Grace Thompson
Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, along with Baptism and Holy Communion. Confirmation is a special anointing given by a bishop or priest, which increases, deepens, and strengthens the sanctifying grace of God given at baptism. Confirmation is the sacrament of maturity and coming of age, and it completes baptismal grace. It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation, which makes us cry Abba! Father!; it unites us more firmly to Christ and increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit within us.
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What You'll Learn
Confirmation is a sacrament of maturity and coming of age
Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, the other two being Baptism and Holy Communion. It is a sacrament of maturity and coming of age, marking a person's transition into adulthood within the Church.
Baptism is the sacrament of rebirth to a new and supernatural life, and it is typically administered to infants. It is the first step in a person's Christian journey, symbolising a spiritual rebirth and the washing away of original sin. Confirmation, on the other hand, is the second step, where the baptised person confirms the presence of the Holy Spirit they received at Baptism. This sacrament is usually received when a person is older and has reached the age of reason, signifying their conscious decision to follow Christ and their commitment to the Church.
The effects of Confirmation are numerous and profound. Firstly, it brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace. It roots the confirmed more deeply in their relationship with God as His children, uniting them more firmly with Christ. This sacrament also increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit within the individual, empowering them to spread and defend the faith boldly as true witnesses of Christ. Confirmation strengthens their bond with the Church, making them active participants in its mission to spread the Gospel.
The rite of Confirmation involves the anointing of Chrism oil and the laying on of hands by the Bishop. This ritual signifies the sealing of the individual with the gift of the Holy Spirit, enriching them with the Spirit's presence and empowering them for Christian service. It is a commissioning, sending forth the confirmed as instruments of the Holy Spirit to renew the earth and promote God's Kingdom of justice and peace.
The sacrament of Confirmation is a significant milestone in the spiritual journey of a Catholic. It is a public affirmation of their faith and a recognition of their maturity and commitment to live out their Faith in the world. Confirmation completes the grace received at Baptism, empowering the individual to assume the responsibilities and mission of Christian life.
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It is an anointing and a commissioning to live out faith
Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, together with Baptism and Holy Communion. It is a special anointing given by a bishop or priest, which increases, deepens, and strengthens the sanctifying grace of God given at baptism. Confirmation is, therefore, the sacrament most closely identified with the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists five effects of Confirmation: firstly, it roots us more deeply as sons and daughters of God, or "in divine sonship", and makes us cry "Abba! Father!". Secondly, it unites us more firmly to Christ and increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us. Thirdly, it renders our bond with the Church more perfect, associating us more closely with Her mission. Fourthly, it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess His name boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross. Finally, Confirmation enriches the baptised with the Holy Spirit, binding them more perfectly to the Church, and strengthening them in their witness to Christ by word and deed.
Through Confirmation, we are endowed with the gifts of the Spirit, just as the Apostles were at Pentecost, to be ever greater witnesses to the Gospel in the world. Confirmation is, therefore, not only an anointing but also a commissioning to live out our faith. It is a sacrament of maturity and coming of age, drawing us into a greater awareness of the Holy Spirit.
Preparation for Confirmation should aim to lead the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit, in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. Confirmation completes baptismal grace, and so it can only be performed once.
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Confirmation roots us more deeply as sons and daughters of God
Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, along with Baptism and Holy Communion. It is a special anointing given by a bishop or priest that increases, deepens, and strengthens the sanctifying grace of God given at baptism. Confirmation is the sacrament of maturity and coming of age, drawing us into a greater awareness of the Holy Spirit.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists five effects of Confirmation, one of which is that it roots us more deeply as sons and daughters of God. Confirmation completes baptismal grace, bestowing the Holy Spirit to root us more deeply in divine sonship. It makes us cry out, "Abba! Father!" This is an expression of our divine filiation, our intimate relationship with God as his children.
Confirmation unites us more firmly to Christ, increasing the gifts of the Holy Spirit within us. It is a commissioning to live out our faith in the world, empowering us to be ever greater witnesses to the Gospel. We are endowed with the gifts of the Spirit, just as the Apostles were on Pentecost, to boldly confess the name of Christ and never be ashamed of the Cross.
Through Confirmation, we are given a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action. It helps us to bear witness to the Christian faith, accompanied by deeds, and to bring to its fullness the Body of Christ. Confirmation enriches the baptized with the Holy Spirit, binding them more perfectly to the Church.
Confirmation completes our initiation into the Catholic Church and is necessary for our growth and fortification in the faith. It is through Confirmation that we obtain the growth, strengthening, and fortification we need to assume the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life.
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It increases and deepens all of the graces granted at baptism
Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, together with Baptism and Holy Communion. Confirmation is a special anointing given by a bishop or priest that increases, deepens, and strengthens the sanctifying grace of God given at baptism.
Baptism is the sacrament of rebirth to a new and supernatural life, while Confirmation is the sacrament of maturity and coming of age. Confirmation completes the grace of Baptism, rooting the recipient more deeply in the divine filiation, which makes them cry "Abba! Father!". It unites the recipient more firmly to Christ, increasing the gifts of the Holy Spirit within them and rendering their bond with the Church more perfect.
Confirmation is, therefore, the sacrament most closely identified with the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Apostles received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, so too does Confirmation pour the power of the Holy Spirit and his seven gifts into the souls of those being confirmed.
Preparation for Confirmation should aim to lead Christians toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit. This includes a familiarity with the Holy Spirit's actions, gifts, and biddings, in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. Confirmation is not only an anointing but also a commissioning to live out the faith in the world.
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Confirmation is a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, along with Baptism and Holy Communion. It is a special anointing given by a bishop or priest, which increases, deepens, and strengthens the grace of God given at baptism. Confirmation is a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and it has several effects on the recipient.
Firstly, Confirmation roots the recipient more deeply in their relationship with God as His children, or "divine filiation", making them cry out "Abba! Father!". This deepens their connection to God and their understanding of their place in the world as God's children.
Secondly, Confirmation unites the recipient more firmly to Christ. This means that their relationship with Christ is strengthened, and they are drawn into a greater awareness of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation enriches the baptised with the Holy Spirit, binding them more perfectly to the Church.
Thirdly, Confirmation increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit within the recipient. They are endowed with the seven gifts of the Spirit, just as the Apostles were at Pentecost. These gifts empower the recipient to be greater witnesses to the Gospel and to spread and defend the faith boldly.
Finally, Confirmation perfects the recipient's bond with the Church. It gives them a special strength to live out their faith in the world, promoting God's Kingdom of justice and peace. Confirmation completes their initiation into the Church, and they are now obliged to assume the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life.
Confirmation, therefore, is a significant step in the spiritual journey of a Catholic, marking a coming of age and a maturity of faith. It is a time of growth, strengthening, and fortification, drawing the recipient into a deeper relationship with God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Church.
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Frequently asked questions
The Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, the other two being Baptism and Holy Communion.
Confirmation pours into our souls the power of the Holy Spirit and his seven gifts, just like the Apostles received at Pentecost. Confirmation is, therefore, the sacrament most closely identified with the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord.
Confirmation is not about an individual confirming their choice to be Catholic. Instead, it's about God the Holy Spirit confirming the individual. It's more about what God does to an individual's soul than what the individual does for God or themselves.
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