importance of confirmation in catholic church

So, if we are more intimately united to the Holy Spirit in Confirmation and enabled to fully cry out that God is our Father, then the logical conclusion is that we are also more deeply united to God the Son. Though this does not always happen for more practical reasons, it is still the norm. The Catholic Church would benefit from a more developed theology of Confirmation that helps young people understand the importance of this sacrament and not to look at it as an end to religious education, but the end of the beginning of a life in service to God. For that reason, we need the Holy Spirit. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You will press on when life is hard! Why Are Catholics Anointed With Chrism at Confirmation? The confirmed Christianwhether we call him a spiritual soldier or a spiritual adultgoes forth joyfully in the fulfillment of his vocation. Thats OK! Its as if the grace of this Sacrament lays dormant in the soul waiting to be tapped into and experienced. Oil is the essential element of the ritual. Click here for more on the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is Jesus, the Son of God. Lets see how these effects are, in fact, extraordinarily exciting for your daily life! (Lk 12:12), Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: Rivers of living waterwill flow from within him. He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive. Roman Catholicism | Definition, Beliefs, History, & Facts Gretchen Filz. By becoming more like Christ, we become a fuller member of His Body, the Church. 777 Forest Street, Saint Paul, MN 55106 Shows that you need others in your life so as to make good decisions. The notion of the sacrament making a person a soldier of Christ prevailed. Thus wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord, are divine aids to Christian living without which fulfilling ones baptismal calling would be far more difficult, if not impossible. We do not know exactly when, during His public life, Jesus instituted the sacrament of Confirmation. It is thought, at times, that Confirmation is your opportunity to confirm your faith. The significance of the holy oils used in the administration of the sacraments is then very evident: the oil represents the strengthening effect of God's grace. To belong to the Catholic Church further means that Baptism is the door to obtaining such graces as only baptized persons have a claim to. A confirmand is, in some basic sense, an "adult" member of the church, and so responsible in a measure that a baby or young child is not. and it filled the entire house in which they were. Divine filiation simply means that Confirmation deepens our bond with God the Father. S.J., Rev. Catholics believe that the same Holy Spirit confirms Catholics during the Sacrament of Confirmation and gives them the same gifts and fruits.\r\n

Traditionally, the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit are charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, long-suffering, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, and chastity. Similarly, with Confirmation, we are given the grace to share the Gospel with others and, in a sense, nurture others in the faith as a parent nurtures a child. It confers the gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) upon the recipient, who must be a baptized person at least seven years old. Is it simply your own adult decision to be Catholic? They are also a good examination of conscience. Saying them should become a regular habit of your soul. . Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one, and they are both united to the Father in a perfect unity. (Catechism #1285) Adult converts who've never been baptized are baptized when they become Catholic; they're confirmed and receive their First Communion at the same Mass when they're baptized, or if they were baptized in a Protestant Church, they make a Profession of Faith, are confirmed, and receive Holy Eucharist at the Easter Vigil Mass the night before Easter. Do you want to understand others and to be understood? This special anointing given by the bishop or priest has the effect of increasing, deepening, and strengthening the sanctifying grace of God given to us at our baptism; while baptism removes from our souls the stain of original sin, Confirmation pours into our souls the power of the Holy Spirit and his seven gifts - just like the Apostles received at Pentecost. Is it just a nice maturity ritual within the Catholic Church? that God is our Father! Whether it's to pass that big test, qualify for that big promotion or even master that cooking technique; people who rely on dummies, rely on it to learn the critical skills and relevant information necessary for success. Catholics believe that the same Holy Spirit confirms Catholics during the Sacrament of Confirmation and gives them the same gifts and fruits. Root us more deeply in divine filiation (being children of God), Increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us, Associates us more closely to her mission of bearing witness to Christ, Helps us and more strictly obliges us to spread and defend the faith by word and deed, The Samaritans already had been baptized, yet it still was necessary for them to receive the "laying on of hands.". Childhood is a time when you're told what to do, and you react positively to reward and negatively to punishment. One sponsor is chosen for Confirmation. Chrism is mixed and blessed by the bishop every year during Holy Week at the Chrism Mass. It is in this sense that Confirmation is a spiritual "growing up.". )