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IN SCHOOLTHE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRITSt Paul wrote a letter to the young Christian communityin Galatia, in ancient Turkey. In his letter he said that ifwe are led or guided by the Holy Spirit, then we will have‘Spirit-filled’ lives. St Paul described Spirit-filled livesas lives filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Thesecharacteristics will be small at first, like seeds. However, ifwe allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, they will eventuallygrow to be like fruit on a tree, on display for everyone tosee.JOURNAL EXERCISE: FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRITIN ACTIONThere are many people who demonstrate the fruits ofthe Holy Spirit in their lives on a daily basis. Some arewell-known people and others are not. Use the internet orold newspapers to find examples of people who you thinkhave allowed the gifts of the Holy Spirit to bear fruit intheir lives. Write a paragraph about one of those people inyour Religious Education journal.oy winsbloohcsPrimaryar’ prizeeYehtfo‘CarerHere are some examples of newspaper headlines thatpoint to the kind of stories you might look for.Boy (8) givesbone-marrow tohis cousin (6)peacenosreiIrish sold sion hailediskeeping mas heroesTrócaire thanksConfirmationclass for generousdonationnagerseetfopuA gropport oneusotedideceping theeknireanothty made aehtsegdpletionConfirmaElderly couplecelebrate sixtyyears of married lifeTheme 10: Confirmation (The Holy Spirit) Lesson 2: The Fruits of the Holy Spirit107

IN SCHOOLFOR MEMORISATIONThe nine fruits of the HolySpirit are: love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness,gentleness, faithfulness andself-control.‘If you have love for oneanother, then everyonewill know that you are mydisciples.’ (John 13:35)THINK ABOUT IT In what ways could you show similar qualities to any ofthe people mentioned in the newspaper headlines?JOURNAL EXERCISE: A FRUIT IN ACTION Stick the flashcard that you took from the basketinto your Religious Education journal. Then write aparagraph about how you will try to show this fruit inaction over the coming days and weeks. Alternatively,use pictures and/or symbols to illustrate your fitaFFruits of the Holy SpiritGrow in Love Sixth ClassslortnoCflesesne108GooS

AT HOMETHIS WEEKThe children reflected on the ways in which others cansee that we are Christians. For example, Catholics may beseen going to Mass or blessing themselves as they pass achurch. But the most important way that we show we areChristians is by how we treat other people. In St Paul’sletter to the people of Galatia, he said that others willrecognise followers of Jesus if they live lives filled withlove, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness,faithfulness and self-control. These are called the fruits ofthe Holy Spirit. The children explored how they and otherscan show these fruits in their daily lives.Pray this prayer together:Spirit of God, come to us.Help us to show by our words and our actions that youare alive in our hearts.May our lives be an example to others,and may we be inspired by the lives of other Christians.We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.DID YOU KNOW?Every day, we have manyopportunities to show and togrow the fruits of the HolySpirit in our lives.TIME TOGETHERChat TogetherTalk about a way in whicheach of the people in yourimmediate family displayedone of the fruits of the HolySpirit recently.Respond and ShareWrite in your ReligiousEducation journal about atime when you showed one ofthe fruits of the Holy Spirit inyour own life. Share your workwith your parent or guardian.Be LovingShow love for yourself, forothers and for the earth. Theneveryone will see the fruits ofthe Holy Spirit in you.Theme 10: Confirmation (The Holy Spirit) Lesson 2: The Fruits of the Holy Spirit109

