1. St. Joseph RC Church
Holland NY
2008
Year 2 – The Sacraments

2. The Sacrament of Confirmation

3. Catechism of the Catholic Church – paragraph 1285:
Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the "sacraments of Christian initiation," whose unity must be safeguarded.
It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace.

4. Catechism of the Catholic Church – paragraph 1285:
For "by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit.
Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed."

5. Jesus promised the apostles that he would give them the courage they needed to face any fears about serving him.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8)

6. Confirmation confers the courage and gifts of the Holy Spirit that we need to be witnesses to Christ in our daily lives.

7. The Holy Spirit is given in both baptism and confirmation.
In baptism, we are made members of Christ’s body.
But at confirmation, we are given the power of God to bear fruit in our Christian life and to speak before the whole world boldly, and so draw others into the church.

8. The word confirmation means “strengthening”.
The Holy Spirit comes and strengthens those gifts we received at baptism. The Holy Spirit brings them to maturity.
But what is the purpose of this strengthening?

9. When I was a child,” wrote Paul, “I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways”
(1 Corinthians 13:11)

10. Maturity always brings with it a greater sensitivity and responsibility toward those around us.
That is why the sacrament of confirmation is often referred to as the sacrament of social action.

11. The strengthening and increased maturity we receive in this sacrament are not only for our own benefit. They are given to us by the Holy Spirit so that we can contribute actively and creatively to the family life of the Church and the world.

12. How do you feel about talking
to people about your faith?

13. Other Elements
Faith

14. INDIVIDUALITY

15. DECISION

16. The sacrament of confirmation is conferred by the laying on of hands followed by the anointing in the form of a cross with chrism on the forehead.

17. The chrism must have been consecrated by the bishop.
The anointing is done with chrism, olive oil mixed with balsam. The oil is a symbol of strength; the perfume is a symbol of the “fragrance of Christ,” which the Christian must spread.
The chrism must have been consecrated by the bishop.

18. Older Catholics probably remember the “slap on the cheek” that used to be part of the rite of confirmation.
However, like many other little ceremonies in the Church’s liturgy, this disappeared in 1971 when the new rite of confirmation was promulgated.

19. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
(Isaiah 11:2-3)

20. The Spirit’s gift of Wisdom enables us to see things with God’s eyes.

21. The Spirit’s gift of Understanding enables us to understand God’s plan for our life and our world.

22. The Spirit’s gift of Right Judgment helps us to make good choices – to make God’s choices and to seek his advice.

23. The Spirit’s gift of Courage enables us to see where our real strength lies: God is our strength.

24. The Spirit’s gift of Knowledge helps us to know which things are important and which are not.

25. The Spirit’s gift of Reverence helps us show our gratitude for all that God has done for us.

26. Parish Program
Sponsor
Retreat
Service
Chrism Mass

28. Wonder and Awe enables us to see the beauty of God’s creation and the beauty in each person we meet.

29. Questions?