As I noted above, those gifts are like seeds planted in fertile soil. They spring to life when we need them. YES! You are very right. That's exactly what it was. Even when I distanced myself from my faith, that seed was still there. My mother and father always had faith that the seed would come to fruition if they kept praying and supplying it with spiritual food and a healthy environment. One thing I noticed especially about the Maronite baptism/confirmation is that it puts even greater emphasis on the responsibility of the godparents and parents than the latin rite. It is made very apparent that the godparents are taking a sacred vow to insure with the parents that the child is brought up in the faith. The godparents hold the candle for the child and say the vows. As I mentioned, they also emphasize the role of the communion of saints in the child's instruction. It reminds us that the Church is more than just those living today; it is the Church triumphant throughout the ages. I believe one of the readings was from Luke 1:76-79 -- Zechariah's song:
"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
Believe me, I learned from a young age that our ancestors were forever faithful to the See of St. Peter, our first patriarch. And I was taught that my ancestors first heard the gospel from the Lord Himself or at the very least from one of the Twelve! As I child and teenager I was fascinated with the stories of the old testament in the same way that a person of European descent might be fascinated by the history of the Middle Ages. Reading the bible was literally reading my ancestral history! Of course, my people were usually the bad guys...But I was always particularly gratified by all the warnings in the proverbs to beware the beauty and wiles of the Canaanite women. Yeah, we're wily alright!
With the Myron of Christ our God,
sweet fragrance of the true faith,
seal and fullness of the grace of the heavenly Spirit,
N., the servant of God, is sealed
In the name of the + Father,
and of the + Son,
and of the + Holy Spirit.
This formula of Chrismation teaches us that this sacramental Mystery is a "seal" put upon Baptism. It completes the next stage of what was started in Baptism and looks forward to the completion of the Mysteries of Initiation with the reception of Holy Communion.
The Holy Spirit bestows two kinds of gifts. The first kind is intended for the sanctification of the person who receives them. They are permanent, supernatural qualities that enable the graced person to be especially in tune with the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.
A second kind of gifts of the Spirit is called charisms. They are extraordinary favors granted principally for the help of others.
Captivated By Your Teachings A Resource Book For Adult Maronite Catholics
If you don't already own a copy, you can obtain one directly from Nedder Publishing . The author, Fr. Salim served as Parochial Vicar at St. Maron’s Church in Clevland, Ohio; as Administrator of St. Sharbel Maronite Mission in Peoria, Illinoi; as Pastor of St. George’s Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; and as Pastor of Our Lady of Lebanon Church in Flint, Michigan. Fr. Salim celebrated his 25th anniversary of Ordained Priesthood on the 29th of June 2001. Fr. Salim is currently the Director of Religious Education for the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. He also serves as Associate Director of the Eastern (Churches) Conference of Diocesan Directors of Religious Education (ECDD) and as Eastern Church Representative to National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL).
It is an awesome reference and enjoyable read. Fr. Salim brings the Maronite faith to life.