The Sacrament of
Confirmation
Chapter 2
• Christian life, like any other must grow and
mature.
• This is the role of Confirmation, where the
Holy Spirit is received and Christians built
up into the Body of Christ.
The History of Confirmation
• As we have seen precisely the early Church did not have a
clearly defined distinction between the Sacraments of
Initiation as we do today.
• Paul in (Acts 8:14) tells us Christians in Samaria who had
been baptized but had still to receive the Holy Spirit. The
Apostles went and laid hands on them “and they received
the Holy Spirit”.
The Passage tell us two things:
• The laying on of hands united the community
of Samaria more firmly with the Church and
Jerusalem.
• The gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on
the Christians of Samaria by the laying of
hands.
The Church teaches that
Confirmation strengthens and
confirms the gifts already received
in Baptism. Confirmation can be
seen as a two way process:
• The candidate ‘confirms’ the promises made
at Baptism = personal commitment
• Confirmation is a ‘sealing’ by the Bishop
which enables the candidate to commit
themselves to the service of God.
The Meaning and Effects of Confirmation
• The gifts of the Holy Spirit allows us to
participate more intensely in the mission of
Jesus Christ and of the Church.
• Since Confirmation, like Baptism, takes place
once and for all, it leaves an indelible spiritual
mark on the soul.
The coming of the Holy Spirit is often associated
in the Bible with extraordinary signs such as the
“Gifts of Tongues”. See (1 Cor 12:4 – 11) for St.
Paul’s list of ‘charismata’ or gifts associated with
the receipt of the Holy Spirit.
The Church’s tradition links 7
particular gifts of the Holy Spirit in
Confirmation which help us become
fruitful members of the Christian
Community, there are:
Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Knowledge
Fortitude
Fear of the Lord
Piety
12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit
• Charity
• Joy
• Peace
• Goodness
• Patience
• Kindness
• Longanimity
• Mildness
• Fidelity
• Modesty
• Continency
• Chastity
Relationship to Baptism and the Eucharist
• Vatican 2 (S.C. 71) asked that the rite of
Confirmation be more clearly linked with
Christian Initiation. Traditional teaching
is that Confirmation is a ‘completing’ or
‘perfecting’ or ‘sealing’ of Baptism.
• Vatican 2 also teaches (L.G.10) that by
Confirmation the baptized “are bound more
perfectly to the Church; they are endowed
with a special strength of the Holy Spirit and
are thus more strictly obliged to spread and
defend the Faith by word and deed.
• Confirmation ‘seals’ baptism and looks forward
to “the source and summit of Christian life” –
the Eucharist.
• It is in the Eucharist that the baptized and
confirmed Christian is united with Christ and
His Church and it is nourished and strengthened.
The Rite of the Sacrament of Confirmation
• When Confirmation is celebrated
separate from Baptism, it is preceded by
a ‘renewal’ of the baptismal promises
made either by the candidate, or in the
case of an infant, by the parents or
Godparents.
Symbolism
Chrism
• Candidates for Confirmation are anointed
with the oil of Chrism during the
ceremony – the same oil used at Baptism
and also at the ordination of priests and
bishops.
• The Bishop at the Chrism Mass has previously blessed it
on Maundy Thursday and distributed it to all parishes
within the diocese.
• Until 1970, Chrism had to be mixture of Olive Oil and
Balsam. Now, the Church only requires it to be from
plants with the addition of some perfume to enhance the
odour.
• Laying on of hands
Has threefold meanings:
•Being cleansed for Christ
•A sign of a blessing
•A sign of commissioning
Texts
• The Rite of Confirmation takes place within the
celebration of the Mass after the Gospel and the
Homily.
• The principle text is a relatively short prayer dating
back to the 6th Century in Rome and which
accompanies the extension of the Bishop’s hands over
all the candidates.
All-powerful God, Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by water
and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin
and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be
their Helper and Guide. Give them the Spirit of Wisdom and
Understanding, the Spirit of right judgment and courage, the
Spirit of knowledge and reverence. From them with the Spirit of
wonder and awe in your presence. We ask this through Christ
our Lord.
The anointing is administered with a new formula
based upon an Eastern Rite.
• “N…, be sealed with the gifts of the Holy
Spirit”
• The candidate is then greeted with the Sign of
Peace.
Ministers
• The ordinary minister is the Bishop, however this can be
delegated to a priest commissioned by the Bishop in
cases where it is difficult for the Bishop to visit
individual parishes.
• The sponsor, who should ideally be one of the
Godparents, presents each candidate. Care should be
taken to ensure that the sponsors are Catholics.
