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The Sisters Clare: Preparing for Confirmation by By A.G.R.
New York: ***************
New York ********************************** The Sisters Clare: Preparing for Confirmation ********************************** “I wish I could make up my mind about Confirmation!” exclaimed Maria Clare, with a sigh. She was standing at the gate of a cottage in the April twilight, idly twisting the budding lilac leaves. “I don’t want to be confirmed yet, Maria; that is the truth of it,” answered her cousin, Clara. After all, what is the necessity of it? We are only sixteen now, and there is plenty of time to think of those things. Besides, Aunt Susan told me that girls should never be confirmed till after twenty. They ought to wait till they have had a chance to experience the vanity of the world. It is just as she says--you can’t expect young people to be saints.” “I hardly hope to be a saint,” replied Maria, thoughtfully. “But then if I do not begin soon, it will be worse and worse as I grow older. It is harder for me to do right now than it was two years ago. I am not half as good as Kitty.” “O, Kitty is no standard for us!” answered here cousin, impatiently. “You know she never cared about any thing but hymns and poor children. You can’t be like Kitty. What is the use of trying? Come walk with me to the milliner’s and buy the trimming for our spring bonnets.” “I cannot go this evening; it is too late,” replied Maria, turning away to enter the house. “There is Kitty, reading in the parlor! She looks happy--but then, as Clara says, I can’t be like her. I wish I know what to do!” “What is your trouble, dear?” asked her mother, overhearing her last words. Maria hesitated. She had not intended to speak openly on the subject; but her mother’s kind face and gentle tone touched her heart with the feeling that she might be a safer confidante that her careless cousin. “I have been thinking of Confirmation,” she said, after a moment’s pause. “I should like to be confirmed--that is, I should like to be good, if it were not so much trouble. But I cannot quite make up my mind to it; and I don’t think I entirely understand it. If I knew exactly what I ought to do, perhaps it might be different. Clara says she sees no use in people being confirmed. She thinks they can be just as good, if they choose, without it.” “Do you remember what was done for you at your Baptism, my dear Maria?” asked her mother, gravely. “I was made ‘a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven,’” replied Maria, with a half unconscious repetition of the words she had been taught from childhood. “You speak very carelessly,” returned her mother with a sorrowful look. “Do you know what you are saying? Do you realize that in that Baptism you were indeed made ‘a member of Christ:’ of the Saviour who suffered and died for you-- ‘the child of God;’ of our heavenly Father, who has loved, and blessed, and protected you from your infancy until now-- ‘an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven;’ a kingdom so glorious that ‘eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard,’ nor the heart of man conceived the fullness of its beauty? And now are you willing to turn away from God--to be His child no longer? To serve the world which He has declared to be His enemy? To be a friend and ally of sin, the world, and the devil, instead of manfully fighting against them, as Christ’s faithful soldier and servant, to your life’s end?” Maria was silent, and Mrs. Clare went on. “I wish, my dear, to put the case very plainly before you. You are old enough now to understand and to act upon it. We brought you, when an infant, to Baptism, that by the regenerating grace of the Spirit in that Holy Sacrament you might be received into the family of God. Since then we have tried to instruct you in the ways of holiness. Now that you yourself have reached to years of discretion, you are called upon to make a deliberate choice. You cannot evade it. When Mr. Seldon last Sunday gave out the notice for Confirmation, it was to you, and to all who heard it, as a message from God, saying, ‘Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.’ Will you take the responsibility of turning away from Him who calls you? Will you secretly resolve to wait till you are tired of the world before you accept God’s mercy? Are you sure that He will receive you then, if you refuse Him now? Felix delayed for ‘a more convenient season.’ It never came; and he died as he had lived! Agrippa said to Paul, ‘almost thou persuades me to be a Christian.’ But it was only an ‘almost;’--and he, too, died without the blessing. Will you run the risk of following their examples?” “But, mother, it is so hard--it is such a sacrifice,” pleaded Maria, in a trembling voice. “Is it so hard, dear Maria?” asked her mother, earnestly. “So hard to feel that we are the children of God, and may look to Him as a loving Father? So hard to feel that He is ever with us, sympathizing in our griefs, bestowing our pleasures, ready to help us whenever we turn to Him? You know what it is to love an earthly friend--to find our greatest happiness in trying to please him, to feel his companionship the most precious blessing of our lives, to think ourselves amply repaid for any sacrifice by those smiles and words of love that make our hearts thrill with us. Carry this idea, then, from earth to heaven. God is such a Friend; and if we have this love for Him, His service will be the happness of our life.” “And do you think Confirmation would help me gain such a feeling?” inquired Maria. “I have no doubt of it,” answered her mother, “if you approach it in a proper spirit. As you are made God’s child by Baptism, so you are taught to obey Him, to reverence Him, to confide in Him--the same duties, but in a higher sense, as those you woe your earthly parents. Then, in Confirmation, you ratify your vows of obedience. You come to Him, and own Him for your Father and your Guide. He, on His part, bestows on you His Holy Spirit, which is given in the apostolic rite of ‘laying on of hands.’ You remember Christ’s Baptism. After He had come up from the Jordan, we are told that the Holy Spirit descended, like a dove, and rested upon Him. Upon His Ascension into Heaven, He commanded His Apostles to baptize all nations; and when baptized, these same Apostles imparted to them Confirmation and strength by laying on of hands. You will see numerous examples of this in the New Testament, particularly in the book of the Acts. The usual expression is, ‘Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.’ That blessed Gift is still bestowed on those who approach this Holy rite with humility and earnestness.” “But I am not good enough to be confirmed,” said Maria, with some hesitation. “Confirmation is given to make you good,” replied her mother, seriously. “one great requisite for Confirmation is earnestness. The question is not how much we feel, or how good we are, but do we really desire to live as true Christians? Are we really willing, by God’s help, to try to obey Him in our daily life? St Bernard compares God to a painter or writer who is guiding the hand of a child. All that is necessary is, that the child will let it be guided. Think of the vows of your Baptism-- ‘to renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the sinful desires of the flesh. Obediently to keep God’s holy commandments, and walk in same all the days of your life.’ God will assist you to do this, provided you are willing. You must be in earnest here. There must be a sincere intention; excited feeling is not so necessary.” “Must there not be true repentance?” asked Maria. “ I don’t know that I feel as I ought about that.” “Undoubtedly, my dear,” answered Mrs. Clare-- “only you must remember that action, not merely feeling, is the test of repentance. To repent is to be sorry for our sins, and to forsake them. Too many persons forget the latter clause of that definition. An agony of sorrow will be useless unless we leave off the sin which occasioned it. I would rather see you make one earnest, sober effort to overcome a fault, that to find you drowned in tears and bitterly bewailing it,--if afterward you dried your tears and did no better. When you look back upon you life you will see many faults, many sins, many things that are wrong and wicked. Think that those have offended God--that if you continue them you cannot expect His blessing. Kneel down and pray that He will forgive you, and enable you to overcome them, and do them no more. When your prayer is ended, put it into practice. Every day keep watch for the little occasions of sin. Resist those temptations, every one of them, with prayer and earnestness. This you can do if you will. With God’s grace, it is in your power;--as much so as learning your lessons, or acquiring any habit. Thus you will gain repentance. Feeling will deepen afterward. As you grow in the love of God you will feel a deeper sorrow for having sinned against Him. This is the true teaching of the Church. Not a fierce storm of remorse at first; settling down afterward into a dead calm--not a ‘blazing experience,’ which very soon burns to ashes--but a sober renunciation of evil, and an earnest obedience to God; a principle which just infuse itself into the smallest matters of daily life. If you are really willing to make such efforts, you will come to Confirmation with humility; knowing that, as you say, you are not good, that you are very weak and sinful, and if left to yourself would do only evil--yet trusting in God’s grace to strengthen and to bless you. Do you remember the responses in the Confirmation service? ‘Our help is in the name of the Lord’-- ‘who hath made heaven and earth.’” Kitty Clare had been an unnoticed hearer of this conversation. Her book had dropped from her hand, and as her mother was speaking she gradually drew nearer her chair. Kitty was very good and very gentle. No one could be with her for a day without seeing that she was living a holy life. It was a humble life, for she did no great things, and made no parade of her feelings or her duties; but she loved to think of God, and love to please Him. Her goodness too was very pleasant and cheerful. She said one day to her cousin Clara,-- “I do not know why you wonder at my gayety. Why should it make me unhappy to feel that God loves me--that He gives me every enjoyment I have; little blessing as well as great--that is