Saint Michael the Archangel Parish

21 Manning St

Hudson, MA 01749

Confirmation

 For on him the Father, God, has set his seal. (John 6:27)

What is the Sacrament of Confirmation?


The Sacrament of Confirmation is the Sacrament of Initiation that confers the grace of the Holy Spirit by a laying on of the hands, anointing of Sacred Chrism (holy oil), and the words, "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit."


[Paul] said to them [some disciples], "Did you receive the holy Spirit when you became believers?" They answered him, "We have never even heard that there is holy Spirit."...Paul then said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentence, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." 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.

Acts of the Apostles 19:2, 4-6

Confirmation perfects the grace of Baptism through the action of the Holy Spirit. With the graces of this Sacrament, a person is enabled to spread and courageously defend the teachings of Christ and his Church. (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1212, 1303, 1316, 1320, 1533)

Confirmation Christians share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. They witness Christ's love and wisdom; in the words of Saint Paul, they exude the "aroma of Christ" (2 Corintians 2:15)
Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses this question, paragraph 1316 ,

-The Didache Bible

What is the scriptual basis for the Sacrament of Confirmation?

The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God’s Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission.

  • Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
  • The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John. 
  • Jesus’ entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit.
  • Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church. 
  • After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit.


The New Testament reports many manifestations of the Holy Spirit, two of which we note here. Saint John’s Gospel describes an outpouring of the Spirit on Easter night when Jesus breathed on the Apostles and said, “Receive the holy Spirit” (John 20:22). 

Saint Luke’s Acts of the Apostles gives another account of the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ (cf. Acts of the Apostles 2).

Filled with the Holy Spirit, the Apostles proclaimed God’s mighty deeds. Peter preached that this coming of the Spirit fulfilled the prophecy of Joel: “In the last days ... I will pour out a portion of my spirit / upon all flesh” (Acts of the Apostles 2:17; cf. JoeI 3:1).


After receiving the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Apostles went out and confirmed others, showing confirmation to be an individual and separate sacrament: Peter and John at Samaria (Acts of the Apostles 8: 5-6, 14-17) and Paul at Ephesus (Acts of the Apostles 19: 5-6).


Also the Holy Spirit came down on Jews and Gentiles alike in Caesarea, prior to their baptisms. Recognizing this as a confirmation by the Holy Spirit, Peter commanded that they be baptized (cf. Acts of the Apostles 10:47).

Confirmation is rooted in the descent of the Holy Spirit and the Apostles' practice of the "laying on the hands" as part of the initiation of the newly baptized...

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. Acts of the Apostles 8:14-17

The Apostles baptized believers in water and the Spirit. Then they imparted the special gift of the Spirit through the laying on of hands. “The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation, which in a certain way perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the Church” (Catholic Catechism of the Church, no. 1288, citing Pope Paul VI, Divinae Consortium Naturae, no.659).


By the second century, Confirmation was also conferred by anointing with holy oil, which came to be called sacred Chrism. “This anointing highlights the name ‘Christian,’ which means ‘anointed’ and derives from that of Christ himself whom God ‘anointed with the Holy Spirit’” (CCC, no. 1289, citing Acts of the Apostles 10:38).


-United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

What are the effects of Confirmation?


Confirmation bestows an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which was also granted to the disciples at Pentecost.  By this Sacrament, it brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace:


  • it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation [becoming adopted sons and daughters of God] which makes us cry, “Abba! Father!’’;

 

  • it unites us more firmly to Christ;


  • it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;

 

  • it renders our bond with the Church more perfect;

 

  • it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.


-United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

The Mission and Witness of the Confirmed


Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world.  Through Confirmation, our personal relationship with Christ is strengthened. We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.

The Holy Spirit bestows seven gifts—Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Fortitude, Counsel, Piety, and Fear of the Lord—to assist us in our mission and witness.  The impact of these gifts accompanies us in the various stages of our spiritual development.

As the confirmed, we walk with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.


  • Wisdom enables us to see the world from God’s viewpoint, which can help us come to grasp the purpose and plan of God. It grants us the long range view of history, examining the present in the light of the past and the mystery of the future. It saves us from the illusion that the spirit of the times is our only guide.


  • The Spirit’s gift of Knowledge directs us to a contemplation, or thoughtful reflection, of the mystery of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—as well as of the mysteries of the Catholic faith. We are drawn to meditative prayer, where we allow God to lead us while we rest patiently in the divine presence.

 

  • The gift of Understanding stimulates us to work on knowing ourselves as part of our growth in knowing God. It is what St. Augustine meant when he prayed, “That I may know You, may I know myself.” 

 

  • When the Spirit pours Fortitude or courage into our hearts, we can trust that we will be prepared to stand up for Christ and the Gospel when challenged.

 

  • As the gift of Counsel or right judgment grows in us, we can sense the quiet teaching that the Spirit gives us about our moral lives and the training of our consciences.
  • The gift of Piety or reverence is an act of respect for the Father who created us, for Jesus who saved us, and for the Spirit who is sanctifying us. We learn reverence for God and people from our parents and others who train us in virtue. The Spirit fills us with this gift at liturgy, which is a masterful school of reverence, as well as through popular devotions and piety.

 

  • Finally, the gift of Fear of the Lord or wonder and awe in God’s presence can infuse honesty into our relationship with God, a frankness that places us in awe before the majesty of God. Yet the gift also imparts an attitude of grateful wonder that God loves us and that we can share in his life.


-United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

"In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law..If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit."  Galatians 5:22-23, 25

Share by: