Why do we need it? Confirmation and Its Weight: A Brief Examination
- Exodus 29:7, 1 Kings 1:39; 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Kings 19:16
Confirmation is the last sacrament of initiation, complementary to Baptism. Confirmation is a sacrament whose importance is often unknown, delegitimized, underestimated, and/or underrated. Confirmation is thus easily regarded as an insignificant sacrament that is supposedly “least important and/or less necessary" when compared to other sacraments. On the contrary, it is one of the most important.[1] Paragraph 1285 of the Catechism states, “the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace”.[2] In our times, weekly church attendance is dropping rapidly. According to a study performed by the Pew Research Center in 2018 and 2019, “65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade.”[3] Organized Christianity as a whole is no longer taken as seriously as it was in the past nor as it should be. Many Christians, as a result of Protestantism, do not accept Confirmation as a sacrament and thus do not receive the fulfillment of baptismal grace[4]. A study done by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), in February 2008, shows a negative trend in the percentage of Catholics who received all of the Sacraments of Initiation, since the time of the Second Vatican Council.[5] Confirmation is a vital and holy sacrament, instituted by Christ, which draws those who receive this sacrament, with the help of the grace proper to it, to the universal vocation of holiness and should be received as such.
Initially,
one must understand what the elements of a sacrament are, to know that
something is/is not a sacrament. By claiming that Confirmation is a sacrament,
it must likewise be asserted that it has the essential parts of a sacrament.
The first and most fundamental essential component of a sacrament is its
institution by Christ[6].
Christ received Baptism and Confirmation (to be later addressed), [7] performed
a miracle in support of celebrating Holy Matrimony at Cana,[8]
often forgave sins in support of Confession, often healed people relating to
the Anointing of the Sick,[9]
bestowed the priesthood which bespeaks Holy Orders,[10]
and instituted the Mass with the Last Supper, which is most extensively and
specifically described by the Apostles and Evangelists in their gospels.[11]
“‘Adhering to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, to the
apostolic traditions, and to the consensus . . . of the Fathers,’ we profess
that ‘the sacraments of the new law were . . . all instituted by Jesus Christ
our Lord.’"[12]
The
second essential quality of a sacrament is that which is a sacrament bestows
graces in its completion.[13]
These graces are the purpose of having sacraments. It is proper that sacraments
bestow grace insofar as God does not need us or our actions. Thus, it would
only be for our benefit that we would need sacraments. It is necessarily up to
God, the giver of grace, for which the means, time, and extent to which these
graces are bestowed, but also whether or when they are detectable/noticeable.
Sacraments, in this way, are not mere rituals. On the contrary, sacraments are
to be received with consciousness, devotion, and love in the context of the New
Covenant in general, but also with the recipient in question.[14] Grace
which is proper to a sacrament may include benefits that are relevant to the
sacrament, for instance, graces of the sacrament of Holy Matrimony assist the
Christian in living the married life. However, the graces received are not ipso
facto limited to these nor is there a consistent measure of each proper to the sacrament.[15] Grace
may not always be detectable immediately after the conclusion of the sacrament,
though it may be an apparent/perceptible reality. There are many paragraphs on
grace in the Catechism. However, for the sake of being concise, this paragraph
is the only one that will be quoted:
“The grace
of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused
by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it. It is
the sanctifying or deifying grace received in Baptism. It is in us the source
of the work of sanctification: ‘Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from
God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.’”[16]
The third and fourth essential
qualities are matter and form.[17]
The matter is often that outward reality which is affected in the form of a
sacrament. Common examples are the soul of the recipient (may be considered
spiritual matter), bread, wine, sacred chrism, etc. All sacraments require the
matter which is affected by the grace of the sacrament: “A sacramental
celebration is woven from signs and symbols.”[18]
The form is the prayers or the “word” involved in the sacrament, which is
necessary. If the form is improperly completed, it easily nullifies the
sacrament and prevents its actuation.[19]
This requirement brings forth the possibility
of a declaration of annulment, for it declares a sacrament never truly took
place. In this context, it may be concluded that sufficient preparation, free
consent of officiating minister, full consciousness, etc. are a part of the
form and in various ways incorporate themselves in each sacrament. The form
aggregated with the matter completes the sacrament.[20]
Sacraments may change or alter the (spiritual) matter involved if the correct
form is used. In the Mass, bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body,
blood, soul and, divinity of our Blessed Lord, veiled as bread and wine.
