reflection – Spiritual Bytes

Holy Hour Exposition and Adoration Reflection for Confirmation Class – October 2025

By Deacon Richard Hay

While Confirmation is a new sacrament for each one of you – it is not the first time you have encountered the Holy Spirit in your faith – he has been with you all along the way – and will continue to be with you throughout your life.

The first sacrament where each of us encounter the Holy Spirit is at our baptisms – whether we were brought for baptism as a baby by our parents or maybe it happened a little later in life – the Holy Spirit is right there.

First, when the waters of the baptismal font are blessed at the Easter Vigil – the Holy Spirit is invoked for that blessing by the priest and of course those same blessed waters are poured over our heads as we are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The next sacrament we receive is First Holy Communion and the Holy Spirit is right there as well.

First in the Apostles Creed we profess at every mass:

“I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit…”

A few sentences later in the creed we profess that we “believe in the Holy Spirit…”

Then, after the altar is prepared and the gifts have been offered, the priest begins with the epiclesis, this is where he extends his hands over the gifts of bread and wine and asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit to “come down upon these gifts and make them holy so they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

After this we hear the priest begin to pray the Eucharistic Prayer – that is the part of the mass where the priest prays the words of consecration at the altar over the bread and wine.

Except for the priest, we are all kneeling at this point in the mass because of the holiness of that moment and the Holy Spirit’s presence.

The blessing we receive at the end of each mass also invokes the Holy Spirit as part of the Blessed Trinity. The priest says:

“The Lord be with you” and we respond, “And with your spirit.” Then the priest blesses us in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Every time you attend the mass, you have received these gifts and graces through the working of the Holy Spirit.

Now all of you will soon be encountering the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Confirmation. This sacrament is considered the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our Church. It is the same spirit that transformed the apostles from being fearful in the upper room after Christ’s death to being apostles willing to boldly proclaim the good news, about the Risen Christ in the middle of the temple courtyard and they did so with no fear at all. They were no longer afraid of the consequences of being one of Jesus’s disciples. The Holy Spirit emboldened them…

According to a document called the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, through Confirmation, we as Catholics are “more perfectly bound to the Church” and made to be “true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread the faith by word and deed.” Confirmation seals believers in the Spirit, anointing them and empowering them to carry on the mission of Christ. Just like Christ giving the Holy Spirit to the apostles before He ascended into heaven.

During the Sacrament of Confirmation, the bishop lays his hands on your head and then anoints your forehead with Sacred Chrism oil as he says, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Sacred Chrism, which is oil mixed with perfume – something called Balsam – is blessed each year just before Easter at what is called the Chrism Mass – with all the priests and deacons of the dioceses in attendance at the Cathedral. When the bishop blesses it, he actually breaths on that oil – to call on the same Holy Spirit received by the apostles because he as our bishop is a successor to the apostles in his ordination as a bishop. It is also a reminder of how the Holy Spirit moved across the waters of the earth when it was created.

There are seven gifts of the of the Holy Spirit and I am sure you all have studied those so I won’t go back over them right now, but I would like to share with you a beautiful prayer that can remind us of these gifts. It goes like this:

Bless me with the knowledge to know right from wrong,

Fortitude to stand up and be strong,

Understanding to follow God’s way,

Piety to worship and pray,

Counsel to enlighten and guide me,

Wisdom to feel Your presence beside me,

And fear of the Lord to always be awed by the mighty wonders of our God!

Amen.

On the day of your confirmation, we usually hang up a beautiful wrought iron candle stand on the wall and there will be seven candles lit on that – each one representing a gift of the Holy Spirit we just heard in that prayer – even if you don’t remember all seven in that moment – say a little prayer when you see those candles and thank God for His gifts through the Holy Spirit that you will each be receiving.

As I wrap up this reflection, let me share this – many times confirmation can seem like an end to a journey because it is the last sacrament you receive at this stage in your lives. The Sacrament of Marriage comes later as well as Holy Orders if you feel called to a vocation to the diaconate or priesthood.

