MERGED: What's the point of Confirmation?/what are its benefits?

[Daniel_Lysinger]

Look - Confirmation increases the Sanctifying grace received at Baptism. It’s not a matter of ones out-look on life, nor maturity. Though you should be respectful when you receive it, the actual maturity is not a problem when it comes to receiving Sacraments. The only exception for this is the Eucharist, due to this being the Body and Blood of Our Lord. Since the Church says it’s ok to receive this important sacrament at the age of 7, I think it is safe to assume age shouldn’t be a big thing when it comes to Confirmation.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Confirmation is an adult decision. I think it should be actually done even later than it is now.

So you certainly would disagree with the practice among Eastern Catholics who confer the sacrament to infants… (Which apparently used to be the practice of the Western Church)

 

[fred_conty]

Here is a further reference from the council of Florence on Confirmation.

“The second sacrament is confirmation. Its matter is chrism made from oil and balsam blessed by a bishop, the oil symbolizing the gleaming brightness of conscience and balsam symbolizing the odour of a good reputation. The form is: I sign you with the sign of the cross and I confirm you with the chrism of salvation in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit. The ordinary minister is a bishop. Whereas a simple priest can use other unctions, only a bishop ought to confer this one, because it is said only of the apostles, whose place is held by bishops, that they gave the holy Spirit by the imposition of hands, as this text from the Acts of the Apostles shows: 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 come down upon 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’. In place of this imposition of hands confirmation is given in the church. We read that sometimes for a reasonable and really urgent cause, by dispensation of the apostolic see, a simple priest has conferred this sacrament of confirmation with chrism prepared by a bishop. The effect of this sacrament is that a Christian should boldly confess the name of Christ, since the holy Spirit is given in this sacrament for strengthening just as he was given to the apostles on the day of Pentecost. Therefore the candidate is enjoined on the forehead, which is the seat of shame, not to shrink from confessing the name of Christ and especially his cross, which is a stumbling block for Jews and a folly for gentiles, according to the Apostle, and for this reason he is signed with the sign of the cross.”

A big part of confirmation is being able to live up to being Christ’s, and not to be ashamed of him when hard times come. And to accomplish this the seven gifts are strengthened in us.

In the Old Testament the kings and prophets were annointed with oil as a sign of God’s appointing them to a special call and office. This sacrament also marks each with a sign on the soul which will be with us as long as we live indicating that we too are assigned to be God’s special co-worker.

---

From the Mass of Pentecost Sunday, the hymn:

“Come O Holy Spirit Come. And from your celestial home shed a ray of light devine.
You, of comforters the best; you, the soul’s most welcome guest; sweet refreshment here below.
O most blessed light divine, shine within these hearts of yours, and our in-most being fill.”

 

[RyanBlack]

Children should not be forced to be confirmed by their parents. It should be a decision freely taken by them. It is them saying that they themselves want to be adult members of the Church. I was intrigued that the two teens confirmed by the Pope were on the older end. One was I believe 17 years old. It seems that their parish believes it should only be done at the teenager’s pace. I think that a 16/17 year old has a more mature outlook on life than a 12 year old.

This idea that confirmation is saying that you, of your own free, mature will want to be an adult member of the Church has nothing to do with Catholic theology of the sacrament of confirmation.

 

[RyanBlack]

I would add that the Catholic Church herself refers to the Coptic Orthodox patriarch using the title “pope,” as this link to a speech given by Pope John Paul II demonstrates.

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/travels/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20000225_egypt-ecumen_en.html

 

[otjm]

It has been said that Confirmation is the sacrament in search of a theology. I can’t find my notes now, but at one point I had notes indicating (over time -centuries) that the Church had emphasized one point over another, and my recollection is that there have been approximately 5 to 7 reasons/thoughts/explanations of Confirmation.

One of them being that it made us “soldiers for Christ” (prevalent when I was Confirmed). So the short of it is that there is not necessarily one theological definition/explanation of Confirmation.

 

[petronus]

I can’t see how the Confirmation gives anything which has not already been given in Baptism .
From the Rite of Baptism :- The anointing with chrism .

