Confirmation TEST?

[slewi]

Timidity:

Do you really think priests sit around all day except when they’re saying Mass?

Not at all. But they do need to take a more proactive part of the class. Since these classes started in September, we have seen each one only once. They shouldn’t be leaving something as important as RCIA to lay people.

 

[dmm2000]

I believe testing is not only good, but necessary. The test is to strengthen one’s faith through knowledge.

Testing in it’s essence is to strengthen something or somebody. When I think of testing, I thinking of steel being “tested” (strengthened). Tests help people have a more structured learning and understanding of the faith. Proper catechesis should include some form of testing to strengthen and prepare our faithful.

Striding to do well on a “test” also reflects one’s desire to receive sacraments. I am an 8th grade catechist, and I routinely give the kids a test. The test is the same week in / week out. They get to take it home and prepare for the next week.

My goal is to drill, through repetition, into their memories tenants of our faith, so that it may be easily recalled. I do not treat this as a graduation, but as a starting point. To share in the kingship, preisthood and prophethood of Jesus, one most use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, testing / drilling tenants of the faith will lay a good foundation.

My prayer for them is to build on this knowledge and grow in understanding and Wisdom, through life experiences (tests). So that they will reflect piety, fear of the Lord, courage and seek counsel in the Holy Spirit.

Peace

 

[revejj2000]

When my sixth grade class was preparing for Confirmation, in 1973, Sister Ann Mary made each student come up to her desk and she asked us to recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, the Apostle’s Creed, the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and other information to see if we were ready to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

I was already confirmed at baptism for I was baptized in the Byzantine Catholic Church. Edwin and I had to still be “tested” on our knowledge of the Faith and the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Fr. Bro.

 

[frommi]

dmm2000:

I believe testing is not only good, but necessary. The test is to strengthen one’s faith through knowledge.

Testing in it’s essence is to strengthen something or somebody. When I think of testing, I thinking of steel being “tested” (strengthened). Tests help people have a more structured learning and understanding of the faith. Proper catechesis should include some form of testing to strengthen and prepare our faithful.

Striding to do well on a “test” also reflects one’s desire to receive sacraments. I am an 8th grade catechist, and I routinely give the kids a test. The test is the same week in / week out. They get to take it home and prepare for the next week.

My goal is to drill, through repetition, into their memories tenants of our faith, so that it may be easily recalled. I do not treat this as a graduation, but as a starting point. To share in the kingship, preisthood and prophethood of Jesus, one most use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, testing / drilling tenants of the faith will lay a good foundation.

My prayer for them is to build on this knowledge and grow in understanding and Wisdom, through life experiences (tests). So that they will reflect piety, fear of the Lord, courage and seek counsel in the Holy Spirit.

Peace

And while a noble intention, its not appropriate to use the free gifts of God as the motiviation to pass this ‘test’.

Unless I missed the Gospel injunction where it said “And after passing the test about all he had taught them, Jesus breathed on them and said 'receive the Holy Spirit”

 

[thistle]

frommi:

And while a noble intention, its not appropriate to use the free gifts of God as the motiviation to pass this ‘test’.

Unless I missed the Gospel injunction where it said “And after passing the test about all he had taught them, Jesus breathed on them and said 'receive the Holy Spirit”

I can’t find anything about a test.
John 20:21-22 says “Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father sent me so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them Receive the Holy Spirit”

 

[dmm2000]

frommi:

And while a noble intention, its not appropriate to use the free gifts of God as the motiviation to pass this ‘test’.

Unless I missed the Gospel injunction where it said “And after passing the test about all he had taught them, Jesus breathed on them and said 'receive the Holy Spirit”

Frommi,

I may misunderstand your statement, but I am not using the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as motivation to pass the test.

I am using the test in hope that the kids will be more open to reception of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, through their participation in preparation to recieve those gifts. And to increase their knowledge of the faith. It is my experience that testing helps children focus on the information presented to them. When they are not tested, they do not seem to think the information is important, and their attention drifts during the time we have together.

Again “testing” is a means to the end “God’s Life / Grace”.

Peace

 

[frommi]

dmm2000:

Frommi,

I may misunderstand your statement, but I am not using the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as motivation to pass the test.

I am using the test in hope that the kids will be more open to reception of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, through their participation in preparation to recieve those gifts. And to increase their knowledge of the faith. It is my experience that testing helps children focus on the information presented to them. When they are not tested, they do not seem to think the information is important, and their attention drifts during the time we have together.

Again “testing” is a means to the end “God’s Life / Grace”.

Peace

All I’m saying is that passing the ‘test’ should not be a prerequisite for receiving the sacraments.

