October 17, St. Ignatius of Antioch

The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.-- Psalm 105:8

Mass readings: Romans 4:13, 16-18 / Luke 12:8-12

Oral Exam

A passage in today's Gospel offered me another reminder of the Confirmation class at our parish: ''When they take you before . . . rulers and authorities, do not worry about . . . what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.'' Each teen had a 10-minute interview with the pastor and there wasn't a list of the questions he might ask him or her. I told them not to worry, but I encouraged them to study the definitions, concepts and other material being presented.

The same with us. The Holy Spirit gives us opportunities to better learn -- and better live -- our Catholicism so that when we're asked about it we can do a better job of sharing His message with others.

Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit!