This Sacrament completes the baptismal grace. We are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit so that as witnesses of Christ we are enabled to spread and defend the faith.
The Holy Spirit in Prophecy
The prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the Messiah to come (Is 11:2; Is 61:1).
The New Testament shows the fulfillment of these prophecies:
The Holy Spirit in the Church
(1288-1289)
Christ promised the outpouring of the Spirit. The promised was fulfilled on Easter and more strikingly on Pentecost. Those who believed in the preaching of the apostles and were baptized received the gift of the Holy Spirit. In fulfillment of Christıs will, the apostles laid on hands to impart to the newly baptized the gift of the Spirit. (Heb 6:2) The laying on of hands perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the Church.
An additional sign helped signify the gift of the Spirit an anointing with perfumed oil called chrism. The very name Christian means "anointed." Eastern churches call the sacrament Chrismation. Confirmation suggests the ratification of baptism and the strengthening of baptismal grace.
History of Confirmation (1290)
St. Cyprian talked about a "double sacrament" since it comprised one single celebration with baptism. In the West it was felt that the completion of baptism should be reserved to the bishop so the sacrament was separated from its roots.
Signs of Confirmation
The sign of anointing signifies a spiritual sealing. Oil can be cleansing, limbering, healing, and brings radiance and beauty. Anointing with chrism is a sign of consecration. The confirmands are sealed with the Holy Spirit much as Jesus was sealed with his Father's seal.
Celebration of Confirmation
By extending his hands over the whole group, the bishop signifies the descent of the gift of the Spirit. The essential rite is the anointing with chrism on the forehead which is done by the laying on of the hand, and through the words Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit. The bishop consecrates chrism for his whole diocese.
When celebrated separately from baptism it begins with the renewal of baptismal promises. An adult who is baptized is immediately confirmed.
The effects of Confirmation (1302-1305)
1. Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
2. Increase of baptismal grace
3. It imprints an indelible spiritual mark
4. The power to profess faith in Christ publicly
Who can Receive the Sacrament?
Every baptized unconfirmed person should complete Christian initiation by being confirmed. Western tradition says that the candidate should be above the age of discretion, but in danger of death children should be confirmed.
Although called the Sacrament of Maturity, it shouldnıt be confused with physical adulthood. Baptismal grace is Godıs free and unmerited gift and so does not need confirmation to ratify that grace to become effective.
The candidate must be in the state of grace. One should prepare by receiving the sacrament of Penance. The candidate seeks the help of a sponsor, appropriately the who was the baptismal godparent.
The Minister of Confirmation
The original minister is the bishop, and with the fullness of priesthood he shows the unity of the church in time and space. In danger of death any priest can confirm. A pastor is deputed to confirm when an adult is baptized.
The Holy Spirit and the Church
This is the teaching of the Church regarding the Holy Spirit. The holy Spirit awakens faith in people and gives them the new life that enables them to know the Father and the one whom he has sent, Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to know the Holy Spirit through the movement of grace as he reveals the Word to us and helps us to welcome him in faith.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the Church as "a communion living in the faith of the apostles which she transmits." (#688) With the Church, the faithful are able to know the Holy Spirit in different ways. They include the following:
The word, "Spirit" comes from the Hebrew word ruah which means air, breath, wind. "Holy" and "Spirit" are words applicable to the three divine persons. In joining these two words, Scripture, theology and liturgy offer us the unique identity of the person of the Holy Spirit. Scripture, theology and liturgy also offer us various symbols that reflect the mission and ministry of the Holy Spirit. These include water, anointing, fire, cloud, and light as well as the hand, the finger and the dove. When Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, he calls him the "Paraclete" which means "he who is called to one's side." The Holy Spirit is our Advocate.
"To believe in the Holy Spirit is to hold that God acts ceaselessly. This God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, this God of Jesus of Nazareth reveals himself in a history. He has not ceased to express himself in human history; he has not ceased to express himself in human words: The Spirit manifests the Passion that God has for his creation. At the heart of the Christian act of faith the Holy Spirit is more than often felt that explained. He is a power, this force from on high which Christ promised to his disciples. He is the power of the Most High which takes Mary under his shadow. He is this power sent from God by Christ so that the good news may be announced to all nations. In receiving it, the apostles are given their mission to witness to the resurrection of Christ."
How To Understand the Creed, The Crossroad Publishing Co., N.Y., N.Y., 1992, pgs. 106-107.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "From the beginning until the 'fullness of time,' the joint mission of the Father's Word and Spirit remain hidden, but it is at work. God's Spirit prepares for the time of the Messiah." (#702) This work by the Word and the Spirit is present at creation and in the development of salvation history, from Abraham to the prophets, from the exodus to John the Baptist. In the fullness of time, the Son and the Spirit fulfill the plan of the Father's loving goodness in Mary. In the Incarnation, the Father's Spirit anoints the Son. The mission of Christ and the Spirit becomes the mission of the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Christ's faithful share in his communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit goes out to people to prepare them to meet Christ by revealing the risen Lord to them and making Christ present to them, especially in the Eucharist.