 

[Confiteor]

Having taught in two different parishes, I’ve found that the parish that “tests” at least produces students that take the acquisition of faith knowledge more seriously. (Learning disabled students are handled differently.) No, they may not remember all they learn, but the program that does not test led to a very casual approach to things like CCD attendance, Mass attendance, and little or no knowledge of doctrinal things by the time they were confirmed. Part of this was the casual structure of the program, part of it the dumbed down materials that were used for instruction which had to be supplemented extensively for them to learn much at all. While it may be a stretch to say a test should be required to receive the sacrament, it certainly produces a more knowledgable student.

 

[dmm2000]

frommi:

All I’m saying is that passing the ‘test’ should not be a prerequisite for receiving the sacraments.

Regarding confirmation, I agree that this should not be a prerequisite.

I do have a question regarding Holy Orders, do not seminarians have to take tests during courses?

 

[frommi]

dmm2000:

Regarding confirmation, I agree that this should not be a prerequisite.

I do have a question regarding Holy Orders, do not seminarians have to take tests during courses?

Holy Orders would be different…after all…no one has a ‘right’ to Holy Orders like they do with the sacraments of initiation.

 

[dmm2000]

frommi:

Holy Orders would be different…after all…no one has a ‘right’ to Holy Orders like they do with the sacraments of initiation.

Good point.

 

[BlestOne]

frommi:

All I’m saying is that passing the ‘test’ should not be a prerequisite for receiving the sacraments.

I guess I just plain disagree with you Frommi…
I understand what you are saying that a test should not be a requirement to receive the Holy Spirit, but what we are talking about is making sure that a canidate is knowledgeable and prepared for this momentus occasion. Do you not agree that a person should demonstrate an understanding of their faith when making the decision to ask to receive the Holy Spirit? Testing a person ensures that they know about the sacrament and are making an informed choice. As for the fear of forgetting everything after the test…No Way has that been my experience. I have 2 confirmed of my four and 1 in preparation now. We all talk quite often about our faith and each of the siblings has helped the ones that are in preparation. I cannot believe that my family that different than any other family in the Catholic Church. My oldest and I spent hours researching stuff when he was in the preparation phase. He and I, along with my husband helped the next one, and so on… When we are all together I will ask them questions (all 4 of them) to see how much they know and how much they remember of what they have learned. By the time I hit the 4th one in Confirmation prep, she should be an expert! The more my children learn, the more I learn too!

 

[palmas85]

frommi:

And while a noble intention, its not appropriate to use the free gifts of God as the motiviation to pass this ‘test’.

Unless I missed the Gospel injunction where it said “And after passing the test about all he had taught them, Jesus breathed on them and said 'receive the Holy Spirit”

I don’t know. I went through catechism in the late 50’s and early 60’s using the old Baltimore Catechism. We got tested every Thursday of Friday from second or third garde all the way to 8th when we we got confiormed. Now true Baltimore was mostly memorization up until the 6th grade, but after that we actually had to elaborate on answers, essay questions and such.

I know for a fact that some people didn’t pass those tests , yours truly included, but we still got confirmed. The tests did help a LOT, and I think served a vital purpose.

As far as the statement about not finding a biblical injunction that sounds very sola scripturish

 

[frommi]

BlestOne:

I guess I just plain disagree with you Frommi…
I understand what you are saying that a test should not be a requirement to receive the Holy Spirit, but what we are talking about is making sure that a canidate is knowledgeable and prepared for this momentus occasion. Do you not agree that a person should demonstrate an understanding of their faith when making the decision to ask to receive the Holy Spirit?

I don’t agree with you.

The sacrament is not something we ask for, it’s something given to us. There is not a requirement of knowledge on the part of the recipient, nor should their be.

Again, it’s a free gift.

Now…do I think the catechesis you do with your family is laudable and necessary…ABSOLUTELY! I think we all need to know more about the faith we practice.

What I’m saying is simply that the two things should not be connected in such a way.

 

[dmm2000]

While I am a firm believer/practicer of testing as good for the preparation of a Confirmation candidate, it cannot be the end determinate of whether one can receive Confirmation, as Frommi has stated.

From the CCC:
**
****1308 ****Although Confirmation is sometimes called the “sacrament of Christian maturity,” we must not confuse adult faith with the adult age of natural growth, nor forget that the baptismal grace is a grace of free, unmerited election and does not need “ratification” to become effective. St. Thomas reminds us of this:

Age of body does not determine age of soul. Even in childhood man can attain spiritual maturity: as the book of Wisdom says: "For old age is not honored for length of time, or measured by number of years. "Many children, through the strength of the Holy Spirit they have received, have bravely fought for Christ even to the shedding of their blood.
**1309 ***Preparation *for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands.
**