A sacrament “has
sensible and outward signs: it signifies and produces grace in the soul; and
all doubt as to its institution by Christ is removed by the Apostle and the
Evangelist. These circumstances, combining as they do to establish the truth of
the Sacrament, supersede the necessity of pressing the matter by further
argument.” [21]
The fifth and last essential quality
to be addressed is the celebration of the sacraments by early Christians. As
disciples of the first Apostles and the Apostles themselves, the early
Christians were the first to live out the New Covenant. Following their
example, we also follow the wishes of Christ which may not have been enumerated
coextensively in the Gospels, but no less is lived out by the early Church. In
all likelihood, the Gospels, which are “the heart of Scripture”, were written
primarily to express the life and teachings of Christ in brief.[22]
In the context of widespread paganism of their time they, likely, did not first
place emphasis on methods of Christian tradition and doctrine in them but
rather the teachings of Jesus.
“The sacred
authors wrote the four Gospels, selecting some things from the many which had
been handed on by word of mouth or in writing, reducing some of them to a
synthesis, explaining some things in view of the situation of their churches
and preserving the form of proclamation but always in such fashion that they
told us the honest truth about Jesus.”[23]
Well known writers of the early church use the
word “sacrament”.[24]
The definition of sacrament often used by the Church was coined by Saint
Augustine (354-430).[25]
“The Sacraments then of the Catholic Church are seven, as is proved from
Scripture, from the unbroken tradition of the Fathers, and from the
authoritative definitions of councils”.[26]
Now that we have briefly described
the essential components of sacramental theology, we will see these components
in the sacrament of Confirmation. Continuing in the same order of enumerated
components, Confirmation’s institution by Christ shall be the first discussed. There
is no mention of Christ’s Confirmation. How, then, can it be instituted by
Christ? In Christ’s Baptism, he receives the fullness of the Holy Spirit
because Christ is God and is, thenceforth, united completely with the Holy
Spirit. In our Baptism, we are not given the fullness of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit but are given them in our Confirmation. Saint Thomas Aquinas answers
that:
“Those who
receive Confirmation, which is the sacrament of the fulness of grace, are
conformed to Christ, inasmuch as from the very first instant of His conception
He was ‘full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14). This fulness was made known at
His Baptism, when ‘the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape . . . upon Him’
(Luke 3:22). Hence (Luke 4:1) it is written that ‘Jesus being full of the Holy
Ghost, returned from the Jordan.’ Nor was it fitting to Christ's dignity, that
He, Who is the Author of the sacraments, should receive the fulness of grace
from a sacrament.”[27]
God bestows grace through the
reception of Confirmation. As previously mentioned, Confirmation completes our
reception of the Holy Spirit, an increase in Its gifts, and procures the first
sprout of the fruits of the Spirit. Since Confirmation is the completion of our
Baptism, we are bonded more firmly to Christ and thus His Body, the Church.[28]
We are, then, strengthened in our everyday combat with trials and temptation.[29]
It is this struggle against evil into which we are born and out of which we
die.[30]
By its reception, we are given special strength to participate in Christ’s
mission, to “spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses
of Christ, to confess the name of Christ, and never to be ashamed of the Cross”.[31]
This mission of Christ never terminates in gaining numbers or relevance for His
Church/Body but is for the salvation of each and every soul. An unremovable,
unalterable, and eternal mark is placed on the soul, in this fullness of
Baptism.[32]
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of
Israel after those days...I will place my law within them, and write it upon
their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”[33] It is through Confirmation that one
may attain Christian maturity.[34]
The Catechism of the Council of Trent asserts:
“To show the
divine efficacy of this Sacrament, (and this, no doubt, will have great
influence on the minds of the faithful) the pastor has only occasion to explain
the effects which it produced on the Apostles themselves.”[35]
The third element is the matter of
Confirmation. The matter of Confirmation includes the soul of the recipient
(spiritual) and sacred chrism (physical). Chrism is a mixture of oil and
balsam, blessed by a Bishop.[36]
There does not exist a sacrament like Confirmation in the Old Testament, at
least not in the same way as the Mass fulfilled the Passover.[37]
It is prefigured in the Old Testament as an anointing
which ratifies, approves, and makes formally valid a promise, covenant, or vow.[38]
The anointing of kings such as David’s anointing in 1 Samuel 16, is a sign of the
Holy Spirit.[39]
The title “messiah” is borrowed from Hebrew meaning: one that is “anointed”.
