Confirmation Cathoilc Everything You Need to Know
This article is function of a seven-function series on the vii sacraments—view the entire series hither.
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The Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the three Catholic sacraments of initiation. Confirmation in the Catholic Church building includes the laying on of easily, and anointing in the sign of the cross with Chrism oil. Confirmation is the third and final sacrament which completes Christian initiation for Roman Catholics, also as eastern Catholic churches, and is also prominent in the Orthodox Church building and other Mainline Christian denominations, including the Church of England, Methodist and Lutheran churches.
Inside the Catholic organized religion confirmation is not just a rite of passage equally some think it to be. As i of the seven sacraments, well-defined at the Council of Trent, confirmation is one of these seven ordinary means of grace established by God the Male parent through Jesus Christ. The confirmands – candidates for confirmation – are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. And he enters the life of the faithful in a unique way after receiving the sacrament. We'll discuss this more than in the section on the effect of the sacrament. If you browse the web, yous'll find a lot of misinformation about what confirmation ways, as secular or non-Cosmic sources wrestle with how to describe a sacrament.
Confirmation means…
I utilise a word association tool when I start to write a blog postal service just to come across what other people are proverb effectually the topic, and I was confused about some of the words that were actualization as related to the topic of confirmation: "words of the mean solar day", "related words", "American English", "British English". So it dawned on me, most people searching for "confirmation" online are really looking for the definition of confirmation. And most of the results when y'all search for that word are English dictionary results. The Catholic Encyclopedia New Appearance is at that place and one or 2 other Catholic websites, but the primary data yous will go from Google is secular. So that could explain some of the defoliation people frequently have almost what confirmation really is. Just in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, confirmation is described like this:
"Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together establish the 'sacraments of Christian initiation,' whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For 'by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, every bit truthful witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the religion by word and human activity.'" (CCC 1285)
So we can see from the Catechism that through confirmation, nosotros receive the Holy Spirit in a unique way that compels the states to spread and defend the faith. Yet, what exactly are we existence chosen to, through the event of the sacrament?
Outcome of the sacrament
Confirmation calls us to live a life of holiness and obedience to God's volition. That call is primarily through a renewal of our baptismal promises that were, in most cases, made for the states by our parents when we were baptized. Our parents besides made a promise at our baptism to raise the states in the faith and teach us about our Church. That might take the form of encouragement to pray the rosary or adopt other devotional practices like the Stations of the Cantankerous to deepen our organized religion. Hopefully, these statements within our creed were fabricated real for us in our home-life, so that when the fourth dimension came for us to receive the Holy Spirit, nosotros would be prepared to ostend our faith. We receive the Holy Spirit in seven unique means through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are:
- Wisdom – Helps us to rightly club our interpersonal relationships and the axis of God and his volition in our lives.
- Understanding – Helps us to encompass the Gospel and the will of God as communicated through his message.
- Knowledge – The capacity for exploring and pondering God's revelation along with the awareness that some mysteries of religion are beyond our ability to grasp completely.
- Counsel – Helps us to choose the path of God when presented with choices that relate to our journey toward him.
- Fortitude – Also refered to every bit courage or force helps us to do what we know is correct fifty-fifty when it might be difficult or plush.
- Piety – Is a strong devotion to God through prayer
- Fear of the Lord – Is not to be afraid of God, but to be in wonder of his power and might, and to marvel at his majesty.
The blessing that the bishop gives over the confirmands during the Roman Rite of Confirmation encapsulates all of these gifts beautifully
"All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
past h2o 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 backbone,
the spirit of knowledge and reverence.
Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.
We ask this through Christ our Lord."
(CCC 1299)
Empowered by these gifts and the sacramental grace of God, the confirmed Catholic has everything they demand to spread and defend the faith in both word and deed, or every bit many put it, to exist a "soldier of Christ."
The rite: Administering the sacrament
The Roman Rite of confirmation occurs ordinarily in the context of the Mass. Information technology's fitting that reception of Holy Communion be part of the commemoration of the sacrament of confirmation. The Holy Eucharist is, afterwards all, the "source and summit" of our Catholic faith (CCC 1324). Beingness the third sacrament of initiation, confirmation is reserved to baptized persons that have received their first Holy Communion. The confirmands brand a profession of religion past renewing their baptismal vows, at their confirmation, then receive the approval (mentioned above) from the bishop, who must administrate confirmation usually. And ane by 1, forth with their sponsors, the confirmands approach the Bishop. He receives the confirmation names from the sponsor and and so traces the sign of the cross on the confirmand's forehead saying,
"[Name], exist sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit"
The confirmand then responds, "Amen," and the bishop extends a sign of peace to the confirmand. All sacraments take matter and grade, and for confirmation the matter is the chrism oil, and the grade is the in a higher place prayer. As you may have read, in the article below on last rites, if a person is in danger of death this sacrament can be administered by a priest equally an extraordinary government minister. A priest may also administer confirmation during the Easter Vigil, which makes sense. Non all bishops have the power to bilocate similar St. Padre Pio did, and then information technology would be hard for them to exist in every parish in the diocese at vii:00pm on Holy Sat. In cases of Adult baptisms through RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), the catechumens receive the three sacraments of initiation during the Easter Acuity Mass where they are baptized, then confirmed, and and then they receive the Holy Eucharist for the beginning time during communion completing their initiation.
