Do you ever wish you could re-do a sacrament?

  • Thread starter Thread starter victrolatim
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
V

victrolatim

Guest
I think this a lot about my confirmation. Of course, I realize the sacrament is valid, but as I grew older I learned so much more from EWTN and my own reading about the meaning of the sacrament and understanding my faith then I did when I was in religious education. My religious education teachers around the high school age sort of ran out of things to talk about and the Bishop even wore a hockey jersey over his vestments to try and be “hip” during the confirmation mass. I just wish I had the understanding then that I do now.
 
I agree. I’d like to redo both my First Communion and my Confirmation. I did them both as part of a Catholic school class. In both cases, there was way too much emphasis on making sure we all walked down the aisle in a nice neat row and were well behaved in the pews, and not enough on what we were actually doing from a sacramental viewpoint. Most of what I learned about each sacrament came from my mother, not from the teachers in my Catholic school. My biggest memories of First Communion involve my mother having some headaches over getting me what she thought was an appropriate style of dress, and several tiffs with the Sister supervising us who among other things criticized my kneeling posture. I still have the same kneeling posture many decades later because of the way I am put together physically. I wish the day had been more about Jesus and less about dresses and a cranky Sister.

For Confirmation we had the Baltimore Catechism, which seemed to me to be very basic, again because I’d been taught at home. My mother reminded me that a lot of other students weren’t taught anything at home (this had been her experience when she volunteered for one year to teach CCD). In any event, I think we completed maybe 1/3 of the book before confirmation day.

I really wish there was some type of “adult renewal of vows” that we could take when we got to an age of more appreciation for the sacrament.
 
Of course, we cannot redo our baptisms or confirmations. We should be glad that we were baptized and confirmed in the Christ’s Church, established by Our Lord Himself here on earth. We can participate often in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance. Those are our sacraments of repetition. We should remember how lucky we are to be in full communion with His Church.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
I agree. I’d like to redo both my First Communion and my Confirmation. I did them both as part of a Catholic school class. In both cases, there was way too much emphasis on making sure we all walked down the aisle in a nice neat row and were well behaved in the pews, and not enough on what we were actually doing from a sacramental viewpoint. Most of what I learned about each sacrament came from my mother, not from the teachers in my Catholic school. My biggest memories of First Communion involve my mother having some headaches over getting me what she thought was an appropriate style of dress, and several tiffs with the Sister supervising us who among other things criticized my kneeling posture. I still have the same kneeling posture many decades later because of the way I am put together physically. I wish the day had been more about Jesus and less about dresses and a cranky Sister.

For Confirmation we had the Baltimore Catechism, which seemed to me to be very basic, again because I’d been taught at home. My mother reminded me that a lot of other students weren’t taught anything at home (this had been her experience when she volunteered for one year to teach CCD). In any event, I think we completed maybe 1/3 of the book before confirmation day.

I really wish there was some type of “adult renewal of vows” that we could take when we got to an age of more appreciation for the sacrament.
Click to expand...
We DO renew our Baptismal vows every Easter!! I realize many children don’t remember much about their First Holy Communion because of their age or they focused on other things at that age. But be thankful you now realize how important the Sacraments are. And try to help other young people understand the Sacredness of their Sacraments. I taught CCD for 20 years and I know what your mother meant. Parents need to take Their responsibility very seriously. The CCD class once a week or even the 5 day school, can’t do everything. Most of our Faith should be learned at home. If parents don’t know their faith, then it’s up to them to LEARN it. And there are sooo many wonderful ways to do so. EWTN, Catholic Answers, the Catholic Catechism etc. God Bless, Memaw
 
Wait… the Bishop wore a hockey jersey over his vestments!!!
 
Now just imagine how it would look if a visiting team turned up saying, “Father, I have been sent by God and the Pope to help your flock discover the meaning of their confirmations”!

😉
 
My confirmation. It was rather hurried and a procedure that had been overlooked, almost an afterthought, no bishop, but being a far off parish in an Eastern Catholic diocese I can understand the priest being given permissions. It is not something usually conferred on adults. Eastern Catholic infants are sealed with their confirmations at baptism. I was baptized Latin Catholic, and my parents abandoned the church shortly after my FHC. At least I didn’t live through the insanity of the 70’s, the Lord shielded me from that chaos, He brought me back when His church was on its way to recovery.
 
Only the Sacrament of Reconciliation but then I get to redo that regularly because I am very fallible 😃 .

