11/30/2018

Q: What is the purpose of a confirmation name?
 
Leah Butts
St. Clairsville
 
   A: Did you know that new names were not always chosen for the sacrament of confirmation? Many a practice has, and had been, the individual keeping their own name, because, in fact, it was more commonplace that a boy or a girl already had a Christian name. I say that because the choice of a confirmation name should be a deliberate one, fruit of prayer and reflection.
   In choosing a confirmation name, we choose a saint’s name, requesting their prayerful assistance. Frequently, a confirmation name is chosen because the saint best exemplifies the desire of the one to be confirmed. The attributes for which the saint is known can be the determining factors for the one to be confirmed. For example, a young lady may choose St. Agnes for her attributes of purity, while a young man may choose St. Sebastian who is the patron saint for athletes.
   In any event, a confirmation name should be explored with the understanding that the candidate may be able to answer the question of why he or she chose that name in the first place. Those who choose their own name, especially their baptized name, especially if it is a Christian name, continue a long tradition just as those who choose a new name in honor of a particular saint.
 
   Q: What is your favorite prayer?
 
Joey Rice
Steubenville
   A: For me, this is a very difficult question to answer because frequently I choose a prayer for which the purpose of it has been prepared. One of the very first prayers, that I memorized as a child, would most certainly be one of my favorite prayers, for Jesus shared that prayer with us, namely, The Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father. The Lord’s Prayer has been described by the Fathers of the Church as a 55-word catechism; namely the richness of the words in this prayer cannot be exhausted.
   We are even reminded at the first word in the prayer our is not my. This pronoun itself shows us that we are members of a broader family of faith, and that we all share the same heavenly Father as brothers and sisters, because Jesus has made it so through his passion, death and resurrection. This prayer stating that we are family, focused on doing Jesus’ work, which means bringing the kingdom of God here to earth. Also, in praying this prayer with non-Catholics, I am repeatedly in awe how many people actually have memorized this prayer. This shows another common element that connects all Christian churches, as we keep our gaze on Jesus Christ. I can go further into why this is one of my favorite prayers, but we still need room for a third question.
 
   Q: Why are there so many different kinds of churches that aren’t Catholic?
 
Daniel Bolster
Steubenville
 
   A: This is a very good question and you could major in the history of Christianity at any university and would still come up with a number of questions that just don’t seem to be easily answered.  The short answer for this question is the human condition. We all know that Jesus wants for all of us to be one, but we human beings continually find ways to push back. While it is true the early church was united as fellow Christians, it did not take terribly long before certain individuals or factions tore away from the church, especially when it came to those not agreeing with the church on Jesus’ true identity or even with the dogma of the three persons in the holy Trinity. But, that is the early, early church.
            Division occurred between east and west in Christianity and much was drawn along political instead of theological lines.  Later on, additional communities separated from the Catholic Church, especially in the Reformation times. While it may seem like there are too many Christian religions in the world, it would seem unrealistic we will ever come back together. However, need I remind all our readers of the words from the angel Gabriel to Mary that “all things are possible with God.