The importance of confirmation

[Psalm45_9]

Hi everyone! I need some help explaining confirmation to non-catholic and non-orthodox Christinans. I know that confirmation is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles and is alluded to in St. Paul and St. John’s Epistles, but I need to know how the Holy Spirit works. The issue is that in the Acts of the Apostles, Cornelias recieved the Holy Spirit through Baptism of desire. We are taught the the Holy Spirit comes through confirmation. Can someone help better explain confirmation in light of the Cornelius phenomenon?

 

[dmm2000]

I teach 8th grade RE and am always looking for information on the working of the Holy Spirit. I found a CD by Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio on the subject crossroadsinitiative.com/resource_type/7.html?PHPSESSID=badeab056bd0a16f7611b6afdde00ed1This is the best explanation of Confirmation I have run across to date. Also, I will give you a quote from “For Better…Forever” by Greg Popcak. "…through baptism in water and the Spirit, we are sanctified by having the stain of original sin washed clean, and we are sanctified by being given the grace to resist future temptation to sin. But baptism also imparts other graces that enable us to do three jobs. 1) to be priests (to give personal sacrifice, praise, and worship to God) 2) to be prophets (to proclaim the truth of God’s word and deeds) and 3) to be kings (to conduct ourselves in a manner that is becoming of a son or daughter of the Most High God).

I know this is on baptism, but the completion and fullness of this gift is the sacrament of Confirmation. We allow the Holy Spirit to more fully act in us to carry out our mission. This is further and much better explained in Dr. D’Ambrosio’s talk.