Editor’s Note: Due to the pandemic, we were unable to hold weekly classes for 22 tenth-grade Confirmation students, so we prepared a series of 14 lessons on the material, along with some questions to answer. If these lessons are of value to you, put them to whatever use you can. We will continue to welcome your questions for the column as well, so please send them along and we will interrupt this series to answer them.
At the bottom of this column, see the postal mailing address and the email address where you can send your questions.
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Confirmation is the sacrament that completes Baptism and gives us the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit was demonstrated when He descended on the Apostles on Pentecost, fifty days after Easter (cf. Acts 2:1-13). Until then they were fearful and confused, but after the Spirit came to them in wind and tongues of fire, they finally understood what Jesus had been teaching them and became brave enough to go out and tell the crowds of people that Jesus was God, that He had risen from the dead, and that if they wanted to get to Heaven, they would have to repent of their sins and be baptized.
St. Peter, who just fifty days earlier denied that he even knew Jesus, went outside the house where the apostles had been hiding and preached a powerful sermon to the thousands of people in the streets. They had come from many countries and spoke many languages, but all understood what Peter was saying. He was so persuasive that three thousand persons asked to be baptized that day. The same Holy Spirit who transformed the apostles two thousand years ago can transform you as well if you are open to the seven gifts that He will make available to you.
The seven gifts are Wisdom, which means seeing things as God sees them; Understanding, which means comprehending the truths of God and telling others about them; Knowledge, which means learning all we can about God and His teachings; Counsel (or Right Judgment), which means seeking advice from God and the Church to help us make right decisions; Fortitude (or Courage), which means having the courage to do the right thing when it can be difficult; Piety (or Reverence), which means showing deep respect for the things of God and for other persons; and Fear of the Lord, which means avoiding any words or actions that would separate us from God.
The usual minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation is a bishop, although the pastor of the parish can fill in if a bishop is not available. The bishop is a successor of the apostles and uses a holy oil called chrism, which is blessed by the bishop of the area.
The visible signs of Confirmation are the bishop extending his hands over the candidates as he calls down the Holy Spirit upon them, the Sign of the Cross on the forehead of the candidate, and the anointing with chrism. He says to each candidate, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit,” to which you respond, “Amen.” He then says, “Peace be with you,” to which you respond, “And with your spirit.”
Like Baptism, Confirmation also confers a special mark or character on the person. This means that the God who called you as His own at Baptism is now calling you again to be His strong witness to a hostile world, just as Peter and the others courageously witnessed to the hostile world of the Roman Empire, which made it a crime to be a Christian. You may have to face the same hatred.
Jesus said that he “who is not with me is against me,” and He and the Holy Spirit will give us the grace and strength we need to follow Him. Confirmation is not the end of our religious training; it is a continuation of our journey to Heaven. This journey may be difficult, but the reward will be out of this world.
List Of Answers
BISHOP
CHARACTER
CHRISM
CONFIRMATION
CONTINUATION
COUNSEL
FEAR OF THE LORD
FIRE
FORTITUDE
HANDS
KNOWLEDGE
PENTECOST
PETER
PIETY
SIGN
THREE
UNDERSTANDING
WIND
WISDOM
WITNESSES
Quiz:
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