Question about Confirmation

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bluehen95

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Good morning!

I was baptized, raised Catholic, had first communion, etc…but unlike my three brothers, I was never confirmed because my parents basically stopped making us go to church, and as many kids would likely do, I seized this opportunity and didn’t go anymore.

In my 20s, I started going again, but only for a few years and I never really investigated whether I should get confirmed…I never really got that into it, and stopped going again. Then I went back for awhile, I got married in the Church (to a non-Catholic), and…well…it took me nine years to get back into a pew again.

Now I’m going to mass regularly, I’ve been to confession, I read the daily readings and meditations, etc. In short, this time is different, I just feel ready to engage my faith. So my question is, at age 40, should I get confirmed? What would I have to do?

Thanks!
 
Yes, you should.

The sacraments of Christian initiation are Baptism, Confirmation and Communion. Your initiation is not complete. Remember that Confirmation is not something you do, it’s something that is done TO you. It completes your Baptism, brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace, and increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in you. You can read more about Confirmation here.

As for what you’ll have to do, well that depends entirely on your parish. If you’re the only adult seeking Confirmation you may simply meet with your Pastor or a catechist for some instruction. If there are more of you the parish may be running an Adult Confirmation Class or you may be required to ‘go through RCIA’.

Your first step is to meet with your Pastor and express your desire for Confirmation.
 
bluehen95 said:
Good morning!

I was baptized, raised Catholic, had first communion, etc…but unlike my three brothers, I was never confirmed because my parents basically stopped making us go to church, and as many kids would likely do, I seized this opportunity and didn’t go anymore.

In my 20s, I started going again, but only for a few years and I never really investigated whether I should get confirmed…I never really got that into it, and stopped going again. Then I went back for awhile, I got married in the Church (to a non-Catholic), and…well…it took me nine years to get back into a pew again.

Now I’m going to mass regularly, I’ve been to confession, I read the daily readings and meditations, etc. In short, this time is different, I just feel ready to engage my faith. So my question is, at age 40, should I get confirmed? What would I have to do?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Yes you should. You can attend the RCIA classes at your parish. In receiving the Sacrament of Comfirmation you will be given the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as well as the spiritual fortitude to continue in your faith.
 
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1306 Every baptized person not yet confirmed can and should receive the sacrament of Confirmation.123 Since Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist form a unity, it follows that "the faithful are obliged to receive this sacrament at the appropriate time,"124 for without Confirmation and Eucharist, Baptism is certainly valid and efficacious, but Christian initiation remains incomplete.

Yes, you should definitely get confirmed. It is never too late! Just set up an appointment with your parish priest and tell him what you told us here. He will direct you on where to go from there.

Welcome back! 👋
 
well as an adult-- you will find out – how this increase of spiritual wisdom functions-- the catholic education i was involved with we were confirmed in the 4th grade-- and it ws un clear – as to the apparent benefit of this sacrement–

but again as an adult-- it may be different for you
 
I was confirmed at 45 years of age.

Call the parish and they will tell you what you have to do. My parish ran a series of classes for adults who wished to be confirmed, on class each week for ten weeks.

-Tim-
 
bluehen95 said:
Now I’m going to mass regularly, I’ve been to confession, I read the daily readings and meditations, etc. In short, this time is different, I just feel ready to engage my faith. So my question is, at age 40, should I get confirmed? What would I have to do?
Click to expand...
I’m 27 and currently attending RCIA. About half of my class are college students. I am the youngest person there that is not in college. The rest are somewhere between 30-70 years old. I believe the oldest woman in my class is 69. Age really doesn’t matter.

Since you were raised catholic, RCIA would probably just be review for you (at least this has been my experience), but I would still suggest going to RCIA if u can make time. As someone above mentioned, you can get confirmed w/out going to RCIA, but I think it is good to go to the classes because it can help you get more involved with the church. I have met several interesting people that I am better for knowing and it has gotten me more involved with other church activities.

Most likely your parish runs the class from sometime in September until Easter. You may still be able to join the class this year if you discuss it with your priest. If you talk to your priest and come to the conclusion that you need to take the class the whole way through, then you may have to wait until next year.

I have also heard of people who were unable to attend RCIA regularly, who went to some classes and also received some individual instruction from a priest or RCIA director.

Good luck,
JK
 
Catholics who have made their First Communion and are practicing usually do not need the full course of RCIA; so many parishes have a shorter course for those who lack only Confirmation. In our diocese {Orange, CA} they are confirmed at Pentecost. My parish has a 13-week course to prepare them which starts in early January. Parishes which do not have a program frequently send their people to neighboring parishes which do.
 
bluehen95 said:
So my question is, at age 40, should I get confirmed?
Click to expand...
Absolutely, unless you don’t need God’s grace. Do you want the fullness of the Holy Spirit (God)?

You are missing out on so much. And God WANTS you to have His Grace through Confirmation.

Go meet with your pastor. 👍
 
Yes! Doctor of the Church, St Cyril of Jerusalem speaks on Confirmation (aka Chrismation):
3. But beware of supposing this to be plain ointment. For as the Bread of the Eucharist, after the invocation of the Holy Ghost, is mere bread no longer , but the Body of Christ, so also this holy ointment is no more simple ointment, nor (so to say) common, after invocation, but it is Christ’s gift of grace, and, by the advent of the Holy Ghost, is made fit to impart His Divine Nature. Which ointment is symbolically applied to your forehead and your other senses; and while your body is anointed with the visible ointment, your soul is sanctified by the Holy and life-giving Spirit.
  1. …] For as Christ after His Baptism, and the visitation of the Holy Ghost, went forth and vanquished the adversary, so likewise ye, after Holy Baptism and the Mystical Chrism, having put on the whole armour of the Holy Ghost, are to stand against the power of the adversary, and vanquish it, saying, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
  2. Having been counted worthy of this Holy Chrism, you are called Christians, verifying the name also by your new birth. For before you were deemed worthy of this grace, you had properly no right to this title, but were advancing on your way towards being Christians.
  3. Moreover, you should know that in the old Scripture there lies the symbol of this Chrism. For what time Moses imparted to his brother the command of God, and made him High-priest, after bathing in water, he anointed him; and Aaron was called Christ or Anointed, evidently from the typical Chrism. So also the High-priest, in advancing Solomon to the kingdom, anointed him after he had bathed in Gihon. To them however these things happened in a figure, but to you not in a figure, but in truth; because you were truly anointed by the Holy Ghost. Christ is the beginning of your salvation; for He is truly the First-fruit, and you the mass Romans 11:16; but if the First-fruit be holy, it is manifest that Its holiness will pass to the mass also.
 
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