Ipso facto the confirmand becomes an “anointed one” of God.[40]
“The Apostle
says (2 Corinthians 2:15): ‘We are the good odor of Christ,’ etc. And though
many other things be fragrant, yet preference is given to balm, because it has
a special odor of its own, and because it confers incorruptibility: hence it is
written (Sirach 24:21): ‘My odor is as the purest balm.’”[41]
The form of Confirmation is its
fourth essential quality. All are to be imbued with piety at the form given by
the Bishop: “I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee with
the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit.”[42] The
Bishop while saying the latter, makes the sign of the cross with Chrism on the
forehead of the confirmand.[43]
The form as stated acknowledges three qualities of the sacrament: 1) divine
power (grace) of the sacrament by invoking the Trinity, 2) the giving of spiritual
strength towards salvation, and 3) last of all, the mark of the warfare/mission
of Christ in the sign of the cross.[44] As with all sacraments of Christian
initiation, the sacrament of Confirmation is received in the context of the Mass
in the presence of the faithful. Although the Eastern Rites celebrate
Confirmation, they do so with Baptism usually by a priest with both water and
sacred chrism, the Latin (Roman) Rite is celebrated separately thus requiring
the renewal of the Baptismal promises and ends with communion with the church.[45]
The final aspect of form is its proper minister. It is by a Bishop that the
sacrament is given, whether it be through his blessing of the sacred chrism and
his permission given to a priest, his priest in a case of urgency, or by his
own hand.[46]
Saint Thomas Aquinas postulates:
“Therefore,
the conferring of this sacrament is reserved to bishops, who possess supreme
power in the Church: just as in the primitive Church, the fulness of the Holy
Ghost was given by the apostles, in whose place the bishops stand (Acts 8).
Hence Pope Urban I says: ‘All the faithful should. after Baptism, receive the
Holy Ghost by the imposition of the bishop's hand, that they may become perfect
Christians.’”[47]
The last quality, however, the
sacrament of Confirmation’s celebration by early Christians, requires a more
extensive depth of study, in terms of historicity. This element is, as
aforementioned, closely tied to and co-validates its institution by Christ. Due
to its seeming lack of explicit New Testament mention, this sacrament opens up
a large scope of questions, in this regard. However, the sacrament is usually
mentioned with Baptism described as “the laying on of hands”.[48]
Confirmation was initially celebrated immediately after Baptism. This however
changed when the Church’s growth expeditiously increased during the year
following the Edict of Milan. The Edict of Milan gave tolerance to the
Christian faith in the Roman Empire.[49]
Our modern English word for bishop comes
from the Greek word episcopos.[50]
These episcopoi were those appointed by the Apostles and/or their
successors to evangelization in a greater area and/or to carry out and
sacraments in a shorter amount of time.[51]
When the Church began growing rapidly and into more rural areas, the need for
an order subject to the bishop was needed. The bishops ordained, chore-episcopoi
and presbuteroi (the Greek source for the word “presbyter” and “priest”)
to help with sacramental needs[52].