Celebrant: God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as members of his body, sharing everlasting life.

 

[Zekariya]

Of course, back in St. Cyril’s day, Confirmation was given to people right after Baptism, so the issue concerning what the Holy Spirit does is not so pronounced because it’s all part of the same event. No 15 year gap here, whereby the teenager receives a gift of the Holy Spirit that their Eastern Catholic counterparts had ever since they were infants.

He does teach separately on baptism in the previous lecture. I respectfully disagree that St Cyril’s view is no longer applicable. The Sacrament might be received later in the West but, the effects of Confirmation are still the same.

 

[RyanBlack]

I can’t see how the Confirmation gives anything which has not already been given in Baptism .
From the Rite of Baptism :-

Celebrant: God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as members of his body, sharing everlasting life.

Viewpoints such as this, which are, in my opinion, entirely wrong, but at the same time, understandable, lend great credibility to the arguments to restore the ancient practice of administering baptism and chrismation/confirmation at the same time.

 

[Zekariya]

“And then remember that you received the seal of the Spirit; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness, and the spirit of holy fear, and preserved what you received. God the Father sealed you, Christ the Lord strengthened you, and gave the earnest of the Spirit in your heart, as you have learned in the lesson from the Apostle.” - Saint and Doctor Ambrose, On the Mysteries, 7:42

“The living water of holy Baptism is given to us as if in rain, and the Bread of Life as if in wheat, and the Blood as if in wine. In Addition to this there is also the use of oil, reckoned as perfecting those who have been justified in Christ through holy baptism.” - Saint and Doctor Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Minor Prophets, 32

 

[TimothyH]

I can’t see how the Confirmation gives anything which has not already been given in Baptism .
From the Rite of Baptism :- The anointing with chrism .

Celebrant: God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as members of his body, sharing everlasting life.

Confirmation is your personal participation in Pentacost.

Before Pentacost the disciples were locked in the upper room for fear of the Jews. After Pentacost Peter spoke out boldly, without fear. St. Stephen spoke out with power and wasn’t afriad to die. Confirmation gives is the strength and power to be “Witnesses.”

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sama’ria and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

The Greek word for witness is martyr. Some are called to by physical martyrs. We are all called to die to self in some way, to be persecuted for Christ for our beliefs, to be ridiculed, and if necissary, to die. That is what confirmation is. It is the Holy Spirit granting us the power to proclaim Christ boldly, without fear of even dying. It is the power and strength to be a witness, the strength to be a martyr.

*But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. (Acts 2:14)

And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyre’nians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cili’cia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. (Acts 6:8-11)

**And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly **(Acts 13:46)

**And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly *(Acts 19:8)

Baptism doesn’t do that. Baptism justifies us before God. Confirmation is our participation in Pentacost. We should have no fear of anyone or anything after confirmation. We should proclaim Christ boldly, mostly through how we live our lives and sometimes with words if needed. That is what I taught my daughter.

-Tim-

 

[TheAdvocate]

It has been said that Confirmation is the sacrament in search of a theology. I can’t find my notes now, but at one point I had notes indicating (over time -centuries) that the Church had emphasized one point over another, and my recollection is that there have been approximately 5 to 7 reasons/thoughts/explanations of Confirmation.

One of them being that it made us “soldiers for Christ” (prevalent when I was Confirmed). So the short of it is that there is not necessarily one theological definition/explanation of Confirmation.

I had a canon law professor (a very knowledgeable one at that) tell me that the theology of Confirmation is actually very shallow. He added that while there are some theologians who would love to see the sacrament return to the ancient practice of keeping it with Baptism, it would never happen because the Catholic textbook lobby would lose a lot of business. (All those books that have to be bought for religious ed for teens.)

 

[TheAdvocate]

Viewpoints such as this, which are, in my opinion, entirely wrong, but at the same time, understandable, lend great credibility to the arguments to restore the ancient practice of administering baptism and chrismation/confirmation at the same time.

Yeah, they really ought to be connected again.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Confirmation is your personal participation in Pentacost.