Picking a proper name
In the Roman Catholic church building, all of the candidates for confirmation have the opportunity to option a confirmation name for themselves. This exercise provides the faithful with an opportunity to prefer a new patron saint in their devotional lives. Typically, confirmands are encouraged to pick a proper name that speaks to who they are. So, if your family is Irish, you might selection St. Patrick, or if you lot are considering monastic life, you might cull St. Bridegroom. This practice could be traced back to the Lord Jesus Christ who gave Simon the name Peter, or fifty-fifty further back to God the Male parent who changed Abram's name to Abraham. Some other archetype example would be St. Paul, whose name was Saul before his conversion. The giving of a new name also identifies that these people were set apart in a special mode for the work of God, which is plumbing fixtures for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Many Catholics include their confirmation names as eye names when referring to themselves to remind themselves of the commision they received at confirmation.
In other faith traditions
Every bit mentioned in the get-go paragraph confirmation is also practiced in a number of other faith traditions. The Orthodox and Cosmic eastern churches, like the Ukrainian Rite, gloat confirmation, first communion and baptism all at once for infants. The Book of Common Prayer also contains a confirmation ritual for the Episcopal and Anglican churches that is structured very similar to the Roman Rite. Even Reform Judaism, if y'all can believe information technology, has a confirmation. Although information technology was originally a way to refer to bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah with inclusive language and movement the coming of historic period ceremony to the late teen years. The Reform Judaism practice is, of course, not Christocentric and is more of a truthful rite of passage than a commissioning.
Where is THAT in the Bible?
The best example of Confirmation in the Bible comes to u.s. from the Acts of the Apostles:
"Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accustomed the discussion of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went downward and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, for it had not all the same fallen upon any of them; they had merely been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.And so they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit."
Considering the more visible sign in the Catholic rite is the anointing with chrism oil – olive oil scented with a balsam perfume – it can sometimes be missed when reading through the Bible that "The laying on of easily" refers to confirmation. Some other biblical reference to confirmation would be the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.
Church fathers and the Early Church
Information technology's besides articulate from the writings of the church fathers throughout church building history, but especially in the first centuries of Christianity, that the Early Church had a clear understanding of the essential nature of confirmation as a sacrament. Catholic Answers has an excellent list of a dozen church fathers who wrote in the first four centuries of Christianity about the necessity of confirmation.
Conclusion
Confirmation is oftentimes seen equally the finish line for the true-blue. Parents often have the listen prepare of, "If I tin just get them confirmed..." Which is understandable, confirmation should be a launching off point for a young person – a beginning not an end. Then, it follows that parents would struggle toward the goal of getting their children to the starting line for their personal feel of spreading the bulletin of Jesus Christ. However, in the real earth spiritual battle, parents fight to go along their children Catholic in an increasingly hostile globe towards the bulletin of Christ. The message frequently communicated to our teens is that Confirmation is the finish. Equally a result many young Catholics end participating in their parish after this event, and many drift away from the faith after high school. But confirmation is but the starting time! I beloved the epitome from the dream of St. Dominic nearly his friars. St. Dominic saw a dog with a torch in its oral fissure setting the world on fire. That's why Dominican'south are often depicted as the dogs of Christ. The fire in their mouths is the Gospel message, and as faithful confirmed Catholics, we should be so bold to use the words of our mouths to spread the blazing message of Truth in the Gospel! We are called to gear up the world afire! In the words of Jesus,
"I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!" (Luke 12:49)
Music for the sacrament
As I mentioned in a previous mail service, if nosotros desire to change the world we must outset change ourselves. Nosotros should saturate our lives with content that supports our mission given in confirmation. We become what we eat. So, hither are some wonderful songs about confirmation for y'all to consume. May they fix your heart ablaze for the mission of spreading the organized religion of Jesus Christ. For a full list confirmation songs click here.
May Yous Walk Sarah Hart
Sarah's song off her anthology "Sacrament" captures the commissioning of Confirmation so eloquently, as her lyrics often do. "May you walk e'er in the Lord, and may His Spirit exist with you at all times." This is one of those songs that yous here in Church at Mass and tin't terminate singing on your style out to the parking lot.
Jesus Christ Yous Are My Life Marco Frisina
If y'all are in a multilingual community this is a groovy song to comprise Vietnamese youth from the Eucharistic Youth Motility or your parish'south Jovenes grouping. Information technology's trilingual in Tiếng Việt, Español and English.
Isaiah 61 Matt Maher
Information technology's always really fun and inspiring to listen to Matt Maher'southward Isaiah 61. I've been playing this song on piano from the song book I'm considering it for our own confirmation celebration this year.
Download this blog as a PDF to read at your convenience!
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This series is intended to provide a more than in-depth look at each of the Sacraments, their establishment in the Bible and current exercise, while providing some beautiful musical suggestions. Explore more from related articles in this series:
Baptism What is Baptism?
Eucharist What is the Eucharist?
Confirmation What is the Sacrament of Confirmation?
Confession Sacrament of Reconciliation
Anointing of the Sick Concluding Rites and the Anointing of the Sick
Wedlock Being married man and wife
Holy Orders What is the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
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Source: https://www.ocp.org/en-us/blog/entry/sacrament-of-confirmation
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