However, the fullness of Holy Orders remained with the bishop of a given
geographical area.[53]
The presbuteroi or priests would begin the rites of Christian initiation
but the bishops would still need to complete the rites reserved for them,
Confirmation.[54]
This would complete/ratify the rites of Christian initiation in every way;
matter, form, and grace.[55]
“In North Africa, as distinct from
Gaul and the east, both Cyprian and Tertullian mention … the bishop lays hands
on the neophytes, prays for the Holy Spirit, and signs them—as does Augustine,
more vaguely, some two centuries later. Ambrose in Milan mentions a
"spiritual seal" following baptism, by which he seems to mean a
prayer for the Holy Spirit and its seven-fold gifts.”[56]
Now that we have recognized
Confirmation’s sacramentality, we press on to observe its necessity. This
necessity is based on the need for the graces bestowed. We need the Holy Spirit
to know the Son, and the Son to know the Father.[57]
This explains why a sacrament of the Holy Spirit is necessary to enter fully
into divine and ecclesial communion. It is by the Spirit dwelling within us,
that we are brought to communion with the remainder of the Trinity. By virtue
of this, we know God in His totality, despite the veil of sin which
distorts/darkens our view of Him.[58]
It is the proper mission of the Son and Spirit to bring us to the Father.[59]
Indeed, the mark, placed upon the
soul, may be likened to that of the Passover. The mark of Baptism/Confirmation
claims the soul for God.[60]
God, thus, adopts us as Sons and Daughters. We are then, united to Christ, His
Son, individually as well as collectively, in His mystical body, the Church.[61]
We assume this complete communion, in the completion of sacramental initiation.[62]
By assuming the identity of Christ, we also take on His mission and sufferings,
both as the Church and an individual.[63]
As previously mentioned, the confirmand is more resolutely obliged to complete
the mission of making disciples “of all nations” and peoples.[64]
“The duty of Christians to take part
in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of
the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith
in words and deeds. Witness is an act of justice that establishes the truth or
makes it known. All Christians by the example of their lives and the witness of
their word, wherever they live, have an obligation to manifest the new man
which they have put on in Baptism and to reveal the power of the Holy Spirit by
whom they were strengthened at Confirmation.”[65]
Inasmuch as we are adopted
sons/daughters of God, we are alter Chirstus or “other Christs”. We are
expected to decrease and the mark of Christ placed within us to increase.[66]
We are called to progressively increase our participation in the divine life.[67]
By way of Confirmation, we are more perfectly united to the Holy Spirit, Who
helps us attain this perfection. This Christian duty is not without
compensation. Jesus, Himself, promises that anything which is sacrificed for
this duty will be compensated for “one hundred-fold”.[68]
Neither, is this a task which is difficult nor is it burdensome.[69]
Confirmation strengthens the prayer of a Christian. Assuming the character of
Confirmation, we speak to God as/by the very Word which He spoke to us Who
became incarnate. This Word never goes unheard and is uttered supremely in the
Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Our Father. The Christian offers this through the
Spirit, which unites them to the heart of the Lord, which cries “Abba”.[70]
It is the Spirit by whom we are “Born Anew” in Baptism/Confirmation and it is
the Spirit who allows us to “see the kingdom” and pray.[71]
This kingdom is nowhere else but here.[72]
“There is a widespread lack of appreciation
about the necessity of receiving Confirmation. We are not "perfect
Christians" without it. It may well be that it is not in itself necessary
for salvation, like Baptism, but a Christian could not without sin neglect to
receive it when opportunity presents itself…
Indeed one might assert that it is thanks to Confirmation
that the Church retains the indwelling of the spirit and therefore its identity
and efficacy among us.”[73]
Since we have established the need
for this holy sacrament, two questions remain. These are: how should we
prepare for Confirmation? and when should we receive this sacrament?