Before Pentacost the disciples were locked in the upper room for fear of the Jews. After Pentacost Peter spoke out boldly, without fear. St. Stephen spoke out with power and wasn’t afriad to die. Confirmation gives is the strength and power to be “Witnesses.”

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sama’ria and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

The Greek word for witness is martyr. Some are called to by physical martyrs. We are all called to die to self in some way, to be persecuted for Christ for our beliefs, to be ridiculed, and if necissary, to die. That is what confirmation is. It is the Holy Spirit granting us the power to proclaim Christ boldly, without fear of even dying. It is the power and strength to be a witness, the strength to be a martyr.

But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. (Acts 2:14)

And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyre’nians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cili’cia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. (Acts 6:8-11)

**And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly **(Acts 13:46)

**And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly **(Acts 19:8)

Baptism doesn’t do that. Baptism justifies us before God. Confirmation is our participation in Pentacost. We should have no fear of anyone or anything after confirmation. We should proclaim Christ boldly, mostly through how we live our lives and sometimes with words if needed. That is what I taught my daughter.

-Tim-

So a person who “merely” is baptized should have something to fear?

 

[Zekariya]

So a person who “merely” is baptized should have something to fear?

Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Confession, Holy Orders, and Holy Matrimony are different Sacraments and all have different effects. Someone who is merely baptized is the same as the Apostles before Pentecost. This is how important the Bible and Sacred Tradition treats Confirmation. Many are ignorant and believe that there is no need for the Gift of the Holy Spirit. This is wrong. They do not have “power from on high” (as this Gift is called in the Bible) until they receive Confirmation.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Confession, Holy Orders, and Holy Matrimony are different Sacraments and all have different effects. Someone who is merely baptized is the same as the Apostles before Pentecost. This is how important the Bible and Sacred Tradition treats Confirmation. Many are ignorant and believe that there is no need for the Gift of the Holy Spirit. This is wrong. They do not have “power from on high” (as this Gift is called in the Bible) until they receive Confirmation.

It sure would be helpful if there were a perceivable change in the teens who receive the “power to proclaim” from the Holy Spirit. Theoretically (and actually), there could be a 13 year-old baptized teen who proclaims the gospel very well, and a confirmed one who does a shoddy job.

A deepening of the 7 gifts of the Spirit seems like nonsense to me.

And what of Protestants who don’t have the sacraments at all? Many of them sure don’t seem deprived of the power of the Spirit to me.

 

[Zekariya]

It sure would be helpful if there were a perceivable change in the teens who receive the “power to proclaim” from the Holy Spirit. Theoretically (and actually), there could be a 13 year-old baptized teen who proclaims the gospel very well, and a confirmed one who does a shoddy job.

A deepening of the 7 gifts of the Spirit seems like nonsense to me.

And what of Protestants who don’t have the sacraments at all? Many of them sure don’t seem deprived of the power of the Spirit to me.

Remember that God can work outside of the Sacraments. Here is the Catechism of the Council of Trent’s distinguishing between Confirmation and Baptism:

Confirmation is Distinct from Baptism

Although said by Melchiades to have a most intimate connection with Baptism, Confirmation is still not to be regarded as the same, but as a very different Sacrament; for the variety of the grace which each of the Sacraments confers, and of the sensible sign employed to signify that grace, evidently render them distinct and different Sacraments.

Since, then, by the grace of Baptism we are begotten unto newness of life, whereas by that of Confirmation we grow to full maturity, having put away the things of a child, we can sufficiently understand that the same difference that exists in the natural life between birth and growth exists also between Baptism, which regenerates, and Confirmation, by virtue of which growth and perfect spiritual strength are imparted to the faithful.

Besides, as there should be a new and distinct kind of Sacrament when the soul has to encounter any new difficulty, it may easily be perceived that as we require the grace of Baptism to form the mind unto faith, so is it also of the utmost advantage that the souls of the faithful be strengthened by a different grace, to the end that they be deterred by no danger, or fear of pains, tortures or death, from the confession of the true faith. This, then, being accomplished by the sacred chrism of Confirmation, it is hence clearly inferred, that the nature of this Sacrament is different from Baptism.