However, it really is the beginning. This is a sacrament that you choose to receive. Most of your parents made the decision to have you baptized and start you in the faith as a baby when you were baptized. Then it was expected that you would receive First Holy Communion a few years later as you all did. However, at confirmation – you are involved in this decision – including picking your confirmation name and a sponsor.

As I mentioned earlier, through your confirmation, you are “more perfectly bound to the Church.”

So even more than before, you are called, just like all of us who have already been confirmed in the Church, called to be the Church, called to be part of the body of Christ, by your presence in the life of the Church.

So be at the mass as often as you can to receive the Most Holy Eucharist, receive the sacrament of reconciliation regularly, attend the various activities that happen around the parish, and fulfill your calling just like the apostles did to love and serve the lord by loving and serving each other.

Don’t just exist but be present and close to the Lord through the Holy Spirit, which you will receive in His fullness at your confirmation.

As Saint Carlo Acutis would say:

“We are born originals, but many die as photocopies.”

What he means is that each of us are created uniquely in God’s image but rather than staying unique originals – we tend to copy the behaviors of others and lose our originality.

Be an original – be who you are called to be by God.

Amen.

Reflection for Exposition and Adoration – Feast Day of St. Carlo Acutis 2025

By Deacon Richard Hay

Note: I was invited by the faculty of Annunciation Catholic School to lead Exposition and Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar in celebration of the upcoming feast day for St. Carlo Acutis (October 12th). This is the reflection I shared with the student body and faculty.

I am truly blessed to be here with you all as we celebrate the first feast day for “Saint” Carlo Acutis which is on October 12th – this coming Sunday.

I was recently able to attend his canonization mass in Rome that was presided over by our Holy Father, Pope Leo, along with at least 80,000 other pilgrims that attended the mass. I have also had a devotion to him since he was declared Blessed by the church back in 2020 and I pray to him daily for his intercession.

It is very appropriate that we are celebrating his feast day in this moment with the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar – the Eucharist – the true presence – the body, blood, soul, and divinity – of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Saint Carlo developed a love for Christ in the Eucharist at a very young age. One of his popular quotes about the Eucharist, and he had several, was that it was his “Highway to Heaven”.

Even at this early stage of his life, before he even received his first communion, he understood that we needed to be closely connected with the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist – whether that was through adoration or receiving him at Mass once we have received First Holy Communion.

Carlo used to say this about adoration – “When we are before Jesus in the Eucharist we become saints.” I know today is a unique opportunity to be present at adoration during school to celebrate Saint Carlo’s upcoming feast day, but did you know that when you come to mass, Jesus is also present in the tabernacle here behind the altar?

You can pause for a moment in prayer as you take your seat in the pew and ask Jesus to be with you in that moment. This is why we genuflect – or kneel and make the sign of the cross – when we enter church for mass – to acknowledge His presence in the tabernacle.

Something else Saint Carlo understood very well was technology and using it for telling the truth. He taught himself to program websites so he could make the Eucharistic Miracles website that is now run by the Vatican.

He also enjoyed playing games on his PlayStation – but also understood that kind of technology can be very addictive – and so he limited his playing time to just one hour per week. Technology and access to the Internet through phones and tablets can be very distracting however, Saint Carlo showed us that all of this can be used for good because it is a gift from God to be used to help others and share our love of Jesus with others.

Saint Carlo also encourages us to live with integrity and values – be the same person whether we are online or in person with others. Carlo used the Sacrament of Reconciliation – confession – to commit himself to be truthful and repent for when he did not live with integrity. Regular confession helps us all to grow closer to God and his graces in the sacrament.

It seems like Saint Carlo simply lived a virtuous life and that was all he focused on – but we also know he enjoyed doing things that all of you enjoy doing – hanging out with his friends, playing sports, and playing a musical instrument.

How many of you all do things like Carlo did?

See – you are already on your way to sainthood because you do the same things as this young Saint did in his life.