Each sacrament requires some form of preparation. A few specific examples
include: Marriage requires dating, Reconciliation requires contrition and knowledge
of sins, and Baptism requires belief in the Gospel. Thus, the preparation for
sacraments includes the question of when they may be received. We will treat
these questions as separate concerns that have similar/related answers. Confirmation
is a sacrament of the Holy Spirit, greater Trinitarian union with the
recipient, and Christian mission. The Christian should have a relationship with
God, with the willingness to obedience and conversion at the proper age, and a
sponsor/witness to the preparedness.[74]
First to be addressed, are the
spiritual prerequisites to the sacrament. Confirmation is the completion of
Baptism. Like Baptism, Confirmation confers changes to the soul by God’s grace.
Anyone who wishes to receive these changes (indelible mark and graces of the
sacrament) should be prepared and aware of them. This is the role of the
catechist, that all who receive this sacrament may understand its significance.
The effect of Confirmation leads the Christian, more, to do the will of God (as
previously mentioned). This interior disposition requires familiarity with the
Holy Spirit’s “actions, gifts, and biddings”.[75]
The Christian should also be aware of their belonging to God, as an adopted
child, and the Church, as its member.[76]
This shows the need for/role of good and effective catechesis in the formative
preparation for Confirmation. There still remains, however, a need for
spiritual readiness. By virtue of Confirmation completing Baptism, one must
first be Baptized to receive Confirmation.[77]
In addition to this, one must also remain converted to living the life of a
Christian by seeking forgiveness for and repenting of thoughts, words, and acts
committed to the contrary.
“To receive Confirmation, one must
be in a state of grace. One should receive the sacrament of Penance in order to
be cleansed for the gift of the Holy Spirit. More intense prayer should prepare
one to receive the strength and graces of the Holy Spirit with docility and
readiness to act.”[78]
Next, there is a proper time to
receive Confirmation. Prior to the Second Vatican Council the age at which
Confirmation was received was the “age of discretion”, unanimously agreed to be
the age of seven. By this age, however, the Christian was exposed to very
little doctrine.[79]
In the United States, the sacrament is offered between the age of discretion
and the age of sixteen (as per diocesan decision) for those who are raised in
the Catholic faith.[80]
Saint Thomas Aquinas addresses the concern of age, “The age of the body does
not affect the soul”.[81] For
this reason, the Code of Canon law states:
“The faithful are obliged to receive
this sacrament at the proper time... The sacrament of confirmation is to be
conferred on the faithful at about the age of discretion unless the conference
of bishops has determined another age, or there is danger of death, or in the
judgment of the minister a grave cause suggests otherwise.”[82]
The last area of preparation
concerns the sponsor. Confirmation, being strongly associated with Baptism,
retains the need for a sponsor.[83]
In the preparation for this sacrament, those instructing the confirmand should
emphasize the importance of maturity and commitment to Catholicism, and thus,
Christianity.[84] The
Code of Canon Law emphasizes the role of the baptismal sponsor is to assist “an
adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents present an infant
for baptism” and “help the baptized person to lead a Christian life”.[85]
Canon law uses very similar language in the description of the Confirmation
sponsor, with emphasis on ensuring that the confirmand lives “as a true witness
of Christ”.[86] A
patron saint(s) is often chosen as an intercessor for the confirmand, and would
thus assist the sponsor in their duty.[87]
Hence, Confirmation is a vital and
holy sacrament, instituted by Christ, which draws those who receive this
sacrament, with the help of the grace proper to it, to the universal vocation
of holiness. Confirmation meets all of the criteria of a sacrament. It was
implicitly instituted by Christ, has matter and form, bestows graces, and was
celebrated by early Christians. No argument may sufficiently disprove its
sacramentality. All who receive this sacrament ought to be intellectually
prepared, spiritually prepared, have a sponsor (as Canon Law prescribes) and
have a saintly intercessor chosen. This sacrament helps the Christian enter
more fully into the divine life. Confirmation allows the Christian to more
easily attain the perfection and virtues of the gifts/fruits of the Holy
Spirit, which is the calling of every person. Regrettably, many miss the
opportunity to receive this critically important sacrament. Confirmation is the
completion of Baptism and is thus essential to the Christian life.