Hence Pope Melchiades accurately evolves the difference between them, writing as follows: In Baptism man is enlisted into the service, in Confirmation he is equipped for battle; at the baptismal font the Holy Ghost imparts fullness to accomplish innocence, but in Confirmation he ministers perfection to grace; in Baptism we are regenerated unto life, after Baptism we are fortified for the combat; in Baptism we are cleansed, after Baptism we are strengthened; regeneration of itself saves those who receive Baptism in time of peace, Confirmation arms and makes ready for conflicts.

These are truths not only already recorded by other Councils, but specially defined by the holy Council of Trent; so that we are therefore no longer at liberty not only to think otherwise, but even to entertain the least doubt concerning them.

 

[billcu1]

I was confirmed years ago when I was first baptised in the church after coming in from RCIA. I never have really understood what we get out of confirmation. As far as I know and understand you are being sealed with the holy spirit as passed down from Jesus to his apostle’s and so on down the line. The holy spirit never leaves. How do we deal with the holy spirit in us. What is getting the holy spirit all about? When you sin a sin unto death it doesn’t leave but grace does. How can we make use of this sacrament’s benefits?

 

[babochka]

Confirmation is an adult decision. I think it should be actually done even later than it is now.

This does not reflect the consistent teaching of the Church as to what the Sacrament is and when it should be received.

 

[dmar198]

I was confirmed years ago when I was first baptised in the church after coming in from RCIA. I never have really understood what we get out of confirmation. As far as I know and understand you are being sealed with the holy spirit as passed down from Jesus to his apostle’s and so on down the line. The holy spirit never leaves. How do we deal with the holy spirit in us. What is getting the holy spirit all about? When you sin a sin unto death it doesn’t leave but grace does. How can we make use of this sacrament’s benefits?

You’re supposed to use its benefits by discerning the spiritual gifts you are given through the Sacrament and then putting them to work. These gifts are given in a special way through Confirmation. You can learn more about them here: Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual Gifts are free graces gifted to members of the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. They are innumerable, powerful and tailor-made for everyone so that he/she can help to build the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven. These gifts or charisms not only build up the Church as the Body of Christ but also affect our families, communities and the world around us. These gifts are instruments which we must learn to recognize for the common good.

Discerning Your Gifts
There are various methods for discerning your gifts, you can find inventories, questionnaires, and books which can help you recognize your gifts when used with prayer and meditation in the exercise of discernment. Do not get discouraged, discernment takes times, prayer and effort, consider talking to a Spiritual Director to help in your discernment process.

For a list of some spiritual gifts and where you might use them, click here (it’s a pdf): archsa.org/stewardship_development/documents/Spiritual_Gifts_Found_Scripture.pdf

Confirmation of Your Gifts
Your can test your discernment by using the gift you have recognized and after a certain time, evaluate the results of your attempt following the basic rules that Sherry Weddell describes so well in her Catholic Spiritual Gifts (p. 21-22):

There are three characteristics of a charism or spiritual gift that should be consistently present over time:

1. 
   *]Effectiveness: a charism will do what it is supposed to do. If you have a charism of teaching, people will learn.
   *]Your Experience: God does not give us charisms as a form of penance! If you are exercising a spiritual gift, you will generally feel energized, satisfied, and joyful, as though this is where you belong. You will not necessarily feel that way every time you try to use this gift, but that will be the overall experience. (Tip: Some people can have negative “first time” experiences. The key is to observe your feelings over an extended period of time.)
   *]Response or affirmation from others: It is wonderful when people give you direct feedback. Lots of positive feedback over time is a real affirmation. But affirmation can also come indirectly, as we observe what people ask of us. Do people you don’t know well seem to just “open up” to you and share their feelings and concerns with you? (You might have a charism of encouragement.)
   All three should line up over time. If one of the characteristics is missing, you should continue in your discernment process. Adapted from here: archsa.org/stewardship_development/gifts.aspx