31/07/2026
Homily for the Celebration of Confirmation
July 30, 2026 : Jeremiah 18:1–6; Matthew 13:47–53
Dear young people, brothers and sisters,
Today is a beautiful day. You are receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Many people think Confirmation is the end of catechism. It is not. It is the beginning of a new way of living. Today the Holy Spirit wants to shape your lives so that you may become builders of a new South Sudan.
The prophet Jeremiah gives us a powerful image. God tells him to go to the house of the potter. The potter is working with clay. Sometimes the vessel breaks in his hands. Does he throw the clay away? No. He patiently reshapes it into something beautiful. God says: "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hands". Each one of us is that clay.
Some of us have been shaped by war. Others have been shaped by poverty, hunger, displacement, revenge, tribal divisions, fear, or disappointment. Many young people have grown up hearing the sound of guns before hearing words of peace. Some have lost parents, relatives, or friends. But today God tells you: Your past does not have to decide your future.
The Holy Spirit comes to give you not simply new ideas but a new heart. The greatest miracle is not changing stones into bread. The greatest miracle is changing a heart of hatred into a heart capable of forgiveness; a heart of revenge into a heart of compassion; a heart closed by fear into a heart open to hope. Confirmation is God's promise that this miracle is possible.
In today's Gospel Jesus speaks about a fishing net thrown into the sea that gathers fish of every kind. Notice that the net does not choose only the beautiful fish or only the strong fish. It gathers everyone together. This is also South Sudan. We are all in the same net. Nuer, Dinka, Shilluk, Bari, Azande, Murle, Anyuak and every other people: we all belong to one nation. If one part suffers, the whole country suffers. If one community chooses violence, no one remains safe. If corruption steals from one village, the whole nation becomes poorer.
We are already in the same net whether we like it or not. The question is not whether we belong together. The question is what kind of fish will we become? There is a fish that begins to smell when it is taken out of water. Why? Because it has lost the environment for which it was created. The same happens to us. When we leave the water of God's love, truth and mercy, our lives also begin to spoil. Hatred, lies, violence, drugs, alcohol abuse, corruption, and tribalism make our hearts lose their beauty. They spread a bad smell that reaches our families and our communities. The Holy Spirit wants to keep you alive in the living water of Christ. Remain in Jesus, and your life will bring hope instead of fear, forgiveness instead of revenge, honesty instead of corruption, unity instead of division.
Today we also remember the heroes and martyrs of South Sudan. Several people sacrificed everything so that this nation could become free. They dreamed that children would grow up in peace, that families would live without fear, and that every young person would have the chance to study, work and build a dignified life. We thank God for their sacrifice. But we must also ask ourselves an honest question: Is our freedom complete?
Political independence was a great achievement, but true freedom is still a task before us. A nation is not truly free while innocent people continue to die through violence. A nation is not truly free while children cannot go to school. A nation is not truly free while young people finish their studies but cannot find meaningful work. A nation is not truly free while corruption steals the future from the poor. A nation is not truly free until every human life is respected as sacred because every person is created in the image of God.
Dear candidates for Confirmation, perhaps you cannot change the whole country today. But you can change your own heart today. And a changed heart changes a family. A changed family changes a community. A changed community changes a nation.
Peace does not begin in parliament. Peace begins in the human heart. If you refuse revenge, peace has already begun. If you refuse to spread gossip, peace has already begun. If you refuse tribal hatred, peace has already begun. If you protect someone who is weak, peace has already begun. If you study seriously and prepare yourselves to serve rather than to exploit others, peace has already begun.
The Spirit you receive today is not the spirit of fear but of courage. Have the courage to say no when your friends invite you to violence. Have the courage to defend the truth even when it is difficult. Have the courage to forgive before others do. Have the courage to become peacemakers.
Remember: evil never defeats evil. Only goodness can overcome evil. Violence only creates more violence. But one courageous act of forgiveness can begin a new history.
My dear young people, today I will anoint you with holy chrism. That oil is a sign that Christ himself marks you as his own. It is the oil to ordain priests, to anoint kings, and confirm prophets.
From this day forward, let people recognize you not by your tribe, not by your clan, but because they can see Christ living in you. May people say: This young man brings peace. This young woman gives hope. This confirmed Christian protects life. This disciple has a heart like the heart of Jesus.
May the Holy Spirit make each one of you like clay in the hands of the divine Potter, continually shaped into men and women of compassion. And may you help build the South Sudan for which so many heroes gave their lives: a nation where every person is a hero because of so many difficulties to be overcome and so he/she deserves respect and permit people to live in peace. Amen.
Bp. Christian Carlassare.