Bibliography:
“Changing
Faiths: Latinos and the Transformation of American Religion.” Pew Research
Center's Hispanic Trends Project. Pew Research Center,
https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2007/04/25/changing-faiths-latinos-and-the-transformation-of-american-religion/.
“In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace.” Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project,
https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/.
Robert
Barron, “Bishop Barron on Confirmation Names,” YouTube video, from Word on
Fire, posted by Bishop Robert Barron on 31 May 2018, at http://www.youtube.com.
Behrens,
James. Confirmation, Sacrament of Grace the Theology, Practice and Law
of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. Leominster: Fowler
Wright Books, 1995.
Britannica Academic,
s.v. "Edict of Milan,",
https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Edict-of-Milan/52646.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic
Conference, 2000).
Code of Canon Law: Latin-English Edition. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 1999.
Donovan,
Jeremiah, trans. The Catechism of the Council of Trent: Pub. by Command
of Pope Pius the Fifth. First American ed. (Baltimore: F. Lucas, jr.), 1829.
Gabrielli,
Timothy R. Confirmation: How a Sacrament of God’s Grace Became All
about Us. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2013.
Gray,
Mark M, and Paul M Perl. “Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice among US.
Catholics.” Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown
University. Georgetown University, April 2008.
Kavanagh,
Aidan.“The Origins and Reform of Confirmation.” St Vladimir’s Theological
Quarterly 33, no. 1 (1989).
Lamberts,
Jozef. “The Origin of Confirmation Revisited.” Questions
Liturgiques 84, no. 2 (2003).
Portalié,
Eugène. “St. Augustine of Hippo.” CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Augustine
of Hippo. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907.
Scannell,
T. B. “Confirmation.” Catholic Answers. Catholic Answers, June 11, 2019.
https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/confirmation.
Second
Vatican Council, Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et
spes (7 December 1965).
The New American Bible, Revised Edition (Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine,
2011), at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org.
Thomas
Aquinas. Summa theologiae. 2nd ed. Trans. Fathers of the English
Dominican Province. At New Advent, www.newadvent.org.
Wright,
John Cardinal. “Some Reflections on Confirmation.” EWTN. Eternal Word
Television Network and L'Osservatore Romano [the Vatican], June 1, 1978.
[1] Cf. Gabrielli,
Timothy R. “Confirmation: How a Sacrament of Gods Grace Became All
about Us.” Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2013, pg. ix.; Wright, John
Cardinal. “Some Reflections on Confirmation.” EWTN.
Eternal Word Television Network and L'Osservatore Romano [the Vatican], June 1,
1978.
[2][2] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed.
(Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000), 1285 – 1321.
[3] “In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid
Pace.” Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project, December
31, 2019. https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/.
[4] Scannell, T. B. “Confirmation.” Catholic Answers. Catholic
Answers, June 11, 2019. https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/confirmation.
[5] Gray, Mark M, and Paul M Perl. “Sacraments Today: Belief
and Practice among US. Catholics.” Center for Applied Research in the
Apostolate at Georgetown University. Georgetown University, April 2008.
[6] Donovan, Jeremiah, trans. The
Catechism of the Council of Trent: Pub. by Command of Pope Pius the Fifth.
First American ed. (Baltimore: F. Lucas, jr.) 1829, p. 148.
[7] The New American Bible, Revised
Edition (Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011),
at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org, John
1:33.
[8] John 2:1-12
[9] Matthew 5:9
[10] John 21:17
[11] Luke 22:1-20
[12] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic
Conference, 2000), 1114.
[13] CCC, 1127, cf. CCC, 1116
[14] CCC, 1972
[15] 2 Thessalonians 1:2
[16] CCC, 1999.
[17] Catechism of
the Council Trent, p. 148.
[18] CCC, 1445.
[19]Catechism of the Council Trent, p. 106.
[20] Catechism of the Council Trent, p. 105
[21] Catechism of the Council of Trent, p. 148
[22] CCC, 125
[23] Second Vatican Council, Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei
Verbum (18 November 1963), §19.