On the first Pentecost, Christ's Passover was fulfilled through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost reveals fully the Holy Trinity. As the result of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the world enters into "the last days." "The Church's mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: In her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity." (#738)
Summary
31 What is Confirmation?
Confirmation is the fulfillment of Christ's promise to send the Holy Spirit on all his followers to enable them to be his witnesses "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). In the synagogue, as he began his own public ministry, Jesus unrolled the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and told the crowds: "The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me ... ." (Luke 4:18).
The word "witness" means one who testifies to the truth at the expense of his or her life. In Confirmation Christians are "anointed" with the power of the Holy Spirit to profess their faith within the Church and to testify to the truth to those outside it.
Because of the close connection between Baptism and
Confirmation the early Christians normally conferred them together in one rite. In the New Testament, nonetheless, the foundation for the clear distinction between them is evident. For example, Philip the Deacon sent for the apostles Peter and John to "come and lay hands" on some men and women whom he had baptized (Acts 8:14-17).
Confirmation, surely, is the sacrament which is least understood by Catholics. The reason partly lies in the fact that Confirmation has always been so closely linked with Baptism. Indeed, in periods of the Church's history they have often been conferred together. Why, then, two sacraments? What is given in Confirmation that has not already been given in Baptism?
The truth, of course, is that the Holy Spirit is given in both sacraments. But the function of the Holy Spirit in each is different. The kind of difference is hinted at by Saint Augustine when he explains that in Baptism we are mixed with water so that we might take on the form of bread, the body of Christ. But bread, he points out, then needs to be baked in the fire; and this fire is supplied by the chrism which is "the sacrament of the
Holy Spirit" who showed himself in tongues of fire.
At Baptism, in other words, we are made members of Christ's Body. But at Confirmation we are given the power of God to bear fruit in our Christian life and to speak before the world boldly, and so draw others into the Church. It draws us deeper into the life of the Church, the Love of God, which is the Holy Spirit.
Our entry into the Christian life, then, is no sudden "overnight" experience. It is a process of gradual maturing until we meet Christ face-to- face in death. The sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, together with our frequent celebration of the Eucharist, are the crucial moments of our birth and growth. As a theologian of the 14th century explained: "Baptism is birth; Confirmation means for us operation and movement; the bread of life and the cup of blessing are true food and drink."
The difference between Baptism and Confirmation is reflected in the age at which, traditionally, they have been conferred. The Baptism of infants has been an
accepted practice in the Church from the earliest times. But not so with Confirmation. This sacrament gives the strength to publicly confess the name of Jesus. In normal circumstances its conferring on infants would seem inappropriate.
The ideal time, then, for the conferring of Confirmation is when the person is most ready to receive the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that the sacrament has no effect if the person is not receptive; but it does mean that the full effect can only be experienced
when the person is consciously disposed to receive the Holy Spirit.
The revised Rite of Confirmation says Episcopal conferences may designate the appropriate age for Confirmation. In the United States, practice in this matter varies. Formerly, young people were confirmed around the age of 10 or 12. More recently, emphasis on Confirmation as the sacrament of Christian commitment has led to postponement until the age of 12,14, or even 17 years.
32 How is Confirmation celebrated?
The sacrament of Confirmation is conferred by the imposition of hands followed by the anointing in the form of a cross with chrism on the forehead. The chrism must have been consecrated by the bishop.
(Chrism is olive oil mixed with balsam: the oil is a symbol of strength; the perfume is a symbol of the "fragrance of Christ" which the Christian must spread.)
As he anoints, the minister of the sacrament says these words: "Name, be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit." It is normally the bishop, the leader of the community, who administers the sacrament (although a priest may do so under certain circumstances), symbolizing that Confirmation is a "confirming" of the Christian's initiation into the community.
In Confirmation the sponsor places his or her hand on the candidate's shoulder as a sign that he or she is presenting the candidate for Confirmation on behalf of the whole Christian community. Each sponsor undertakes to encourage the confirmed Christian to fulfill his or her promise to be Christ's witness.
The "slap on the cheek" is probably the part of the Rite of Confirmation which older confirmed Catholics remember best. However, like many other little ceremonies in the Church's liturgy, this disappeared in 1971 when the new Rite of Confirmation was promulgated. Today, the bishop says simply, "Peace be with you"; and the newly confirmed replies, "And also with you."
The gentle blow on our cheek given us by the bishop reminded us, we were taught, that in Confirmation we receive the strength to fight as soldiers of Jesus Christ. This strength we undoubtedly did receive. But such was not the original meaning of the blow. It is far more likely that it derived from the bishop's kiss of peace. When in the early Middle Ages, however, infants came to be confirmed, such a kiss was impossible, and so it developed into a caress or a gentle pat.
Such developments in rites are a common feature in the Church's liturgy. And it is such changeable elements in the celebration of the sacraments that has led the Church to try to establish the unchangeable elements.
When, for example, Jesus instituted the sacrament of Confirmation by his promise of the Holy Spirit, he did not lay down explicit instructions on how the gift of the Spirit was to be conferred. That was left for the Church to work out. What, then, is unchangeable in the sacrament of Confirmation? What is essential for its celebration?
