Do you have a child readying for Confirmation? Has your child picked a sponsor? If not, perhaps the questions I have prepared for my son can help your child, too.
My youngest has been preparing for Confirmation lately and, among other things, has been thinking hard about who to ask to be his Confirmation sponsor.
Our priest encourages Confirmandi to select a sponsor who is of their same sex, is not their Godparent, does not live with them, and who will take the responsibility seriously.
With that in mind, my son and I talked about the primary responsibility of a sponsor, which is to provide a candidate prayerful support and guidance in his or her Christian walk and to “take care that the confirmed person behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations inherent in this sacrament” (Canon 892).
We also talked about how, even though many do not realize it, being a sponsor is a lifelong commitment, since a sponsor takes on the role of a spiritual parent who “brings the candidate to receive the sacrament, presents him to the minister for the anointing, and will later help him to fulfill his baptismal promises faithfully under the influence of the Holy Spirit” (Rite of Confirmation 5). Somehow, I did not realize this when I was confirmed and wanted to be sure my son did.
So, as he continues to think about who his sponsor might be, I've encouraged him to ask himself five questions:
1. Who do I know who is an enthusiastic, committed Catholic that lives a life of faith and will want to help me to do so?
2. Who is someone who would be willing to pray regularly for me and with me?
3. Who do I have a good relationship with now and who can I see supporting and encouraging me in the future in person and via letters, emails, calls, etc.?
4. Will the person I have in mind be able to be there on my Confirmation day?
5. Will he guide me into a more personal relationship with the Lord and to a deeper familiarity “with the Holy Spirit—his actions, his gifts, and his biddings—in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life” (CCC 1309)?
Additionally, I have asked my son to think about who he would actually be willing to approach and ask to be his sponsor, because, when it all comes down to it, this is his walk of faith, not mine, and he needs to do the asking.
I cannot wait to see who he picks, and I hope the questions I have shared help you and yours when it comes time to pick Confirmation sponsors.
