Confirmation
Prayer For the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, divine Consoler, I adore you as my true God, with God the Father and God the Son. I adore you and unite myself to the adoration you receive from the angels and saints.
I give you my heart and I offer my ardent thanksgiving for all the grace which You never cease to bestow on me.
O Giver of all supernatural gifts, who filled the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with such immense favors, I beg you to visit me with your grace and Your love and to grant me the gift of reverence, so that it may act on me as a check to prevent me from falling back into my past sins, for which I beg pardon.
Grant me the gift of wonder and awe in your presence, so that I may serve you for the future with increased fervor, follow with more promptness your holy inspirations, and observe your divine precepts with greater fidelity.
Grant me the gift of knowledge, so that I may know the things of God and, enlightened by your holy teaching, may walk, without deviation, in the path of eternal salvation.
Grant me the gift of courage, so that I may overcome courageously all the assaults of the devil, and all the dangers of this world, which threaten the salvation of my soul.
Grant me the gift of right judgment, so that I may choose what is more conducive to my spiritual advancement and may discover the wiles and snares of the tempter.
Grant me the gift of understanding, so that I may apprehend the divine mysteries and by contemplation of heavenly things detach my thoughts and affections from the vain things of this miserable world.
Grant me the gift of wisdom, so that I may rightly direct all my actions, referring them to God as my last end; so that, having loved Him and served Him in this life, I may have the happiness of possessing Him eternally in the next.
Amen. St. Alphonsus Liguori
Prayer during the rite of Confirmation:
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. Amen.
QUESTIONS ON CONFIRMATION
What is confirmation?
Confirmation is the sacrament that completes baptism and gives us the Holy Spirit to make us witnesses and apostles of Jesus Christ.
What evidence do we have that confirmation was "Made by Christ"?
Jesus never used the word sacrament or confirmation. But there were many times when Jesus spoke of sending the Holy Spirit upon his followers, and in the Acts of the Apostles it describes in detail the "descent of the Holy Spirit" on the first Pentecost, a giving of the Holy Spirit which the Apostles often repeated.
How then did the Confirmation Liturgy come into existence?
Following the example of the Apostles Peter and John, who imposed hands upon baptized persons to give them the Holy Spirit, the bishops of the Catholic Church, under the leadership of the Pope, used different prayers and actions to confer the Holy Spirit. The ritual used today throughout the Church was approved by Pope Paul VI in 1972.
What signs are used in the celebration of this sacrament?
In Confirmation three signs are used: 1. the imposition of hands; 2. the signing with the cross; 3. the anointing with holy oil. 4. Words - While making these signs the Bishop says to each candidate, using their name: "....be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit."
What is the name of the holy oil that is used?
The oil is call sacred chrism. It is a mixture of olive oil and a special perfume, and is blessed by the Bishop on Holy Thursday.
Why does the bishop of a diocese come for Confirmation?
Because as the successor to the apostles the bishop is the ordinary minister of Confirmation. When there are special circumstances he may authorize a priest to administer this sacrament by himself, or to assist the bishop in doing so.
What does the sign of the Cross mean in confirmation?
The sign of the Cross shows that we believe that our deliverance from sin and our restoration to God's grace comes only from Christ's sacrificial death on the Cross. Without the Cross there would be no sacrament of confirmation. Impressed on our foreheads, the Cross proclaims our willingness to share in the sufferings of Christ, and to remain true and loyal to the forgiveness of sins, and to the sanctifying grace which we have only because of the Cross.
What does the word "confirmation" mean?
The word itself means "making strong" or "strengthening". The work begun by our Baptism is strengthened by Confirmation.
What special graces do we receive at Confirmation?
By receiving the Holy Spirit and His Gifts, we are given the grace to stand up for and defend our Catholic Faith, even to the point of dying for it.
But didn't you receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism?
Yes, but that was more for a personal help. In Confirmation I receive the Holy Spirit so that I will be able to profess the Faith of Christ to others, and to be a witness for Christ in the world.
What does the invocation of the Holy Spirit refer to?
As the prayer states, it refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are: Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
What is the reason for having sponsors at Confirmation?
Sponsors have the duty of helping their candidate to live their Catholic religion carefully, and they do this by their own prayers, words, and good example.
What will be expected of you after you have been confirmed?
After Confirmation I will be expected to be a witness for Christ, to proclaim my Catholic Faith boldly, to defend it against those who hate it, and to spread it wherever possible, like the Apostles did.
What does it mean to be "a witness to Christ"?