trouble ever comes to me, as they say it comes to every one, He will take care of me, and will never let it really harm me--that He promised to give me true happiness here, and perfect happiness hereafter? You are always talking of the pleasures of the world--and you dress and dance and go to parties; and yet you complain of being tired and dull, that you care for no one, and no one cares for you--and half the time you yawn, and tell me that every thing is stupid. If you should be sick or in sorrow I don’t know what you would do. You could not enjoy the world then, and you have nothing else to turn to. And if you should die--Oh, Clara! I do not wonder that you dread the thought of death. Don’t speak of sacrifice, or duties, or trials! Can’t you see at a glance that my life is happier than yours?” Kitty too, as well as Maria and Clara, had been thinking of Confirmation. She desired it very much, yet she feared she might be unworthy of the blessing; for, like all truly good persons, she was humble and self-distrustful, and never thought herself better than her neighbors. As Mrs. Clare paused in her conversation with Maria, Kitty said-- “Do you think I could be confirmed, mother? Am I too young?” “No, my dear,” answered her mother; you will be fifteen in the winter, and you are old enough to understand and appreciate the responsibility and privilege. I had meant to propose it to you myself, and am glad that you have spoken to me.” “I heard what you were saying to Maria,” remarked Kitty earnestly-- ‘and I think, as she does, that I am not good enough, and not properly prepared for it. But I wish you would tell us some definite things to do. It seems as if we ought to be making some special preparation.” “That is a point which I was coming to,” answered Mrs. Clare with an approving smile. “As I said before, feeling which is not put into action is little worth. You might leave me now with an earnest feeling, a real desire to become what you ought to be; and yet by tomorrow morning the feeling might be gone, and you are no better than you were before. For this reason I wish to propose to you some duties which will help fix your feelings, and give them a proper direction. It is scarcely necessary for me to speak of prayer every morning and evening. You have been taught this from childhood; let it never be omitted. No day should dawn upon us without seeking God’s blessing; no night darken round us without imploring His protection. I would also advise you to read the Psalter and Lessons which the Prayerbook assigns for the day.” “But I do read the Bible every evening,” interrupted Maria. “I open at the interesting parts, and almost always go through a couple of chapters.” “Yes, but opening it here and there, and picking out what you call the ‘interesting parts,’ can do you comparatively little good,” replied her mother. “To obtain a real benefit the Bible should be read regularly and in course. The Psalter and Lessons familiarize us with the entire Word of God; and such appointed portions come home to us with far more power than those which our own fancy chooses.” “I remember about King Charles the Martyr,” said Kitty. “He was so much comforted on the morning of his execution because the Lesson for the day directed his thoughts to the crucifixion of Christ, the Great Example of suffering and patience.” “Just so,” answered Mrs. Clare. “He is not the only one who has found such consolation. Besides, in reading the Bible in this manner you will feel that you are obeying the Church, and realize the ‘Communion of Saints’ in the reflection that thousands of your fellow Christians are meditation with you upon the same holy words. But to go on with our list of duties. Besides your morning and evening prayers, I would very strongly recommend you to select some ‘Collect’ to repeat in the middle of the day. It will be occupy but a very few moments, and will help to fix your thoughts, and to remind you of God when you might perhaps be in danger of forgetting Him. The Collect for the ninth Sunday after Trinity-- ‘Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right’--is a great favorite of mine; but, as tastes differ, you had better choose one for yourselves. If you would try this plan faithfully--not do it one day and leave it undone the next--but observe it regularly, I believe you would find it of much service. We are so apt to lose ourselves through the day in the cares and pleasures of the world that we need some such reminder to keep God present in our thoughts.” “Yes,” said Maria, “I see that is a very definite thing. There would be nothing but want of inclination that could prevent us from doing it.” “Nothing else,” replied her mother-- “and I trust you will never let a want of inclination keep you back from a duty that can be done. We cannot always feel an emotion when we wish, but we can always do an outward duty. There is another thing,” she continued, after a moment’s pause. “As self-denial is such an important part of our religion, besides that it is a constant duty, the Church has set apart one day in the week as especially suitable for its practice. Just now particularly, while preparing for Confirmation, I would advise you to make it a rule to do at least