Two last challenges for all of us from Saint Carlo and his holy life:

“All people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.”

What he means by this is we are uniquely made by God – each of us are different – and sometimes we try to do what everyone else is doing. Instead, we need to be us – in our beautiful uniqueness – and live a holy life to serve God.
Finally, he challenges all of us, but especially young people like yourselves to keep our eyes on heaven and use our time, talent, and treasures, including our digital lives, to prepare for eternity with God in heaven.

When you visit the tomb of Saint Carlo in Assisi, Italy, you will see that he is wearing a blue track suit with blue and white tennis shoes. Many of the pictures we have seen of him he is wearing a red shirt and a backpack – these are things that all of us also use in our daily lives – it shows us that we can be just like the saints, and they are just like us.

So, as we prepare to finish our adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist – we ask for Saint Carlo’s intercession to help us strive to live lives of holiness and charity so that like Saint Carlo – we can also be examples of living for Christ.

Amen.

Divine Mercy Sunday Reflection

By Deacon Richard Hay

When I was asked to give this reflection, I initially thought I might approach it much like a homily that would be given on Sunday. However, after praying about it, I felt called to share and reflect on how mercy has impacted my life.

Mercy is an interesting thing because, at least for me, I didn’t recognize some of these mercies when they were happening – it was only afterwards that I came to understand the mercies received and how they led to other mercies.

In the last year, I believe that I have received more than my own share of God’s mercy – most particularly around everything with Margo’s diagnosis and death last year, my ordination, and the months since as I have served as a deacon here at Sacred Heart.

In hindsight, I can even look over the three final years of my formation in the permanent diaconate and now see the mercy and grace God gave Margo and I individually and as a couple – in our faith – to build up mercies that we would need to sustain us later.

At the time, we of course did not know what the future held for us but looking back now – with the eyes of faith – I can see those instances of mercy we were graced with in preparation for the final two months of Margo’s life and the way we approached her diagnosis and prognosis – praying for a miracle each and everyday but acknowledging that God’s will be done.

Of course, until her diagnosis, we were approaching life with the expectation that I would be ordained and serve as a deacon somewhere in this diocese. So, the mercies we were encountering were welcomed but we felt they were preparing us for that expectation – life as a permanent deacon alongside of his wife.

However, all things are in God’s time and in His will – so these mercies were and are part of His greater plan – a plan He has for each one of us – we just have to be paying attention at some point.

The mercies I want to focus on for this reflection are those which we received in and through prayer.

For years, Margo and I had tried to start praying together more than just at meals or when a situation occurred that prompted us to pray.

Even those would be very quick acknowledgements of the prayer needed as opposed to intentional prayer being offered. Attending Mass together as we did was also a form of prayer but not what we were trying to do over the years.

As formation for the permanent diaconate began in the fall of 2018, we aspirants were told that we should begin praying the Liturgy of the Hours – specifically Morning and Evening Prayer – because those two hours would be an obligation on our part following ordination. We were also encouraged to do it as a couple if possible.

I began that fall and Margo started joining me for Evening Prayer at the beginning of 2019. Spending that time together, praying the prayer of our universal church, was a mercy in so many ways.

By the way, if you want to understand about having mercy for someone else, try learning how to navigate the pages and ribbons of the Liturgy of the Hours. This was indeed something that required mercy from each of us to be patient with the other as we learned. Those beginnings of sharing Evening Prayer together resulted in us choosing to convert one of our spare rooms into a dedicated prayer room. We also began praying a daily rosary together and other devotions including the Divine Mercy Chaplet after we learned more about St. Faustina at a mission held at St. Luke’s.

As we continued prayer together, we noticed that suddenly we were more likely to talk about scripture we heard at Mass, or something we read during prayer, or a faith related subject – conversations we had never really dived into before – and not superficial discussions. So now, the mercies we received through prayer – specifically through our prayer together – our faith dialogue with each other was deepened and expanded.

