The Beginning and a Model of Transmitting Faith to Confirmands

Abstract

The article reflects on one of the central themes of Christian catechesis, namely the preparation of boys and girls for the sacrament of Confirmation. Starting from empirical research and referring to the documents of the Magisterium, as well as to the personal experience of the catechist, it highlights the importance of understan-ding and valuing the experience of the confirmation candidates. It then reflects on the role of the priest, the catechist, the religion teacher, and also of all those who, as educators, accompany adolescents in their search for their own identity and their relationship with God.
With renewed trust in human experiencewhich, in very concrete terms, means trust in the experience of the confirmation candidates - the preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation can go beyond mere immediate preparation for the sacrament and become a time of evangelical discernment. Concretely, this means that within the preparation journey, young people will be able, at least to some extent, to reflect seriously on their own lives, starting from awareness and growing in the awareness that God has a plan for their lives. The article also reflects on the importance of the catechist’s experience and on his or her ability to integrate personal faith experience into catechesis, beyond any subjectivism or exclusivism.