I know I did not fully understand baptism at less than two weeks old, First Holy Communion (8) and Confirmation (40 something). But I would not change a thing because my journey may have been slow and messy with decades of wandering off, but each one was and is, an essential blessing. I am grateful for the gifts of the Sacraments, even though it took a long time for me to start to appreciate and understand them. It is so awesomely humbling to realise just how patient our Father is.
 
victrolatim said:
I think this a lot about my confirmation. Of course, I realize the sacrament is valid, but as I grew older I learned so much more from EWTN and my own reading about the meaning of the sacrament and understanding my faith then I did when I was in religious education. My religious education teachers around the high school age sort of ran out of things to talk about and the Bishop even wore a hockey jersey over his vestments to try and be “hip” during the confirmation mass. I just wish I had the understanding then that I do now.
Click to expand...
Yes. I wish I was aware of my baptism. ( though I am incredibly thankful for my infant baptism). I wish I could redo almost every confession so I could do it better.

I wish we could redo two of my children’s baptisms.
 
The only thing I would wish to change is the timing. I’m a convert and I wish I would have done it 30 years before I actually did.
 
Not a redo, but I wish I could go back in time and not have agreed to a Pentecostal “believer’s (re)Baptism” I did at age 14. I was baptized at birth in the Catholic Church, trained through Catholic grade school, but was swayed by my own youthful hubris and well meaning, yet erroneous, Protestant teachings.

Impossible to know for sure, but perhaps I wouldn’t have spent the better part of these last 25+ years believing I was no longer Catholic. I am, and always was, Catholic!!! It just took me awhile to open up my eyes and heart.
 
JenniferPrays said:
Not a redo, but I wish I could go back in time and not have agreed to a Pentecostal “believer’s (re)Baptism” I did at age 14. I was baptized at birth in the Catholic Church, trained through Catholic grade school, but was swayed by my own youthful hubris and well meaning, yet erroneous, Protestant teachings.

Impossible to know for sure, but perhaps I wouldn’t have spent the better part of these last 25+ years believing I was no longer Catholic. I am, and always was, Catholic!!! It just took me awhile to open up my eyes and heart.
Click to expand...
Welcome Home and thank God for all the graces you have received. So much beauty to discover. I am 80 years old, a lifelong Catholic and I am still learning. I love it. God Bless, Memaw
 
Horton said:
The only thing I would wish to change is the timing. I’m a convert and I wish I would have done it 30 years before I actually did.
Click to expand...
Welcome Home and God Bless on your new journey. God Bless, Memaw
 
So long as God is present, calling us to Himself, we would do better to make sure subsequent sacraments were very well appreciated, received with reverence, and understood.
I’ve witnessed many Baptisms where the mama was worried abbot the little gown, the dad was worried about the pictures, and the grandparents were worried about enough food at the reception.
In the end…God wins, the child is a Christian.
Todo bien.
 
Memaw said:
Welcome Home and God Bless on your new journey. God Bless, Memaw
Click to expand...
Thank you. I’ve been Catholic for awhile now but still wish I would have done it sooner. Everything in God’s time though.
 
No a redo exactly, I just wish I had paid more attention at the time of First Communion (2nd grade) and Confirmation (6th grade). I would have put more thought into picking a saint name for confirmation. I’m not sure second graders can really understand the enormity of First Holy Communion adequately.
 
Confession and Eucharist. Thankfully, I get to redo those as often as I like. 🙂

I think it’s natural that most of us are further along in our spiritual journey now than when we were first baptized or confirmed. It should be that way. Rather than wishing I was in a better place back then, I’m just thankful for where I am now and pray that I can make still further progress in holiness. Even though some sacraments like Baptism and Confirmation cannot be repeated, that is because the graces and effects are still with me. I can always recommit and call down upon those graces and ask that they be deepened in my soul.
 
Joe_5859 said:
Confession and Eucharist. Thankfully, I get to redo those as often as I like. 🙂

I think it’s natural that most of us are further along in our spiritual journey now than when we were first baptized or confirmed. It should be that way. Rather than wishing I was in a better place back then, I’m just thankful for where I am now and pray that I can make still further progress in holiness. Even though some sacraments like Baptism and Confirmation cannot be repeated, that is because the graces and effects are still with me. I can always recommit and call down upon those graces and ask that they be deepened in my soul.
Click to expand...
Perfect. 👍
 
This is my take for what its worth as a non-practicing, fallen away, Catholic. From what I seem to remember reading on caf confirmation is when we become adults in the faith, when we are called to a deeper practice.
Now for me I don’t remember my confirmation at all other than that I was confirmed(age 12) many, many years ago and had no idea what it meant.
I would think it really doesn’t matter that that is how it is,(not remembering) but that I am deepening my understanding of the faith or having an ongoing conversion. Isn’t this really the reason of confirmation? Granted I’m several decades late to start learning, but I am learning though not sure where it will lead me. The process of continuing to learn is what is important now that the confirmation, the formal ceremony has past, whether for someone like me who has fallen away or someone who has been tried and true to the faith to the best of their abilities.
Clear as mud?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top