A Beacon Of Light … Confirmation And Battling The Forces Of Darkness
By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.
(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He is currently the parochial vicar of St. Andrew Parish in Colchester and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Lebanon. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)
Last week we discussed the first sacrament of initiation which is Baptism. We learned that Baptism cleanses us from original sin and makes us a member of God’s family. In Baptism we also receive special graces to assist us in our new journey of faith. Today we will examine the second Sacrament of Initiation which is Confirmation.
Simply explained, Confirmation is the sacrament that completes our baptismal grace. By receiving Confirmation, the baptized become more fully united to the Church and are strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Like Baptism, Confirmation can only be received once. Through it we receive an imprint or a spiritual seal on our soul that can never be taken away (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1285).
This spiritual seal is accomplished through anointing. The action of anointing is from ancient biblical times and has rich meaning. The use of oil in anointing was a sign of joy. Oil is often used to cleanse because it is seen as a sign of healing. Anointing has many meanings in the sacramental life. In discussing Baptism, we mentioned the anointing with the Oil of Catechumens as a preparation for receiving Baptism. The anointing before Baptism strengthens us and makes us ready to become a member of God’s family.
The anointing with Sacred Chrism, post-Baptism, signifies our Christian dignity. By this anointing we participate in the ministry of Christ; sharing in His prophetic ministry of priest, prophet, and king. In the anointing of Confirmation, we are sealed, or marked with the Holy Spirit.
Who can receive this sacrament? Any baptized person who has not already been confirmed can receive this sacrament. Confirmation enables the baptized to grow in the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Since Confirmation strengthens the graces of Baptism, it is imperative that all the baptized receive this strength.
We are living in unprecedented times. During the chaos of the world, thank God, we have the great Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation seals us with the Holy Spirit and enables us to be soldier for Christ. We are fighting an earthly battle between the forces of light and darkness; of good and evil. As soldiers of Christ, we need armor to protect us in this battle.
In Confirmation, God bestows upon us the battle gear necessary in this fight. In the Rite of Confirmation, we are consecrated as soldiers to battle in this earthly war. During the Rite of Confirmation there is a beautiful prayer called the Prayer of Consecration. This is what it says: 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.
Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Rite of Confirmation) The prayer of consecration bestows upon us our battle gear. What is this battle gear? The gifts of the Holy Spirit are our battle gear. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit assist us in the journey of faith. These gifts are permanently given to assist us in our battle. The gifts of the Holy Spirit enable us to follow where the Holy Spirit leads us. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord.
These gifts of the Spirit perfect within us the virtues to which they are connected. The gift of wisdom is considered the first and the greatest of the gifts. It acts upon the intellect and the will. St. Bernard of Clairvaux reminds us that wisdom illumines the mind and instills an attraction to the divine.
The gift of understanding assists us in our relationship with God. It helps us to recognize our supernatural purpose to know, love, and serve God. It also helps us with a better appreciation of the truths of the faith. This gift gives us a profound appreciation of God’s Divine Providence.
Counsel is the gift that assists us in making right decisions. This is especially important in areas of morality. This gift increases within us the cardinal virtue of prudence. It also helps to illuminate within us the will of God.
Fortitude is another one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This gift is also known as courage, or, as St. Thomas Aquinas refers to it, as endurance. Fortitude enabled us to stand up for what is right in the sight of God. This is exercised by one’s willingness to defend the faith. This willingness may include rejection, persecution, verbal abuse or even physical harm. This gift strengthens our willingness to battle for the faith.
Fortitude is the gift of the Holy Spirit that enabled many to become martyrs for the faith. This gift is especially important today as we live through such difficult times.
Knowledge is the gift of the Holy Spirit that allows one, as humanly possible, to see things that happen in life from God’s perspective. This gift of the Spirit implies total trust in the Lord.
Piety is the gift connected with reverence. A person with reverence recognizes his total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety perfects the virtue of religion in that it gives to God that which is due to God.
In a series of talks on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis said that piety is a recognition of “our belonging to God, our deep bond with Him, a relationship that gives meaning to our whole life and keeps us resolute, in communion with Him, even during the most difficult and troubled moments.” Pope Francis goes on: “Piety is not mere outward religiosity; it is that genuine religious spirit which makes us turn to the Father as His children and to grow in our love for others, seeing them as our brothers and sisters” (general audience, Wednesday, June 4, 2014).
The gift of fear of the Lord, or, wonder is the gift that enables us to be aware of the glory and majesty of God. It can also be fear of separating our self from God. In his June 11, 2014 general audience, Pope Francis used the description of an alarm that goes off to remind us of the need to do what is right. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are our armor in the battle of the spiritual life. Not using or recognizing them makes the battle more difficult.
On the day of Pentecost, the apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit. It appeared as tongues of fire, as Divine Light hovering over them. Through this consecration of the Spirit, the apostles received their battle armor. This armor was necessary as they brought about the birth of the early Church. So many times, the apostles were persecuted, imprisoned, spat upon, and ridiculed because of the faith. There were times when they were dragged before emperors, king, and magistrates. The gifts of the Holy Spirit assisted them in promoting the faith to the early church.
The Battle Is Underway!
Like the apostles, our young people need the Holy Spirit to assist them in their journey. Day after day our young people are presented with situations that require them to either defend or reject their faith. They are called upon to made decisions that will affect their lives forever. Confirmation enables them to be faithful soldiers of Christ. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are the armor necessary to fight the battle of earthly life.
So often the Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred around eighth or ninth grade. A few years ago, there was discussion within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to return Confirmation to the time of First Holy Communion. This makes sense, considering the great battle there is to be fought in the spiritual life. Our young people need the armor of the Holy Spirit to assist them as early as possible.
Confirmation is the sacrament that enables the Divine Light of Christ to strengthen us in the battle of life. Through the portal of the Holy Spirit we become mature in our faith and are made soldiers for Christ. We need to ready ourselves with the armor of the Holy Spirit and allow the gifts we received in Confirmation to assist us in the battle of the spiritual life.
The battle is underway! The time for us to fight is now! May the gifts of the Holy Spirit we have received in Confirmation lead in the battle ahead!