The mercies we gained through prayer together also helped prepare us for when Margo suffered the debilitating cervical pain which she had from late 2021 until she had surgery and fusion of two sets of vertebrae in her neck in May of last year. During those months, that sometimes meant she was just present as I prayed Evening Prayer. It also shifted my role at home to caregiver more often. Margo received mercy to allow herself to be cared for as she was fiercely independent and I received mercy to be patient with her. It was easy for me to slip into selfishness though, but I was also blessed to receive mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation when I failed.

There was mercy received because I have a job that allowed me to be at Daily Mass before and after my ordination. That enabled me to take the Eucharist to Margo each and every day when she was basically homebound. Truly what ended up being food for her journey.

There was mercy when she finally had her cervical surgery last May and started to heal from the fusion and was able to be present when I took my vow of obedience to the bishop at our pre-ordination retreat mass.

There was mercy in the form of Bishop Estevez, whom I had just shared Margo’s terminal diagnosis with during our one-on-one meeting that same day. The mercy he shared with me and later with Margo was the shepherd caring for the sheep. He sat with Margo at dinner after that mass and they just chatted about living in Italy, going back and forth between Italian and English as they talked. Nothing about her diagnosis – just normality. That mercy filled my heart as I watched them.

Then there was the mercy of Margo being pain free three weeks after her cervical surgery and able to fully participate at my ordination. That was such a blessed weekend in so many ways.

My ordination was merciful in another way because now I was not only able to continue bringing her communion each day but I could now offer her my blessing as an ordained deacon in the morning when she woke up and another at night before she went to bed.

A week after my ordination, her oldest son came for a visit and they had a great week together – another merciful blessing.

It was not long after he left that Margo started to decline and eventually had to go into the hospice in-patient facility for her final days.

If you want to see mercy in action, the nurses, aides, and staff at the Hadlow Center are angels who walk on this earth in their vocation to care for others during the most vulnerable time in their lives.

For those last six days, God’s mercy was present each day around Margo and our family. From the friends and family who came to visit and say goodbye, the messages and calls which we shared with her, to those who stopped in to pray with us – we were surrounded by mercy – most especially in Margo’s final anointing – and our ability to be at her bedside in those final minutes – praying the rosary as she asked us to do.

After her death, while we were still in the presence of her earthly body, I received even more mercies as I was able to offer our church’s blessing and prayers for her mortal remains.

There have been so many mercies received and I could go on and on about them but let me close with this observation.

God’s divine mercy abounds – it is all around us and those mercies are unconditional – just like his love for us. They are present even when we might not recognize they are there but let me tell you from personal experience, if you are able to reflect about those experiences you will see them, feel them, and experience them – they can and will bless you beyond all measure.

Weekly Scriptural Reflection for 18 November 2014

And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left,

your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

“This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30, Verse 21

What peace this verse brings to my heart. It reminds me that no matter where I go, what direction I go in, God is always with me. If I choose to listen to him, he will always direct me on the path that I need to travel.

He always has my best interests at heart and, even though sometimes things may not unfold the way that I think they should, I can fully trust in God to be leading me where I need to go. He is my loving Father, my Counsellor, my Guide.

Amen!

Blessings,

Margo
18 November 2014

See the video reflection that accompanies this post – Isaiah 30:21

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Weekly Scriptural Reflection for 20 October 2014

For by grace you have been saved through faith,

and this is not your own doing;

it is the gift of God, not the result of works,

so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2, Verses 8-9

It is made very clear in these two short verses exactly how we have been saved and what this means for us. We are saved by having faith, trusting in God and he, through his grace saves us. He gives us this grace freely as a gift. We don’t have to spend our lives working for it. We don’t have to labor in order to get it. We don’t have to rack up a mountain of good works to prove ourselves worthy of receiving God’s grace.

There is a very special reason behind this. God knows us mortals well. If we had to work to get grace we would then probably shout from the hill tops how grand we were. So to help us remain humble, and because he loves us so much, God simply pours his grace all over us and so we are saved.

Thank you God!!

