Confirmation

By: Mario Toro

The Breath of God• Holy Spirit is the translation of an old

Hebrew term that means “wind” or “breath of God”

• In the Scriptures people felt the Spirit as a powerful wind, other times as a gentle breeze or a whisper, and still other times as God breathing life into persons or events

• On Pentecost the Apostles felt the Spirit as wind and fire

• In life though the Spirit is revealed in subtle ways, more in breezes than in strong winds

The Seven Gifts• In the Rite of Confirmation, the bishop of

priest prays that these seven special gifts will grow in the candidates

• Wisdom

• Understanding

• Right Judgment

• Courage

• Knowledge

• Reverence

• Wonder and Awe in God’s Presence

Needing Other People• In Preparation for Confirmation, young people usually

choose one person to be their sponsor, to accompany them in growing in the Spirit

• Ideally, the sponsor would be the young person’s godparent from Baptism, which shows a connection between Baptism and Confirmation

• The sponsor should be a baptized person who is fully initiated in to the church, active in the Catholic faith, and willing to help the young person grow spiritually

• In some parishes, a mentor is chosen as well as a sponsor to guide the person spiritually throughout the preparation time

• The sponsor is intended to be a mentor as well

Learning in the Community• For young persons who were baptized as

infants, the period of preparing for Confirmation is similar to the catechumenate

• Confirmation preparation programs last for one or two years, and is meant to give young persons the chance to learn about and grow in the faith they are consciously embracing

• Because the bishops are the successors of the Apostles, Confirmation by one’s bishop is a sign of full incorporation into the church handed down from the time of Jesus

The Laying on of Hands• Hands are a symbol of power

• The laying on of hands refers to an ancient practice of conferring power onto a person by placing both hands on that person’s head

• The practice was also common in the early church to symbolize passing on the power of the Holy Spirit, which the Apostles had received at Pentecost

Blessing, Creating, Comforting, Supporting

• Hands are symbols for the Holy Spirit working in people

• We bless with our hands

• The priest at Mass gives the sign of the cross with his hand over the assembly

• Hands greet, comfort, console, touch other people, and can support and lift up others

Spirit Touching Spirit• In the Rite of Confirmation, the Bishop initially

“lays hands on” all the candidates together by extending his hands over the whole group

• He is praying for the Spirit to help and guide the candidates with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

• Then the candidates come up to the bishop to be anointed with chrism, he places a hand of each persons head, which is symbolically the place of wisdom

• A bond is made; the spirit of one touches the spirit of the other

Anointing with Chrism:A Commission to Service

• In the Rite of Confirmation Christians are anointed by the bishop with chrism and thus are commissioned to be Christ for others

• This action also recalls their anointing with chrism at Baptism

A Consecration• The anointing at Confirmation is an act of

consecrating the person, to share more completely in the mission of Jesus and the church

• In the Roman Catholic Church, the bishop usually does the anointing, as well as the laying on of hands, to link the person symbolically to the universal church, the church of the Apostles

A Sign of the Cross• To be anointed the candidates come forward

one by one• As each one approaches the bishop, that

candidate’s sponsor places her of his right hand on the candidate’s shoulder and gives the bishop the candidate’s name

• The bishop then dips his right thumb in the chrism, puts his hand on the person’s head, and makes the sign of the cross on the for head, saying, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

• The bishop then gives the person the sign of peace