[24] Catechism of the Council of Trent p. 99.
[25] Portalié, Eugène. “St. Augustine
of Hippo.” CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Augustine of Hippo. New York: Robert
Appleton Company, 1907.
[26] The Catechism of the Council Trent pg. 106.
[27] Thomas Aquinas, Summa
theologiae, III, q. 72, a. 1, at New Advent, www.newadvent.org.
[28] CCC, 1285,
1303.
[29] CCC, 1533.
[30] Second Vatican
Council, Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes (7
December 1965), §37.; cf. Catechism of the Council of Trent pg 139.; CCC,
1286.
[31] CCC, 875,
1303. Citing the Council of Florence
[32] CCC, 1295-6;
CCC, 1304.; CCC, 1274; Cf. Revelation 22:4, cf. Galatians 6:17,
Revelation 7:3;
[34] Catechism of the
Council of Trent pg. 143.
[35] Catechism of the
Council of Trent pg. 144.
[37] ST, III, q. 72, a. 1.;
CCC, 1150.
[38] Behrens,
James. Confirmation, Sacrament of Grace the Theology, Practice and Law
of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. Leominster: Fowler
Wright Books, 1995, p.7.; CCC, 1295-6.
[39] CCC, 695.
[40] Catechism of the
Council of Trent pg 141.
[41] ST, III, q.
72, a. 2.
[42] Catechism of the
Council of Trent pg 141.
[43] Catechism of the Council of Trent
pg. 145.; CCC,1274. ; Revelation 22:4, cf. Galatians 6:17, cf. Jeremiah
31:33; Revelation 7:3; CCC, 1295-6.; CCC,1300.
[44] Catechism of the
Council of Trent pg 141.; CCC, 1294.; CCC, 1533.
[45] CCC, 1298,
1300-1301.
[46] CCC, 1290.
[47] ST, III, q.
72, a. 11.
[48] Cf. Acts of the Apostles 8:15-17;
19:5-6; Hebrews 6:2; CCC, 1288.
[49] Britannica
Academic, s.v. "Edict of Milan," accessed March 9, 2020, https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Edict-of-Milan/52646.
[50] Lamberts, Jozef. “The
Origin of Confirmation Revisited.” Questions Liturgiques 84,
no. 2 (2003): 102.
[51] “The Origin of
Confirmation Revisited.”, p. 102.; CCC, 1288.
[52] “The Origin of
Confirmation Revisited.”, p. 102.; CCC, 1290.
[53] “The Origin of
Confirmation Revisited.”, p. 103.
[54] “The Origin of
Confirmation Revisited.”, p. 103.; cf. Acts of the Apostles 8:15-17,
Hebrews 6:2; CCC, 1290.
[55] “The Origin of Confirmation
Revisited.”, p. 103.
[56] Kavanagh, Aidan.“The
Origins and Reform of Confirmation.” St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly 33,
no. 1 (1989): 6.
[57] 1 Corinithians
12:3; John 14:9
[58] Cf. CCC, 415. Man’s tendency of choosing his
own will instead God’s, shows man does not readily trust God’s goodness.
[59] CCC, 690.
[60] CCC, 1235, 1295. Cf. Exodus 12:7-8; Cf.
Jeremiah 31:33, cf. Galatians 6:17, cf. Revelation 22:4, cf. Revelation 7:3
[61] CCC, 460.
[62] Cf. CCC
1271, 1286, 1312, 1325, 1329
[63] CCC, 618
[64] Matthew 28.:2; cf.
CCC, 189.
[65] CCC, 2472.
[66] cf. Galatians
2:20; John 3:30
[67] CCC, 2013,
Matthew 5:48
[68] Mark 10:30
[69] Matthew 11:30, 1
John 5:3
[70] CCC, 683, 1137,
1303, 2769.; Romans 8:15
[71] John 3:3; CCC, 2672.
[72] Luke 17:21
[73] Cardinal
Wright, “Some Reflections on
Confirmation.”
