Homily by Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi
Today’s Gospel is not gentle. It is not comfortable, not easy. It is radical. And that is precisely why it is perfect for today: the day when you will be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Because Confirmation is not the sacrament of comfort. It is the sacrament of courage. And in this Gospel, Jesus calls us to something far deeper than religious observance. He calls us to transformation.
Going to the root
Jesus begins with a powerful clarification: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfil them” (Matthew 5:17). What is the significance of these words?
The Law was given to control
behaviour. Jesus came to transform the heart. The Law said: Do not kill. Jesus
says: Do not even nurture anger. The Law said: Do not commit adultery.
Jesus says: Purify your desires. The Law regulated actions. Jesus goes to the
root: intention, desire, interior life.
And this is exactly what Confirmation is about. You are not being confirmed to become people who simply “follow rules.” You are being confirmed to become people whose hearts are reshaped by the Spirit. Christian maturity is not external compliance. It is interior conversion.
From minimalism to holiness
In this Gospel, Jesus repeats a phrase: “You have heard that it was said… But I say to you…” (Matthew 5:21-22). This is not contradiction. It is deepening.
Many people live their faith at a minimum level: “I didn’t kill anyone”; “I didn’t steal”; “I didn’t commit serious wrongdoing”. But Jesus asks more. He calls us beyond minimalism into holiness. He calls us to reconciliation instead of resentment, to fidelity instead of compromise, to integrity instead of manipulation.
Confirmation strengthens you for exactly this. The Holy Spirit does not help us settle for mediocrity. He stirs us toward greatness – Gospel greatness. And Gospel greatness always begins inside.
Reconciliation before religion
One of the most striking parts of today’s Gospel is this: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). Jesus is saying something that might have seemed shocking: reconciliation with your brother or sister is more urgent than ritual offering. Before incense rises to heaven, peace must rise between hearts.
Dear candidates, the Spirit you are about to receive is the Spirit of unity. He will disturb you when you carry grudges. He will prod you when you speak harshly. He will remind you that forgiveness is not weakness; it is strength. A confirmed Christian cannot live comfortably in bitterness. The world sometimes teaches us to cancel, to divide, to hold grudges. The Spirit teaches us to reconcile.
Integrity in a Culture of Evasion
At the end of the Gospel, Jesus says: “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37). In a world of half-truths, spin, and convenient ambiguity, Jesus calls for clarity and integrity.
Confirmation marks
you with the seal of the Holy Spirit. A seal in the ancient world meant
ownership and authenticity. You now belong visibly to Christ. Your word should
carry weight, your promises should be trustworthy, your relationships should
reflect fidelity – in marriage, in friendship, in work, in Church life. The
Spirit is not given to make us impressive.
He is given to make us truthful.
The “impossible” standard
If we are honest, this Gospel feels overwhelming – no anger, no lustful thought, radical reconciliation, absolute integrity. Who can live this? On our own – no one! And that is the key.
Jesus raises the standard because he intends to give us the Spirit. The moral life of a Christian is not a heroic solo effort. It is a Spirit-empowered transformation.
Today, dear candidates, you are not promising perfection. You are opening yourselves to power – the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who softens hardened hearts, strengthens weak wills, heals broken relationships, purifies confused desires, gives courage to live differently.
Not a Graduation, but a Commission
Some people treat Confirmation as a ceremony of completion. It is not. It is commissioning. The apostles were already believers before Pentecost. But after the Spirit came, they were bold, public, fearless.
Today’s Gospel is demanding because the world desperately needs confirmed Christians who choose reconciliation over revenge, fidelity over convenience, truth over manipulation, holiness over mediocrity. The Church needs mature disciples, not passive Catholics. The Spirit is given not to make you comfortable pew-sitters, but courageous witnesses.
A heart set on fire
In a few moments, I will anoint you with sacred chrism and say: “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” Oil sinks in, it penetrates, it marks permanently. May this Gospel sink into you as deeply. May anger give way to mercy, compromise give way to integrity, resentment give way to reconciliation and fear give way to courage. And may your “Yes” to Christ today be clear, strong, and lifelong.
Jesus did not abolish the Law. He fulfilled it in love. And today, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, he desires to fulfil his work in you not by imposing rules from outside but by writing his law within your heart through the Holy Spirit.
Dear candidates, do not aim for the minimum, do not settle for mediocrity, do not silence the Spirit. Be bold, be reconciled, be truthful, be holy. Let your life say clearly: “Yes, Lord.”
✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi
Auxiliary Bishop
