Dear friends, I am happy to celebrate during this pastoral visit to your parish in Ruwi this Holy Mass in which our young people will receive the sacrament of confirmation, the gift of the Holy Spirit, thus completing the journey of introduction to the mysteries of the Christian faith that begun on the day of their baptism.
First of all, I greet you, dear young people who will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of confirmation. I greet your sponsors who introduce you to the bishop. I greet your parents who wanted the sacraments of Christian initiation for you, from baptism to first communion and now the confirmation. I also greet all the relatives and friends who have come to participate in this liturgy.
Today is a special day to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, in fact today we celebrate the solemnity of Our Lady of Arabia, we celebrate the mother of God as our patroness who guards us on the journey. Mary is the Mother of God through the work of the Holy Spirit. She is full of grace. She was totally docile to the work of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, her intercession will help you to receive the sacrament of confirmation, so that you too may be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit and may live every day of your life in joy and love, faithful to your vocation and mission.
The word of God that we have heard helps us to conscious of the gift of the Holy Spirit and live it with passion. First of all, the prophecy of Isaiah concerns the Messiah who will be anointed with the Holy Spirit, who will bring the good news of God to all the afflicted and announce freedom to the prisoners. We know that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus: he is the Messiah, the Son of God, totally consecrated to God and for the kingdom of heaven.
With baptism you have already become children of God. With the sacrament of confirmation, you too will receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit to participate in the same mission of Jesus, who came to bring the kingdom of heaven.
With baptism you received your name, which means that each of you is unique and unrepeatable. We are not photocopies but originals; in the same way the Holy Spirit will give you the gifts necessary to make a unique contribution to the world and be heroes of life. With the gift of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to discern your calling and carry out your mission.
God has prepared a unique mission for you. I am sure that some of you will become doctors and will help those who are sick. Others among you will perhaps be great musicians or artists and give glory to God through your music or art. Still others among you will be called to form a family through the sacrament of marriage. I hope at least some among you will be called to become priests and serve the people of God, or will be consecrated to God, to be great missionaries and do great things like Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Francis of Assisi or Saint Joseph Vaz. Whatever may be the mission God has planned for you, all this is possible if you welcome the gift of the Holy Spirit and are docile to the action of the Spirit in you.
The spirit will also strengthen your heart. In the Gospel, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, the advocate. This means that God is on your side, God is always for you and never against you. God wants you to be happy and fully satisfied. God loves you and asks you to bring his love to everyone.
The Holy Spirit frees us from selfishness, from sadness, from every slavery. The fruits of the Holy Spirit, St. Paul reminds us, are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and trust, and self-control.
Dearest Children, you receive the sacrament of confirmation in the Holy Year of the jubilee of the Lord, that Pope Francis has dedicated to the theme of Hope. Young people are always a sign of Hope. You have your whole life before you. With the gift of the Holy Spirit, you can look to the future with great Hope and confidence. The Lord will always be with you.
I therefore invite you to joyfully welcome the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Open your hearts to the grace of God and bear fruits of holiness, of goodness. Be protagonists of a new world. Always be friends of Jesus, always count on his friendship for you, With the strength of the Holy Spirit you will make a decisive contribution to the coming of the kingdom of God.
May Our Lady of Arabia intercede for you: Be docile to the Holy Spirit, always be close to Jesus, be signs of Hope for all.