A sacrament is an action of Christ. It is a work of God made visible to human eyes. And so it is not surprising that early in her history the Church began to speak of a sacrament as "the bringing together of an earthly and a heavenly element." The earthly element is what can be seen; the heavenly element is God's all-powerful word.
Every sacrament is composed of these two essential elements: An outward sign which by the power of God's word confers God's grace on the receiver. In some sacraments the elements of the sign were laid down by Jesus himself during his earthly life. In the Eucharist, for example, bread and wine with the words of consecration were exactly specified. But in Confirmation the elements were not so clearly defined.
Nor is it easy to trace the development of these elements in the sacrament of Confirmation. At first, there were, clearly, many variations from region to region. But two facts are clear. Confirmation was generally conferred with Baptism in one continuous rite. And there was always some form of anointing with oil.
And always, of course, there was the accompanying words ‹ the heavenly element ‹ with the minister speaking in the name of Christ. One of the earliest texts goes back to A.D. 213: "I anoint you with holy oil in God the Father almighty and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit."
The Holy Spirit in the Bible
For the Jews, Pentecost was the feast of Mt. Sinai. It celebrated the giving of the ten commandments to Moses and the sealing of God's covenant with his people. A mighty wind and fire swept the slopes of Sinai, evoking awe. The wind was the breath/Spirit of God as the source of life. The fire was Godıs glory manifesting his presence to his people.
The Upper Room of the Christian Pentecost is the new Sinai. Once again the mighty Spirit of God and his fiery presence sweeps through the human community.
Scripture reveals the work of the Spirit in the entire work of creation and redemption. The work of the Spirit is present though hidden in signs and images in all the key moments of the Old Testament.
In the New Testament the Spirit's work becomes visible, overshadowing Mary at the Annunciation, giving force and energy to the ministry of John the Baptist, and effecting the Resurrection of Jesus.
When his hour had come to be glorified, Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained that the Spirit will dwell in us, bring us to understand Jesus' teachings, and lead us into all truth. As for our sinfulness, the Spirit will convince us of it, convict us of our evil and convert our hearts to Christ. He will give us special gifts.
On Easter night, Jesus breathed on his apostles the gift of the Spirit (Jn 20:22) This is sometimes called the Johannine Pentecost. It anticipates the full public gift of the Spirit that is described in St. Luke's account of Pentecost (Acts 2).
The Holy Spirit Gives us the Church
The Spirit gives people a religious experience of God. We tend to think of this in terms of how we feel when we have an experience. But in Acts, ecstasy and interior exaltation is not the point. Acts does not comment on feeling. Those in the Upper Room experienced the Spirit in wind and fire. They do not sit around enjoying the God-feeling. Instead they proceed directly from experiencing the Spirit to preaching, healing, exorcising building community, teaching.
The experience of the Spirit's gift of understanding motivates them to organize their community into a structured Church. This is best seen in the missionary churches established by Paul and the institutional guidelines enunciated in the epistles. The Spirit taught them how to provide stability and continuity for the Church. Because they were experiencing the Spirit, the mystery of Christ living in His church was very real to them.
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your faithful
Enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created,
and you will renew the face of the earth.
O God, by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
CRACKERBARREL
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St. Paul describes the joyfulness of the Spirit-filled Christian in Galatians 5:22-23. These characteristics are called the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Name them:
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Although baptism and confirmation are administered to adults on the same occasion along with Eucharist, we find in Acts 8:9-25 that baptized believers had not received the Spirit and were confirmed by the Apostles. Who tried to buy this power?
To help us profess, defend and spread the faith as adult Christians, the Holy Spirit dwelling in us works through Seven Gifts: What are they? (Read Isaiah 11:2)
To believe in the Holy Spirit is to profess that the Holy Spirit is one of the persons of the Holy Trinity, consubstantial with the Father and the Son: "with the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified" (#685).
2. Where does the Church show us the Spirit?
The Church is the place where we know the Holy Spirit: in the Scriptures...in the Tradition...in the Church's Magisterium...in the sacramental liturgy...in prayer...in the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up...in the signs of apostolic and missionary life...in the witness of saints (#688).
3. What images reveal the mystery of the Spirit?
The Spirit's reality is imaged in baptismal water, Confirmation oil/anointing, fire, cloud and light, the seal, the hand, the finger, and the dove. No one image exhausts the Spirit's infinite mystery (Cf. #694-701).
4. What are the hidden works of the Spirit in the Old Testament?
Through signs and images we perceive the work of the Spirit in creation, the calls of Abraham and Moses, the anointing of judges and kings, the inspiration of the prophets, the promise and expectation of the Messiah (Cf. #703-715).
5. What are the great public acts of the Spirit in the Gospels?
The Gospels manifest the Spirit's dramatic presence in the Annunciation to Mary, the ministry of John the Baptist, and the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Cf. #717- 730).
6. What are the two accounts of the giving of the Spirit?
John 20 narrates how Jesus breathes on the apostles on Easter night, giving them the Spirit. Acts 2 tells us of the public and definitive gift of the Spirit to the Church (Cf. #730- 731).