This weekend marked the beginning of a journey I should have started many years ago as I began preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. I was nervous walking into the first session, but those fears quickly disappeared as I listened, learned, and opened my heart. Most Catholics receive Confirmation around the age of sixteen, but as a rebellious and uncontrollable teenager, I refused to spend a year attending catechism. Looking back now, I know my parents could not have forced faith into my heart. Faith has to be embraced freely, and perhaps God knew my time had not yet come.
Since returning to the Church, I have been trying every day to become a better person and a better Catholic. Receiving this sixth sacrament feels like the final step in completing a journey that began at my baptism. Two years ago I wanted to begin this process, but I could not find a sponsor. Last year, the timing was impossible because I was away on a church mission to Vietnam. Looking back, I believe God was simply asking me to wait for His perfect timing.
This year I asked Uncle Alan, a lifelong family friend who has known my mother and uncles since before I was born. He has always been a shining example of what living the Catholic faith truly looks like. I hesitated because I knew being a sponsor involved paperwork and commitment, but before I had even finished asking, he happily agreed. What touched me even more was his excitement. The very next day he contacted his older sister to find out where he had been baptized so he could obtain his baptism certificate. Then came the most beautiful surprise. He discovered that he had been baptized in the very same church where I will receive my Confirmation. Even he had never known that. Moments like these remind me that God truly does work in mysterious ways.
One discussion during our first preparation session was about choosing a Confirmation name. While many people take a new saint's name, I have decided to remain simply Debra. My name was lovingly chosen at my baptism by both my mother and my maternal grandparents, and that makes it incredibly special to me. It is part of who I am and the life God has always known me by. There is also Saint Deborah, remembered for her wisdom, courage, and leadership as the fourth judge of Israel. Although our spellings differ, I find comfort in knowing I share my name with such a remarkable woman of faith. The words from Isaiah, "I have called you by name, you are mine," touched me deeply because they remind me that my identity has always belonged to God.
When our group was asked to think of one occasion when God communicated His love to us, I found myself unable to choose just one. In recent years, I have experienced His love through answered prayers, unexpected blessings, and countless moments when He quietly reminded me that I was never walking alone. Those experiences are the reason I am now sitting in a Confirmation classroom with an open heart, ready to say yes to Him.
Before I began this journey, my mum joked that if anyone asked why I had never been confirmed as a teenager, she would happily let me blame her. I immediately told her I never would because it was never her fault. Then my daughter shared something so wise that it stayed with me. She said, "Grandma did the right thing by not forcing you to do something you did not want to do because it would not have been meaningful. It is much more meaningful now because you have chosen this path yourself, and we are all here to support you." I could not have asked for a more beautiful reminder that faith is not about obligation but about answering God's call when our hearts are finally ready.
As I completed my first weekend of Confirmation preparation, I left feeling peaceful, grateful, and excited for what lies ahead. God has patiently waited for me all these years, never giving up on me, never withdrawing His love. Now, at last, I am ready to take this next step, trusting that the One who has called me by name will continue to guide me wherever He leads.
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