Lesson Fourteen -- Chapters 25/10 -- The Sacrament of Confirmation

Text by Pat Austin, St. Patrick's Cathedral RCIA Instructor

Confirmation is the Sacrament of spiritually growing up. Baptism is the sacrament for our "birth," spiritual birth. As we have been growing from birth, we have been quite focused on "ourselves," which is quite natural. Now comes the time to focus on others, time for us to accept responsibility toward the Mystical Body of Christ in the world -- the Church. It is time to change our focus from self to others - the community.

Confirmation strengthens our spiritual life as we enter spiritual adulthood whether as a teenager or as an adult.

Baptism is necessary for salvation. Confirmation is not necessary for your salvation but without this sacrament, it is pretty difficult to make salvation on your own.

Confirmation strengthens one against:

• The dangers to Faith from within ourselves - the danger of not conforming our will to the teachings of Jesus and the Church. The danger of the attitude that the Church must change its teachings even though it is the truth.
• The dangers to Faith from outside ourselves - the danger to soft-pedal one's Faith -- to "be with it," to be part of the crowd, to be accepted, to feel that the Church is behind the times.
• The dangers to Faith from false pride in your intelligence - you know more than the Church. This usually happens in Colleges and Universities where professors ridicule and/or denounce the Church throughout its history; they sow seeds of doubt that mushroom into truth in young minds. Remember, Christ is Divine in his Church; not the members.

The word confirmation does not appear in the Bible. Actually, the only sacrament that is named as such in the bible is baptism. The bible refers to confirmation as "the laying on of hands." Reference: Acts 8:14-19. Bk. page 338.

In the Latin Rite (western world) Confirmation is administered to the teenager especially in the United States. In the Eastern Rite Baptism and Confirmation is administered together to the infant.

Usually, only the Bishop administers Confirmation but in 1947 Pope Pius XII gave permission, in certain circumstances, for a priest to administer this sacrament.

The Bishop anoints the person to be confirmed with Chrism on the forehead in the form of the Cross.

The oil of Chrism is blessed by the Bishop of a diocese on Holy Thursday or during Holy Week along with two other oils - the oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick. This Mass is special and is called the Chrism Mass. Enough oils are blessed for the whole diocese for a year. Each parish in the diocese sends a representative to the Chrism Mass who receives the oils for their parish for the coming year.

Olive oil is used to anoint because in ancient times it was the sign of strength. In the sacrament of Confirmation it is the sign of the strengthening effect of God's Grace on our spiritual lives.

For the Chrism oil, balm is added. It symbolizes the "sweet odor of virtue" - "the attractiveness" of the life of those who use the Graces of Confirmation correctly.

The Cross is a reminder that we are to bear witness to the Gospel through our lives. We are to be soldiers for Jesus -- to be loyal to Him, suffering if necessary. This suffering would include both physical and mental.

A Confirmation name is chosen - that of a Saint - to ask their help in being a Christ-bearer as the Saint was. Saints are powerful friends of Jesus.

To receive any sacrament (after Baptism) you must be in the state of sanctifying grace. The sacramental grace of Confirmation strengthens one against temptation, helps one in persecution, fortifies one to be an active witness for Jesus.

Through the sacrament of Confirmation we receive seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:

• Wisdom -- right sense of God in our lives - first things first
• Understanding -- helps in understanding our Faith
• Counsel -- helps us to choose the right human judgement
• Fortitude -- helps us to persevere
• Knowledge -- helps us to know how to choose what is helpful and reject what is harmful.
• Piety -- Love for God, confidence in Him, reverence to Him.
• Fear of the Lord -- knowing that God is a just Judge -- yes, He is loving and merciful but He is also just.

Fruits of the Holy Spirit will be yours if you use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the external product of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit:

• Charity -- unselfish person;
• Peace -- well adjusted person;
• Joy -- cheerful/pleasant person;
• Patience -- slow to anger, not resentful
• Kindness/Goodness -- not self-righteous, stands for what is right even when it means standing alone;
• Generosity -- no self-pity, uncomplaining in sickness/sorrow
• Faithfulness -- their religion is first in their lives;
• Modesty -- decent in dress, speech, action, self control in all you do;
• Chastity -- reverence for your own and other sexuality;