one act of self-denial every Friday for the sake of principle, and in obedience to the Church. If you are in earnest in such an intention, you will find a thousand little ways of putting it into execution. Don’t be ostentatious about it. Remember through life never to make a display of any thing of the kind; but quietly give it a trial, sometimes in one way, sometimes in another. Perhaps in giving up your own will when you might have followed it; perhaps in doing a kindness to some one at the expense of some comfort and convenience to yourself. I need not go on to specify such occasions--you will discover them for yourselves. To use the words of Bishop Wilson, ‘it is necessary that we deny ourselves in little and indifferent things as ever we hope to get the rule over our own will. Say not, it is a trifle, and not fit to make a sacrifice of to God. It is not the thing, but the reason and manner of doing it, viz. for God sake, and that I may accustom myself to obey His voice, that God regards and rewards with greater degrees of grace.’” “Tell us something more,” said Kitty. “I like to find out things that I can really do.” “I don’t want to burden you with too many duties,” answered Mrs. Clare, with a half smile. “And yet I am anxious that you should learn to live by rule, by principle--not abandon yourself to fits and starts of religious feeling. I have only one more suggestion to make. You both have a great deal of leisure on Sunday, and I would advise you to set apart one hour every Sunday evening for self-examination and prayer. I know if you do this regularly, and persevere in it, you will find it an important help. I made that resolution for myself when I was about Kitty’s age, and had very little pleasure in such kinds of thought. Still I wanted to be good, and saw that this was one means to it. So I resolved upon it with no very great delight, and began the attempt. At first it was very wearisome. My thoughts would go straying about the world like butterflies in a flower-garden. The hour seemed six hundred minutes long instead of sixty. My pilgrimages to the clock were performed at the rate of a half a dozen in half an hour. But having once made the resolution, I did not dare to break it, so I persevered. For several months I found it very tiresome; then it began to grow more easy. There were often times when I was very strongly tempted to give it up: but by God’s grace, I was enabled to resist the temptation, and to go steadily on. When I look back upon my life, there is scarcely any thing I can think of which has done me more good. But to gain a real benefit, it must be persevered in every week in spite of all difficulties and discouragements. I have given you now several very definite directions, which I do most earnestly wish you would observe. As I said before, they depend upon yourselves. No doubt they require a good deal of care and watchfulness, but you will find yourselves well repaid for the trouble, and if properly used, they will be of much assistance in your preparation for Confirmation.” This conversation made a deep impression upon both Kitty and Maria. On Kitty’s heart it fell like the seed upon the fertile ground; and with true earnestness and humility, she knelt down that night to ask God to enable her to put it into practice. Maria, too, began to feel that the service of God would be truer happiness than the service of the world, and she also resolved to try to follow her mother’s advice. She was sitting thoughtfully by the window, reflecting upon what had passed. Kitty stood watching the moonlight that flooded the room with its silvery radiance,--shining over the village street with its grave and quiet light, and bringing the cross on the church’s spire into full relief against the dark blue sky. Suddenly she turned and said-- “I wish we had lived in the time of the Apostles. If one could have been confirmed by St John of St Paul, it would seem almost impossible to sin afterward.” “I don’t know,” replied Maria. “Do you remember what Mr. Seldon said about the Church never changing?” “Yes!” exclaimed Kitty, “I am so glad you reminded me of it. He told us that the Church was always the same. That it has the same privileges, the same sacraments, and the same blessings now as when the Apostles watched over it. That St Paul tells us we are compassed about with a ‘cloud of witnesses,’ who were once in the Church on earth, and are now in the Church Triumphant, and we are their companions and their brethren. Think of our being in the same communion with the ‘noble army of martyrs!’ Of our being signed with the cross like them--taking upon ourselves the same vows, and receiving the same Spirit!” “I suppose then, we ought to live like the martyrs, too” said Maria, with unusual seriousness. “Only I don’t see how we can.” “No,” returned Kitty, “we could never so holy; but we might try to copy their earnestness. Since they were faithful in much, we might endeavor to be faithful in little. God has only given us the opportunity of doing little things; but I should think we could do those little things with the same spirit in which they did their great ones. There is a story of two angels, sent into the world to serve God. The one governed kingdoms, and was a monarch; the other swept chimneys, and was a slave. Yet both were happy, and God loved not one more than the other, for in each heart glowed the same holy fire, and it mattered little how the hand moved, or under what different aspects life rose and set.” “I shall talk to mother again tomorrow morning,” said Maria after a short pause, “I wish Clara would not say the things she does--I don’t believe she will ever be confirmed.” Maria’s fears seemed justified the next morning, when Clara appeared in all the glory of her new Spring bonnet. “What are you reading?” she asked, peeping cautiously over Maria’s shoulder. “Dear me! Are you busy with a Catechism? I thought you were through that long ago. SO you are going to be confirmed, after all.” “I don’t know,” answered Maria with a half sigh. “I think now that I should like to be, if mother and Mr. Seldon are satisfied about me.” “Well,” replied Clara, “you can do as you please; but I am young, and I mean to enjoy myself. There’s time enough before me! One of these days I shall make a better Christian than either of you; but just now I would rather be what I am.” “You remind me of little Willie Banks,” said Kitty. “His aunt was telling him the other night of a child who died in a meadow, and was carried to Paradise by the angels. ‘No, no,’ screamed Willie, ‘I’ve a good time enough now. I don’t want to die and go to heaven!’ That is just like you, Clara. Only your ‘good time’ will not always last; and then you will not find it so easy to be a Christian as you think. If you leave God now, He may leave you then. Perhaps you may never live to see another Confirmation. Don’t you recollect how suddenly Fanny Brown died? Suppose she had waited like you, what would have become of her then?” “I wish you wouldn’t talk so,” exclaimed Clara, uneasily. “Maria, tell me what you mean to do about parties and such things. Shall you never go out any more?” “About that, mother said we could not make a rule which would suit everybody,” replied Maria, “but she gave us a general principle by which we could decide. You tell it, Kitty. You can remember it better than I.” “She said we were to judge for ourselves,” remarked Kitty, “whether any amusement did us harm. That is, whether by indulgence in it we lost our relish for holy things. For instance, if it occupied our thoughts so much as to make it tiresome for us to say our prayers, or to give us a distaste for our religious duties, we might know that it was wrong for us, whatever it might be for other people. As to going out; if we could carry Christ’s presence with us, and only go where He would be welcome, we should need no other guide.” “I almost wish I could feel as you do,” said Clara, with sudden seriousness. “But no, it is too much trouble! I should have to give up too many things. Good-bye; I am going out to ride.” “Good-bye,” repeated Maria. “I wish you would change your mind.” “Mother,” said Kitty, as she sat down beside Mrs. Clare at the close of the day, “ do you really think I am prepared for Confirmation?” “As I told you yesterday, my dear,” replied her mother, “you must have a right understanding in what such preparation consists. It is not in your faultless goodness. Were it so, none might dare to approach the Font of Altar. It is not in mere feeling; for feeling is very often nothing more than a passing sentiment. We are received as sinners, for Christ’s sake--sinners who confess ourselves to be such; but who are really and earnestly desirous of turning from our evil ways, and living, from this time, as God would have us live,--trusting alone in His Almighty aid. Come, then, to Confirmation with such humility and sincerity, realizing that it is but the commencement, not the end, of your Christian life. Ever afterward be diligent and earnest. Use the means of grace which the Church continually offers--prayers and study of Holy Scripture, sacraments, and services--all uniting to lift the heart to God, and to enable us to live above the world even while in the world. Strive to realize the abiding presence of Christ with all His children, and personally with yourselves. When you rise in the morning, rise to His companionship. In the little duties of the day, imagine Him by your side, and act as with His eye upon you. See in your daily mercies an evidence of His love, and for those mercies thank and praise Him with your lips and with your lives. As He loves you, so, from His example, learn to love and labor for those around you. You, as Christians, are to do Christ’s work in the sphere in which He has placed you. You are to show in your character and conduct the fruits of His religion. ‘Gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance, faith.’ These are the virtues which, exemplified in you, will draw others to walk in the path that you are treading. And with the desire to please Him you will find sufficient opportunities. To the poor you may be as ministers of mercy--to your younger sisters as winning guides--to your companions and friends as persuasive illustrations of the beauty of holiness. Not that you will attain to this at once. Temptations and discouragements will come to you as to every one; but prayer and perseverance are the remedies for all. The straight and narrow way is no flowery path. Flowers do blossom there, more beautiful and fragrant than any which the world can offer. But they grow in the clefts of the rocks which we climb, and in the depths of the valleys where we must descend. Yet as we travel on that road, it becomes more easy and more peaceful. Heaven’s sunshine streams over it, and heaven’s glory is beyond. And when the goal at last is reached, we shall regret no labor, shall grieve over no sacrifice that has been made for the sake of Christ, and that has gained for us His welcome, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’” “And do you think that after we are confirmed we ought to receive the Holy Communion?” asked Kitty, with some hesitation. “Certainly,” replied her mother; “the preparation for the Holy Communion is the same as for Confirmation. Besides, it is the Sacrament which Christ Himself appointed to sustain and increase the grace given us in Baptism and in the ‘laying on of hands.’ If you approach it reverently, remembering the Saviour who died upon the cross for you, you will find it the greatest help in a holy life.” “But I am afraid we are not fit,” said Kitty, again. “It seems as if one ought to be so very good to partake of so great a blessing.” “I will answer you,” returned Mrs. Clare, “in the words of another. ‘I cannot find it written, “Come, ye washed, ye cleansed, ye perfect ones! Come hither, ye strong, ye sanctified, ye assured!” It is “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.” “Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” Willingness and need! “The lost.” It was the name of them whom Jesus came to save! “Ready to perish.” It is the only readiness that Jesus speaks of!” Mrs. Clare paused a moment. Both the girls were silent, and she continued: “Once more I must earnestly advice you to resolve that you will never neglect an opportunity of receiving the Holy Communion. It is, as you have said, so great a blessing, that I believe it must be a terrible sin ever to turn away from it, or to miss its reception when we can help it. And now, in the month which will elapse before Confirmation is administered, I shall hope, I shall pray, that you will use every means of growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ--that you will be diligent in the discharge of every duty--faithful in observing the rules which have been recommended--careful to avoid every occasion of sin, and to resist all temptations--and, above all, very earnest in asking God for His aid and blessing.” ************************* The month had passed! It was a lovely night in May, when the last rays of the sun were dying out in the West, and the wind blew softly over the early flowers. A crowd of people, young and old, were entering the church, and among the rest Maria and Kitty walked quietly and silently. It was a very solemn thing to feel that they were coming into the presence of God, there to ratify, by their lips and by their hearts, the vows which bound them to His service. Clara, too, was there--but she came as a spectator, not an actor, in the holy scene. She had chosen the world, and rejected the blessings of God. The beautiful evening had no voice of peace for her. She saw nothing of the light of Heavens which shines upon the Christian’s path, and grows brighter and brighter through death and through eternity. But to Kitty and to Maria these things were a reality. They felt that they had indeed made choice of that “better part” which should not be taken from them; and that choice they never through life regretted. As they knelt by the chancel rails--feeling themselves unworthy of the blessing--yet humbly trusting in God’s mercy, and thinking Him for His goodness-the Bishop, like the Apostles of old, laid his hands upon them, and breathed for them the prayer, “Defend, O Lord, these Thy servants with Thy heavenly grace, that they may continue Thine forever, and daily increase in Thy Holy Spirit more and more until they come into Thine everlasting Kingdom!” And although the Spirit of God was manifested by no outward token, yet it came invisibly and in truth like the Holy Dove, and rested upon them to remain forever, and unless they themselves should grieve it into flight--to keep them and to guide them to Paradise. All, at last, was over. The vow was made, and the blessing given; and as they passed from the church door, they looked up into the sky, where the stars were shining. Heaven seemed very near them then; the love of God was felt as it had never been felt before! And life was not before them--a life of faith, and hope, and charity. As they prayed for grace to fulfill its duties, and to grow in the Christian’s joy, there came to mind the dedication of their Baptism, renewed in Confirmation, to be remembered from day to day and ever-- “We receive this child into the congregation of Christ’s flock, and do sign her with the sign of the cross, in token that hereafter she shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under His banner against sin, the world, and the devil--and to continue Christ’s faithful soldier and servant unto her life’s end!” Sponsored by St Athanasius Press
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