[74] CCC, 1310.
[75] CCC, 1309
[76] CCC, 537, 521; CCC, 1309.
[77] CCC, 1306.
[78] CCC, 1310.
[79] Cf. Confirmation:
How a Sacrament of God's Grace Became All about Us, p. 3.
[80] United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops, Canon 891 - Age for Confirmation
(Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2001).
[81] ST, III, q.
72, a. 8.
[82] Code of Canon
Law, cc. 890-891, , in Code of Canon Law: Latin-English Edition (Washington,
DC: Canon Law Society of America, 1999).
[83]CCC, 1311.
[84] Confirmation:
How a Sacrament of God's Grace Became All about Us, p. 49.
[85] CIC, c. 872.
[86] CIC, c. 892
In
my own life, I have been confirmed into the Catholic and Christian faith. As I
went to Confirmation class, I noticed very few if any took the class very
seriously. I balked at this, largely from a teacher-student standpoint, and
then later from the catechetical standpoint. I knew there was something that
should be taken seriously at some point. I recognized from my public-school
attendance that there are some times to have fun, but most of the time should
be serious. Confirmation class, I found in this way, to be somewhat contrary to
the experience of school. It was truly a grace to notice this contrariety.
The
fifth anniversary of my Confirmation was this past Sunday, April 26th.
It was in the Cathedral of the Diocese of Sioux Falls at a vigil mass that I mused
on the anniversary. I had begun to think about the past year and how many gifts
God has given me. I connected these thoughts and realized that the past five
years were the best, most joyful, and most grace-filled five years of my life. I
have noticed the zeal for mission within myself. As I began to discern how I
would honor this day, it became clear that I desired to share the gifts and
graces I have received from/since the reception of the sacrament.
Many
of my friends, who are confirmed Catholics, felt the same way about their own
lives. After realizing how crucial this sacrament is, I wanted to be able to
give others this research to show its true gravity and its essential
qualities/necessity. After completing my paper, I can’t help but feel pity for
those who know not what they miss, and for those who treat this sacrament as
another “hoop to jump through” or a “religious education graduation”. This is a
sacrament, and is thus, a furthering of a true relationship with Christ, as all
sacraments are. Yet, I can’t but intuit how many receive this sacrament without
consideration to the latter. It is through this sacrament that Christians are
most explicitly sent. Bearing this in mind, is it not clear that the context of
the mass remains unseen by many? This Christian mission is the Mass’s most
pragmatic and conclusive context.[1] This
mission is what the confirmand is perfectly disposed to upon their reception of
the sacrament.[2]
This may be directly related to that of weekly mass attendance. Just as much as
the desert journey was the context for the receiving manna from heaven and
liberation from Egypt is the context of the Passover.[3]
The Mass is, likewise, the sustenance of the mission. How many deprive
themselves of this nutrition? One more observation is the place of these two sacraments
as initiative sacraments. You cannot be truly/fully Christian without these two
sacraments.[4]
With such hypotheses, I think deeper theological research is needed.
As
I continue my research, I would still wish to know whether I was confirmed at
the opportune time or not. I would also search for the best forms and methods
for confirmation sacramental preparation. Further, I would seek to know what a
confirmand must know and be conscious of, that they may be truly prepared for
the sacrament. There is a large potential for improvement in confirmation
catechesis, at least in my reception of it. In my region, some dioceses confirm
during third grade. As I have mentioned already, a freshman in high school doesn’t
always take things very seriously, especially catechetical efforts in their
parish. Research for this paper brought several great sources to my attention
and intentions of further study in each of them.
Bibliography:
The New American Bible, Revised Edition (Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine,
2011), at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org.
Catechism of the Catholic Church_, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United
States Catholic Conference, 2000.
[1] Catechism
of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic
Conference, 2000), 1332.
[2] CCC, 1285.
[3] The New American Bible, Revised
Edition (Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011),
at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org, Exodus 12
[4] Cf. CCC 1285, Cf. CCC 1324