IN SCHOOLTHIS WEEK IN SCHOOLYou are invited to think about: Why you want to beconfirmed What will happen duringthe Rite of Confirmation What name you will chooseas your Confirmation name Who you will choose asyour Confirmation sponsorKEY WORDSConfirmation candidate:The name for the baptisedperson who is preparing tocelebrate the Sacrament ofConfirmation.Oil of chrism: The oil usedin Baptism, Confirmation andfor the ordination of priestsand bishops. It is blessed bythe bishop during the ChrismMass, which is celebratedduring Holy Week. Afterwards,this oil is used in any Baptismsor Confirmations that arecelebrated in the dioceseduring the year.Confirmation name: A namechosen by a Confirmationcandidate as a sign that theyare ready to begin to live in anew way. It is recommendedthat the candidates forConfirmation choose thename of a saint for theirConfirmation name.Confirmation sponsor:A person chosen by aConfirmation candidate tosupport him or her in theirjourney as a follower ofJesus. Ideally this will bethe candidate’s baptismalgodparent, but it can be anyperson over the age of sixteenwho is a practising Catholic.110THEME 10: CONFIRMATION (THE HOLY SPIRIT) LESSON 3The Liturgy of ConfirmationTHE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATIONDuring the Sacrament of Confirmation the priest orbishop asks the Confirmation candidates to confirm thepromises that were made on their behalf at Baptism. TheSacrament of Confirmation is their opportunity to renewthose promises themselves as disciples of Jesus.THINK ABOUT IT Are you looking forward to being confirmed? Why orwhy not?THE RITE OF CONFIRMATIONThere are four parts to the Rite of Confirmation.1: Calling by nameAfter the Readings and the homily, each of theConfirmation candidates is called by name and askedto stand. The celebrant explains what it means to beconfirmed.2: Renewal of baptismal promisesThe candidates are asked to renew their baptismalpromises. These are the promises their families made ontheir behalf when they were baptised. They are now oldenough to make these promises themselves. This is theirway of saying that they want to confirm the promisesmade on their behalf at Baptism.3: Laying on of hands and calling upon the Holy SpiritIn Old Testament times the laying on of hands was a signof blessing. The Gospels tell us that, following in thistradition, Jesus placed his hands on people as a sign ofblessing or healing. The Acts of the Apostles also tells usthat, after Pentecost, Peter and John laid their hands onthe newly baptised followers of Jesus, ‘and they receivedthe Holy Spirit’ (Acts of the Apostles 8:17).So, too, in Confirmation the celebrant lays his handsupon those whom he is confirming (by extending his handsover them). This is a sign that the gift of the Holy Spiritis being given to them. The celebrant then says a specialprayer to call down the Holy Spirit upon those who areabout to be confirmed.4: Anointing with chrismThe candidates go forward to the celebrant to be anointedwith the oil of chrism. The celebrant addresses eachGrow in Love Sixth Class

IN SCHOOLcandidate by name as he anoints them with chrism. Thecelebrant dips his right thumb in the chrism and makes thesign of the cross on the forehead of the candidate, saying,‘(Name), be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ Thecelebrant then offers the newly confirmed person a sign ofpeace.CONFIRMATION NAMES AND CONFIRMATIONSPONSORSFor our Baptism, our names and godparents were chosenfor us by our families. We choose our own Confirmationnames and sponsors, with guidance from our parents.Confirmation NamesNames are special and important. Everyone knows us byour name. God knows us by our name. God says to us, ‘Ihave called you by your name – you are mine.’People usually choose a new name at Confirmation as asign that they are ready to try to live in a new way as afollower of Jesus.Theme 10: Confirmation (The Holy Spirit) Lesson 3: The Liturgy of Confirmation111

IN SCHOOLMarkJamesAnneIn the Old and New Testaments we find many people whochanged their names during important times in their lives.For example: In the Old Testament, Abram became Abraham after heentered into a covenant with God. God promised thathe would lead Abram to a new land and that he wouldgive him the gift of descendants. In the New Testament, Saul became Paul. Saul wasoriginally one of the people who persecuted thefollowers of Jesus. He would find and capture themand put them in prison. One day, however, on his wayto the city of Damascus, Saul saw a blinding light andheard the voice of Jesus. Jesus asked Saul why he wasattacking Christians. After this experience, Saul waschanged. He believed that Jesus was God’s Son and hedecided to dedicate his life to helping others to cometo know that too. He then became known as Paul. (SeeActs of the Apostles 9:1-20.)When a Pope is elected, he chooses a new name to signifythat he is now the chief shepherd of the Church. JorgeBergoglio was the first Pope to choose the name Francis,after St Francis of Assisi.It is recommended that candidates for Confirmationchoose the name of a saint for their Confirmation name,because the saints remind us of how to live our lives astrue followers of Jesus.ClareFOR MEMORISATIONIn the Sacrament ofConfirmation we receive thegift of the Holy Spirit and weremember and renew ourbaptismal promises.112JOURNAL EXERCISE: MY CONFIRMATION NAME In your Religious Education journal, write out anddecorate the name you have chosen for Confirmation.Write a paragraph to explain why you chose this name.Confirmation SponsorsFor a child’s Baptism, it is parents, along with otherfamily members, who choose godparents to help them toraise their child to know and love God. In Confirmation,candidates choose for themselves a person who will helpthem to live a Christian life, strengthened by the HolySpirit.It is often a good idea for candidates to ask a godparentto be their Confirmation sponsor, as it is likely that he/she has journeyed with them for most of their lives. Insome cases, this is not possible. Candidates can thereforethink of someone else who will support their decision tolive as a follower of Jesus and as a member of the Church.This person should be a confirmed, practising Catholicwho has received Holy Communion. Except in unusualcircumstances, they must not be less than sixteen years old.Grow in Love Sixth Class