It means to know, love, and worship God in the way Jesus Christ wants us to. Know what Jesus taught, by studying the New Testament, and learning how the message of Jesus was put into practice by the Church, under the leadership of the bishops and the Pope; Obey the commandments of God; Live by the example of Jesus; Hate every kind of sin, and to keep oneself in the state of grace; Worship God properly by taking part in Sunday Mass.
Is there any brief summary of Faith a confirmed Catholic should know?
THE CREED
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Understanding:
Listening and knowing the heart of another
Getting to the bottom of things
Working at a problem until you have grasped it
Knowledge:
Being ready to search for the truth
Being open to the truth wherever it is found
Seeing what is and is not important
Courage:
Being unafraid to live the right way
Knowing that the Lord will lead and take care of you
Living by your convictions
Following your heart
Counsel or Right Judgement:
Making good choices
Knowing what is right or wrong
Seeing the whole picture
Giving and accepting good advice
Wonder and Awe:
Being aware of God’s Creation
Being aware of the people around you
Recognizing the miraculous in everyday life
Nurturing quiet times
Wisdom:
Learning from our mistakes
Putting things in their proper perspective
Looking to the future
Seeing things through God’s eyes
Applying your knowledge in particular situations
Reverence and Respect:
Being prayerful
Having a listening heart
Being attentive and open to God’s signs
Being Courteous, Polite and a person of Honour.
Fruits of the Holy Spirit
1. Love (Charity)
*Freely giving love and care to anyone who needs it
*Being able to put the needs of others before our own desires
*Unselfish brotherly concern
*Self-denying, self-sacrificing, Christ-like
2. Joy
*The happy state that results from knowing and serving God
*That deep, abiding, inner rejoicing in the Lord
*Happy, joyful, cheerful, rejoicing, festive
*Having a positive outlook on life
*Having a good sense of humour
*Bringing happiness to everyone in all occasions
3. Peace
*Being calm in the midst of crisis
*Helping build bridges
*Being an agent of reconciliation
*The tranquility of soul
*Sense of well-being and fulfillment that comes from God and is dependent on His presence
4. Longsuffering
*Forbearance, patience
*Patient endurance and steadfastness under provocation with no thought of retaliation
*Ability to endure persecution and ill-treatment
*Ability to wait and hope
*Knowing that tough times end
*Being able to stick to it in difficult times
*Keeping your eyes on the dreams you have
5. Kindness
*Being kind especially to the weakest
*Doing loving things for others especially those taxing your patience
*Recognizing the presence of Christ in each person
*Maintaining relationships through gracious aid in times of need
*Sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, affability
6. Goodness
*Beneficence, ready to do good, love in action
*Kindness in actual manifestation, virtue equipped for action
*The word beneficence means the fact or quality of being kind or doing good
7. Faithfulness
*Fidelity which makes one true to his promise and faithful to his task
*Steadfast, dedicated, dependable and worthy of trust
*Dependability, loyalty and stability
*Honesty with ourselves and others
8. Gentleness
*Mildness combined with tenderness
*Gracious, kindly disposition, controlled strength
*Even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious and that has passions under control
*Equitable, reasonable, forbearing, moderate, fair and considerate
*Willing to pardon injuries, correct faults. One who rules his spirit well
*Being able to be easy on ourselves and others
*Treating people’s bodies and souls with tenderness
9. Self-Control
*Temperance, rational restraint of natural impulses
*Self-disciplined following Christ's example of being in the world but not of the world
*Respecting the power and beauty of faithfulness and sexuality
*Knowing when to speak or be silent
*Learning to listen before acting
*Being able to do what is right not what pleases most
10. Faith
*Belief in God at the top of our list
*Belief we are His sons and daughters called to do great things through and for Christ
Catechism of the Church - Confirmation
1315 "Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:14-17).
1316 Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds.
1317 Confirmation, like Baptism, imprints a spiritual mark or indelible character on the Christian's soul; for this reason one can receive this sacrament only once in one's life.
1318 In the East this sacrament is administered immediately after Baptism and is followed by participation in the Eucharist; this tradition highlights the unity of the three sacraments of Christian initiation. In the Latin Church this sacrament is administered when the age of reason has been reached, and its celebration is ordinarily reserved to the bishop, thus signifying that this sacrament strengthens the ecclesial bond.
1319 A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both within the ecclesial community and in temporal affairs.
1320 The essential rite of Confirmation is anointing the forehead of the baptized with sacred chrism (in the East other sense-organs as well), together with the laying on of the minister's hand and the words: "Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti" (Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.) in the Roman rite, or: Signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti [the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit] in the Byzantine rite.
1321 When Confirmation is celebrated separately from Baptism, its connection with Baptism is expressed, among other ways, by the renewal of baptismal promises. The celebration of Confirmation during the Eucharist helps underline the unity of the sacraments of Christian initiation.