Tiber River Cafe--Sacrament of Confirmation

Hello, and welcome to the Tiber River Café.  My name is Dean Humphreys, and today’s topic is the Sacrament of Confirmation, along with the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of Eucharist, the Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the Sacraments of Initiation to the Catholic Church.  The Sacrament of Confirmation is our Pentecost, it is the time in one’s life when we receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit that comforts and strengthens that person’s life in Christ that began at Baptism, as we read in the Book of Acts, chapter 19 verses 5-6, “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them.”  We also read in the Book of Acts, chapter 2 verse 38, “Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  This is the Catholic Church’s Sacrament of Confirmation.

The Catholic Church recognizes seven Sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony (marriage), Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation (also known as confession).  We believe that there is a sacred reality to each of the Sacraments and that each Sacrament points us towards Jesus.  Catholics believe that each of the Sacraments was instituted by Jesus himself, pointing to Biblical events in the life and ministry, as well as the stories and teachings, of Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior. 

Each of the Sacraments also points to the Christian life, as we participate as a faith community, in the celebration of the Sacraments.   The Sacraments are signs and a means to God’s graces, the graces that are needed to live a truly Christian life.  The Church teaches that we cannot earn grace, for God’s grace is a free gift of Himself as the controlling influence in our lives.  Sacraments are the life of the Church for they help to make us more holy people, they help to build up the Body of Christ, and they point us towards God.

In the Book of Acts, chapter 2 verses 2-4, we read about the first Pentecost, “And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Later in the Book of Acts, chapter 8 verses 14-17, we read how the early apostles confirmed the new converts, “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”  The ‘laying on of hands’, which is the Sacrament of Confirmation, has the power to transform.  And as we read in the Book of Hebrews, chapter 6 verse 2, how the early Church was taught “instruction about baptisms and laying on of hands.”  This is our faith, a 2000 year tradition.

The Sacrament of Confirmation involves the laying on of hands, that we receive the Holy Spirit, which is the unbroken succession from Jesus himself when he laid his hands upon his disciples.  At the time of Confirmation the bishop will trace the sign of the Cross on our forehead with holy oil, and he says, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” and we respond, “Amen.”  Two thousand years ago the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, forty days after the Resurrection of Jesus, and Jesus promised his disciples at that Pentecost, that he would send his Spirit to comfort and strengthen them.  We are filled with this same Holy Spirit at the time of our own Confirmation, and the Spirit continues to comfort and strengthen Christ’s disciples, we are Christ’s disciples.  St. Paul also writes about our inheritance of salvation through the Holy Spirit in his Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 1 verse 13, when he tells the people of Ephesus, “In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.”

The main or central act of the Sacrament of Confirmation comes after the laying on of hands.  The central act is the anointing of the person being confirmed with chrism, which is the fragrant oil, and the bishop says the words, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  We are then consecrated, the seal of the Holy Spirit comes upon us, the fulfillment of the graces conferred upon us at the time of our Baptism.  This is the time in a person’s life when there is a mature commitment to Christianity, to what we believe as Catholics, to following Jesus and being his disciple.

In the Sacrament of Baptism we become new members of the Catholic Church, the Body of Christ.  As we continue to grow both physically and spiritually we continue our faith journey in the Sacrament of Confirmation.  With the perfection of our Baptismal promises, we complete the Sacrament of Confirmation and we become more attached to the Church and her mission.  We become witnesses of Christ in our world, and we have an obligation to spread the Gospel message to our family, friends and neighbors.  And we are to defend our faith by word and deed.  We are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and we are more fully connected not only to our local parish but also to the larger Christian community, the universal Church.

The Sacrament of Confirmation perpetuates the grace of Pentecost, confirms the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and strengthens our life in Christ that began with our Baptism. Confirmation is our Pentecost.  Confirmation solidifies more firmly our bond with the Church and associates us more closely with the mission of the Church.  And Confirmation helps us to proclaim our Christian faith in words accomplished by deeds, as we are told in the Book of Acts, chapter 1 verse 8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses.”  We are sealed with the Holy Spirit, giving us the courage to boldly and confidently continue on our faith journey.

There are five general effects of Confirmation.  First, Confirmation grounds us more deeply in the family of God, we become God’s sons and daughters.  Second, Confirmation unites us more closely with Jesus.  Third, it increases and magnifies the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.  Fourth, it helps to solidify our attachment to the Church.  And fifth, Confirmation provides us with the strength to defend our faith, to spread the Gospel message, and to be witnesses to our Lord and Savior, Jesus of Nazareth.  With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we become instruments of grace, to practice love and service to our family, friends, and neighbors, to participate in the Church’s mission.

The Sacrament of Confirmation normally occurs when a child reaches what is termed the ‘age of reason’.  Some parishes celebrate the Sacrament at the age of 7 while other parishes, like my local parish, celebrates the Sacrament in the 10^th grade.  For those Catholics who did not receive the Sacrament as a child, the Sacrament can be received at any time during a person’s life.  It is important that the candidate for Confirmation be in a state of grace, they should participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, confession, before being confirmed.

The bishop is the ordained minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Each bishop is a successor of the Apostles, the Apostles whom the Holy Spirit descended upon at Pentecost.  A priest can be authorized by the bishop to perform the Sacrament.  Adult converts to the Catholic faith are normally confirmed by the local parish priest.  During the celebration the bishop will wear red vestments to signify the red tongues of fire seen hovering over the heads of the Apostles at the first Pentecost.

At the time of Confirmation, the candidate approaches the bishop, along with their sponsor, and your sponsor will present you to the bishop by stating your confirmation name.  Your sponsor puts their hand on your shoulder, and then the bishop will anoint your forehead with oil making the sign of the Cross, while saying your confirmation name and says, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”, and you respond, “Amen.”  The bishop then says, “Peace with you” and then you respond, “And with your spirit.”  And now you are confirmed, sealed with the Holy Spirit, able to accept responsibility for your faith.  The faith our parents and godparents promised at our Baptism is now confirmed in our Confirmation.  We renew our Baptismal promises to renounce Satan and to believe in God and his Church.

The sacred oil used with the Rite of Confirmation is a mixture of olive oil and balm.  Balm is a fragrant substance added to the oil to give it a sweet aroma.  The oil used in our Confirmation is the same oil used at our Baptism, and it’s the same oil used to anoint bishops and priests during the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  The symbol of oil reminds us that we are members of a larger family, the universal Church.  The oil indicates that we now belong to God, that we are elevated to a special service to God, that we now become part of the priesthood of all believers.  The anointing of oil signifies that we are followers of Christ, who is the ‘Anointed One’, Jesus who was anointed with the Holy Spirit as we read in the Book of Acts, chapter 10 verse 38, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

So there you have it, a rather simple explanation of the Sacrament of Confirmation, our own Pentecost when we are sealed with the Holy Spirit as we continue on our faith journey for we are commissioned to live out our faith on a daily basis.  Remember, the same Holy Spirit that descended on Jesus during his baptism in the Jordan River is the same Holy Spirit that descended on the Apostles at Pentecost, and it is the same Holy Spirit that descends on us at our Confirmation. 

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Well, thanks again for stopping by the Tiber River Café, where there is always plenty of room at the banquet table.  I hope to see you next time.  Peace be with you.