AT HOMETHIS WEEKThe children learned that, in Confirmation, we confirmthe promises made on our behalf at Baptism. TheSacrament of Confirmation is our opportunity to renewthose promises ourselves as disciples of Jesus. Duringthe Confirmation rite the celebrant (a bishop or priest)calls on God’s Spirit to come upon the candidates forConfirmation. Each candidate is then accompanied bytheir sponsor to be anointed by the celebrant with the oilof chrism.Pray this prayer together:Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.Enkindle in us the fire of your love.Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created,And you shall renew the face of the earth. Amen.DID YOU KNOW?Each candidate forConfirmation chooses a newname as a sign that they areready to live in a new way as afollower of Jesus.TIME TOGETHERChat TogetherThere is no obligation tocelebrate your Confirmationat the end of primary school.Chat about whether ornot now is the right timeto confirm that you are amember of the Church. It is abig commitment!Record and ShareCan you think of three reasonswhy you would celebrate yourConfirmation? Record thesein your Religious Educationjournal. Share your work withyour parent or guardian.Be InformedBe sure you know what you aresaying ‘Yes’ to if you decide tocelebrate the Sacrament ofConfirmation.Theme 10: Confirmation (The Holy Spirit) Lesson 3: The Liturgy of Confirmation113

IN SCHOOLTHIS WEEK IN SCHOOLYou are invited to think about: The needs of people in yourschool and community,in the country and in theworld Ways in which you couldrespond to some of theseneeds with the help of theHoly Spirit How the Holy Spirit can beseen at work in the lives ofpeople of faithTHEME 10: CONFIRMATION (THE HOLY SPIRIT) LESSON 4Making a Difference afterConfirmationTHE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRITAt our Baptism we received the Holy Spirit for the firsttime. In Confirmation, we receive the fullness of the HolySpirit. This means that the Holy Spirit is strengthenedwithin us.The Holy Spirit is ready to inspire us to live our lives asfollowers of Jesus if our hearts are open to the Spirit’sguidance. This same Holy Spirit has inspired millions ofpeople since the time of Christ.CHRISTIAN HEROESRead the following descriptions of how the Holy Spiritinspired these people to be Christian heroes, spreadingthe Good News about Jesus and about God’s love far andwide.St PeterJust moments after receiving the Holy Spirit on the dayof Pentecost, as Jesus had promised would happen,Peter spoke to the crowd of people who had gathered inJerusalem (Acts of the Apostles 2:14-42). He knew thatthey needed to hear that Jesus was God’s Son, and thathe had come on earth to show people a new way to liveand a new way to love. Peter was so convincing that aboutthree thousand people were baptised that very day. Soonafter that, Peter cured a man who could not walk, whowas sitting outside the Temple (Acts of the Apostles 3:110). According to Christian tradition, Peter was crucifiedin Rome under Emperor Nero, who persecuted manyChristians. It is believed that he asked to be crucifiedupside down, since he saw himself unworthy to be crucifiedin the same way as Jesus.St PatrickSt Patrick came to Ireland as a young boy some time inthe fourth century. He was brought here as a slave andhe lived a lonely life for many years. Patrick eventuallyescaped and found his way home to his family. He oftenprayed to God and listened for God’s response. With thehelp of the Holy Spirit, he eventually became a priest andreturned to Ireland to tell the people the Good News ofGod’s love. He knew that this was a message the Irishpeople needed to hear.114Grow in Love Sixth Class

