him most profoundly here in His Church.
The Search Video
- Go to formed.org
- Sign in with your email
- Check that email account to log in
- This week we want you to watch The Search Episode 5-Why a Church? (just search for it on Formed)
- Remember – you can watch anything on Formed for free this week, so make the most of it while we still have this available.
- Go to formed.org/signup
- Select our parish by entering the postal code – w5 2dz
- Register with your name and email address
- Check that email account for a link to begin using FORMED
- Then you can watch anything for free on FORMED
- This week we want you to watch The Search Episode 3 (it’s on FORMED’s homepage)
Jesus' Resurrection
Here’s a video from Mark Hart talking about making sense of all the facts of the Resurrection.
God has a great plan
Finally, here’s a video to inspire you that God has a great plan for your life which is SO big and extraordinary. Fyi – Tim Tebrow was a mega famous American Footballer.
Reflection Questions
These questions are for you to discuss together, teen and parent.
– You were made by relationship, for relationship. Jesus founded a Church as a Family for you to live in. How can you begin to get involved in your Parish Family?
– How can you allow God to transform your faith, and the faith of your family? How can you be the transformation in your family, your school, your friends, your Parish?
Prayer
Transformation prayer:
Lord, you know my soul. You know where I am in relation to you. I ask that you draw me closer to you. Draw me deeper in my faith. Remove from my life all the things that hold me back from you. Remove all the things that are not good for me, my spiritual life and those around me. I say yes to you doing this in my life. I say yes to you being born in my heart this Christmas. Transform me so that I may go out and transform others. Unite me with your body, with your family, the Church, now and for the rest of my life. Help me to see how I can serve this family. Let me serve your Church Lord. Let me encounter you in your Church Lord Jesus. Amen.