Blessings,

Margo
20 October 2014

See the video reflection that accompanies this post – Ephesians 2:8-9

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Weekly Scriptural Reflection for 06 October 2014

You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Psalms 139, Verses 5-6

The imagery in these two verses is very clear and quite amazing. As I read the first verse I pictured God carefully yet relentlessly herding me along as a cowboy would do with a wild horse. Then as God corrals me, blocking my escape in the front and from behind, he gently lays his hand on me and I am tamed in his love.

The second verse expresses how I can hardly believe that God would do this for me. It is beyond my wildest dreams, beyond my human comprehension, that he would care enough about me to seek me and save me, to bring me into his arms. Alleluia!

Blessings,

Margo
06 October 2014

See the video reflection that accompanies this post – Psalms 139:5-6

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Weekly Scriptural Reflection for 24 September 2014

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,

but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,

and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,

says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54, Verse 10

Here the prophet Isaiah is reaffirming just how steadfast the love of the Lord is for his people, for us. He uses the image of mountains disappearing and hills being taken away, in other words chaotic and seemingly impossible events, to show just how strong God’s love for us is. No matter what disasters may befall us, no matter what tragedies may surround us, God’s love is always present, an ever-present source of strength and support in difficult times.

And right alongside God’s love is his peace which he has promised through covenant to us, his children. He has such compassion for and mercy on us that his love and peace will never be removed, no matter what. What an awesome God!

Blessings,

Margo
24 September 2014

See the video reflection that accompanies this post – Isaiah 54:10

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Weekly Scriptural Reflection for 16 September 2014

Praise the Lord!

Praise the name of the Lord; give praise, O servants of the Lord,

you that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for he is gracious.

Psalms 135, Verses 1-36

I think that today in most main stream Christian churches we have gotten away from “praising” the Lord. Most of us attend church, go to “the house of the Lord”, just once a week – maybe twice a week. We attend services, say our prayers, and sing a few songs. But do we really “praise” God? Do we lift our voices joyfully, exultantly, enthusiastically? These verses exhort us to praise the Lord when we are in his house, to “sing to his name”. They remind us that we should do this because the Lord is good and gracious.

If I really consider the might of the Lord, if I truly consider who he is and what he has done for humankind, for me, I should be singing His praises from the moment I awake to the moment I fall back asleep, every day. Hallelujah!! God is good!

Blessings,

Margo
16 September 2014

See the video reflection that accompanies this post – Psalms 135:1-3

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Weekly Scriptural Reflection for 08 September 2014

They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me;

and those who love me will be loved by my Father,

and I will love them and reveal myself to them.

Romans 8, Verse 26

Because we are human and consequently imperfect, we need help on our spiritual journey. In our humanity, we are weak. Jesus knew this and sent us the Spirit to help us and guide us. Paul states that because of our weakness and imperfection “we do not know how to pray as we ought.”

And so the Spirit intercedes on our behalf, and not just in any ordinary fashion. Spirit intercedes “with sighs too deep for words”. Have you ever felt so full of emotion that you couldn’t speak? Were you ever so emotional that all you could manage were deep sighs? That is how Spirit intercedes on our behalf to God. Amen!

Blessings,

Margo
08 September 2014

See the video reflection that accompanies this post – Romans 8:26

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Weekly Scriptural Reflection for 18 August 2014

They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me;

and those who love me will be loved by my Father,

and I will love them and reveal myself to them.

John 14, Verse 21

Jesus is very clear as to how we should show our love for him. We are to keep his commandments. And he is equally clear in his message of love, which he continuously shares throughout his ministry. In keeping his commandments we show our love for him, and in doing this we will be loved by the Father.

But, as the last words of this verse indicate, we see that the circle of love is yet to be complete. We keep Jesus’ commandments, we show that we love him, in return we are loved by the Father ….. then Jesus loves us and reveals himself to us. What a beautiful vision of total, fulfilling, all-encompassing love!

Blessings,

Margo
18 August 2014

See the video reflection that accompanies this post – John 14:21

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