IN SCHOOLVenerable Catherine McAuleyCatherine McAuley was born into a wealthy familyin Dublin in 1778. When she inherited a large sum ofmoney, she could have done anything she liked with it.Inspired by the Holy Spirit, however, she decided to buya large building on Baggot Street, Dublin, so that shecould provide a home for and educate young women andchildren from poor backgrounds. Many women joined herto help her. In 1831 Catherine McAuley and two of her coworkers took religious vows. This was the beginning of theCongregation of the Sisters of Mercy. By 2018 there weremore than 9,000 Sisters of Mercy working all around theworld in the name of Catherine McAuley.St Teresa of Calcutta (Kolkata)St Teresa was born in Albania in 1910. When she waseighteen years old she moved to Ireland. Later she movedto Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, where she lived for mostof her life. St Teresa became very distressed when she sawthe living conditions of the poor of Calcutta. People whowere sick and even dying had nowhere to go and no one tolook after them, so they would simply lie down on the sideof the street. Medicine was in short supply, as was foodand education. Inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit, StTeresa worked with other women to open the hospitals,orphanages and schools that the people so desperatelyneeded. These places continue to offer help and support topeople today.WE, TOO, CAN BE CHRISTIAN HEROES!You are now strengthened with the same Holy Spiritthat inspired and guided St Peter, St Patrick, CatherineMcAuley and St Teresa of Calcutta (Kolkata). The gifts ofthe Holy Spirit are sealed in you. You now have the powerand ability to make a difference in the world, just likethese people did. You, too, can be a Christian hero!There are many, many needs in today’s world. We canbe Christian heroes by responding to those needs. So thequestion is: what will you do?Theme 10: Confirmation (The Holy Spirit) Lesson 4: Making a Difference after Confirmation115

IN SCHOOLHere are some statements from children who celebratedtheir Confirmation recently, telling us about how theyresponded to different needs in their local community:‘Everyone in our class decided to give ten per cent of themoney that they got for their Confirmation to a charitythat helps the families of children who have cystic fibrosis.There is a boy in our class who suffers from it and he has tospend a lot of time in hospital.’‘We visited the local SPCA (Society for the Protection ofCruelty to Animals) and learned about the work they do inrescuing and helping abandoned animals. Then we had aninformation campaign in our school to tell everyone howimportant it is to care for and respect animals.’‘We ran a cake sale one Friday last month. We all broughtin cakes and sold them in the hall just before lunchtime.We raised 150 for Focus Ireland.’‘Five of us in Sixth Class have volunteered to be YardBuddies for the children in the younger classes. Thisinvolves teaching the little ones new games that they canplay at lunchtime. We also teach them how to share, taketurns, use kind words and wait patiently. We wear high-visjackets that say “Yard Buddy” on them.’‘We help children in Second Class to practise their readingby going to their class at 10:50 am every day to read withthem for ten minutes before small break.’‘We joined with loads of other groups to take part in TeamLimerick Clean-Up. This is where thousands of people taketo the streets of Limerick to do one big clean-up on GoodFriday. This year we collected 98 tonnes of litter.’THINK ABOUT IT What are some of the needs in your local community, inthe country or in the world today? What can you do tohelp?FOR MEMORISATIONStrengthened by the HolySpirit in Confirmation, we canmake a difference in the world.116Grow in Love Sixth Class

AT HOMETHIS WEEKThe children have reflected on how, now that the day oftheir Confirmation is over, their work as newly confirmedfollowers of Jesus is only just beginning. The gifts of theHoly Spirit have been sealed in them. These gifts willstrengthen them to live as followers of Jesus and toaddress the needs that they see around them. The childrenhave looked at some examples of how people throughouthistory addressed the needs of their own time. They havealso seen examples of how other children have beenresponding to the needs in their communities since theirConfirmation.Read the poem ‘Inspired’ together.InspiredThe big day has passed, all the work it is done,But, thanks to the Spirit, a new life has begun.Confirmed by the bishop, with chrism anointed,Sealed with the Spirit, new disciples appointed.The Spirit is there to inspire you each dayTo be like Jesus as you work and pray.Fruits and gifts to use and to shareAt home, in school and everywhere.If you are anxious or have challenges to face,Remember that God

Knowledge The Holy Spirit's gift of Knowledge helps Christians to know and understand God's truth and God's plan for us in a deeper way. Full knowledge of God can only come about by God revealing certain truths to us - which we call Divine Revelation. Reverence [Piety] The Holy Spirit's gift of Reverence helps Christians to show