November 8, 2026

Dear Parishioners,

I’ve recently been reading up on the Sacrament of Confirmation. It’s a tricky little sacrament. If I were to pull you aside and ask you what Confirmation is and what its significance is, I bet you would have a hard time answering. I bet even priests would have a hard time answering. I bet even bishops, who are giving the sacrament, would have a hard time answering. I know I have a hard time answering.

We tend to think of Confirmation as a sort of graduation, especially since 8th graders receive it. Or we tend to think of it as like a “coming-of-age” sacrament: now the student is an adult in the faith (whatever that means). Those who are perhaps a little more well read would be able to associate the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit with Confirmation. All of those things, though, still don’t get at the essence of Confirmation. For one, Confirmation is not graduation. We never graduate in our faith lives. We don’t “earn” Confirmation either. None of the sacraments we earn. They are God’s gift to us; his invitation to which we respond. A student doesn’t “get” Confirmation because he survived the interview, finished the classes, and did the service project. It is that God is calling the student to himself in a special way at this point in his life. (Same with marriage or priesthood or even the Eucharist; we think we made the choice to marry this person or go to Mass, but, really, it was God drawing us.) Finally, Confirmation doesn’t “give” the Holy Spirit. We already have the Holy Spirit at Baptism. 

In the first few centuries of the Church, Confirmation was conferred immediately after Baptism. Eastern Catholics still do Confirmation alongside infant Baptism. There are, in fact, some in the Church today who argue we should go back to the original order: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

Confirmation binds one to Christ not in a private way, nor to a sect of regional significance, but to the universal Church. Whereas in Baptism the person received the life of Christ, now in Confirmation they give that life of Christ. Some theologians call Confirmation “the layman’s ordination.” This is why the bishop is the ordinary minister of Confirmation. The bishop officially imparts, in the name of the Church, this power upon the Confirmandi to gather others together, in the name of the Church; to preach Christ’s message and heal and love others. We are called to act in the name of the Church in a concrete way, which is why at Confirmation we receive an anointing with the Sacred Chrism–olive oil mixed with balsam that can only be blessed by the bishop. Water, of course, is the matter for Baptism. Water is ubiquitous, and anyone, in an emergency, can perform a valid baptism. The washing away of original sin, done at baptism, is so fundamental, hence the ease of finding water and baptizing. Oil, however, is more complex and particular. Olives are not grown everywhere–only in particular climates–and producing oil is a process. Oil is also combustible–it is burned for fuel and helps produce fire for lamps–and it penetrates the skin and is absorbed into the body more than water, which generally washes off. It’s all to say, something intricate is occurring with Confirmation. 

I like to think the wise virgins in today’s parable were the ones who had been “Confirmed.” Yes, literally they had the oil with them and were able to keep their lamps lit for the return of the master. The foolish virgins had no oil and their lamps went out. They, you could say, were baptized but not confirmed. They were there for a time, but they fell away. The Confirmed virgins were able to wait faithfully. And more than just being given patience, they were given a desire for the bridegroom to come home. That’s why their waiting wasn’t tortuous.

Confirmation keeps our attention focused outward: looking out to adore and serve Christ, looking out to build relationships and be fruitful. This is why the Church strongly encourages people who are being married to have previously received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation ensures the marriage doesn’t turn inward, but is always oriented towards the good of the family, the community, the Church.

If you’ve already been Confirmed, then you have the oil within you. You might ask the Holy Spirit to ignite the wick in your lamp, if the light has gone out. If you haven’t been Confirmed, then perhaps you can consider receiving the sacrament this Easter. 

But, at the end of the day, my whole point isn’t necessarily to speak about Confirmation, though I’ve spent this whole letter doing that. My point is that one of the greatest acts of love and faith we can offer is simply waiting for the Lord. We are like those servants in the Gospel parable. It’s night and dark and we are waiting for our master to come home. Most of our life is waiting. We are waiting for something special to happen in our lives. Everyday we want something special to happen. So, I ask you, what specifically are you waiting for?

The temptation is to give up on the waiting. Go inside and do something else; let go of your dreams. Don’t. Remain faithful in the dark. You will be a light for others and for our Lord.

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As previously mentioned, throughout the month of November we will have All Souls Remembrance books in the back of the church and at the Mary altar to write the names of the deceased. We will also keep out in the sanctuary the parish’s relics: St. Paul of the Cross, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Maria Goretti, St. Vincent Strambi, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Margaret Mary, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Patrick, St. Lawrence, St. Carlo Acutis, St. John Vianney, St. Pius X, St. Cecilia, Sts. Concordia and Jucundus, St. Andrew Avellino, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. John, St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. John the Baptist, St. Philip Neri, St. Thomas Aquinas, Pius XII (venerable). If you are interested in donating a relic to the parish, please let me know. Otherwise I hope you enjoy venerating these saints.

The Baby Bottles are being collected this weekend. This annual drive we hold at St. Paul of the Cross supports Aid For Women, a Catholic organization that provides pregnancy care services and maternity housing across the Chicago metropolitan area and broader Illinois region. The organization operates life-affirming pregnancy resource centers and residential homes to support women facing unexpected pregnancies, funded entirely by private contributions without government financing. Thank you for your donations, and thank you to our Respect Life Committee for conducting this collection.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. James Wallace