Several hundred people attended the Pentecost vigil Mass on May 19 the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, but 65 were changed when they left the church.
They may not have looked any different, but those 65 people received the sacrament of confirmation during the liturgy and as result, Bishop Nelson Perez told them they are changed. They received the sacrament during the annual diocesan confirmation liturgy. The celebration allows those who missed confirmation at their parish to receive the sacrament at the cathedral.
?There are three character sacraments that change a person forever,? he said, ?baptism, confirmation and holy orders. They leave an indelible mark on the soul. You receive these sacraments only once.?
Bishop Perez said that after baptism and confirmation, a person might not choose to live as a witness of Christ, but that person is always baptized and always confirmed.
?The same is true with a deacon, priest or bishop. They are still ordained, even if they don?t live out their vocation,? he said.
?You will look the same when you leave the cathedral today, but you will be changed; you will be different than when you arrived,? the bishop added.
He said it was a blessing for the confirmandi to receive the sacrament on the eve of Pentecost, which occurs 50 days after Easter.
?The disciples were gathered in fear. They were terrified that they might suffer the same fate as Jesus,? the bishop said, and with good reason. ?Then Jesus appeared to them and they were changed. They went from fearful to men of courage who went out and spread the Good News.?
Bishop Perez said the same word was used for spirit and breath. ?Put your hand in front of your mouth and feel the breath,? he told the congregation.
?There are three basic things that we need: food, water and breath (air). You might last about a month without food and maybe a week without water, but you without breath, you would live for only minutes,? he said. ?Breath is the one thing we need the most and we take it for granted. We don?t have to tell ourselves to breathe
