Was my confirmation valid?

[Melchior]

When I was confirmed, I was a fully convinced Evangelical but still in the Catholic Church for my mothers sake. So I went through the motions but did not believe anything happened when teh Infamous Cardinal Bernie Law confirmed me. So was I confirmed inspite of my beliefs or was it invalid?

Mel

 

[JimR-OCDS]

When I was confirmed, I was a fully convinced Evangelical but still in the Catholic Church for my mothers sake. So I went through the motions but did not believe anything happened when teh Infamous Cardinal Bernie Law confirmed me. So was I confirmed inspite of my beliefs or was it invalid?

Mel

Your confirmation was valid. Many Catholics, including myself were confirmed in our early teens, when we could care less about religion, faith, etc. However, you still receive the graces of the sacrament, and I was amazed at how when I finally did commit myself to Christ, that the gifts received at Confirmation came alive.

God Bless
Jim

 

[Melchior]

Your confirmation was valid. Many Catholics, including myself were confirmed in our early teens, when we could care less about religion, faith, etc. However, you still receive the graces of the sacrament, and I was amazed at how when I finally did commit myself to Christ, that the gifts received at Confirmation came alive.

God Bless
Jim

Thanks, Jim.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

When I was confirmed, I was a fully convinced Evangelical but still in the Catholic Church for my mothers sake. So I went through the motions but did not believe anything happened when teh Infamous Cardinal Bernie Law confirmed me. So was I confirmed inspite of my beliefs or was it invalid?

Mel

You were Confirmed, but received little to no benefit from the Grace. Unless of course you were hog tied and held down. But if you walked into the Church on your own, you were Confirmed.

 

[decn2b]

You were Confirmed, but received little to no benefit from the Grace. Unless of course you were hog tied and held down. But if you walked into the Church on your own, you were Confirmed.

Oh Br Rich, With all due respect. I believe that the OP recieved and abundance of benefit from the Grace. It just took awhile for the seeds of the sacrament to take hold…like me my confirmation the fruits didn’t show up for awhile( like decades)…but like the planting of the seed…while I was away that seed was driving a very deep root before the plant started to grow.
One evidence of benefit of the OPs confirmation is the fact that they are at Catholic Forums.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Oh Br Rich, With all due respect. I believe that the OP recieved and abundance of benefit from the Grace. It just took awhile for the seeds of the sacrament to take hold…like me my confirmation the fruits didn’t show up for awhile( like decades)…but like the planting of the seed…while I was away that seed was driving a very deep root before the plant started to grow.
One evidence of benefit of the OPs confirmation is the fact that they are at Catholic Forums.

Sure the Grace is received as soon as the impediments to the reception of that Grace are removed. But they possibly would not have been effective at the time of the Sacrament because of the impediments.

 

[Jasny]

Sure the Grace is received as soon as the impediments to the reception of that Grace are removed. But they possibly would not have been effective at the time of the Sacrament because of the impediments.

Agreed. If one is in moratal sin at the time of confirmation and intending to do what theChurch does in the sacrament, one would recieve the Mark of the Sacrament but no grace. The mysterious Mark of the Sacrament of Confirmation will supply the grace of the sacrament as soon as one makes a good confession.
Whether you were commiting a sacralige or just a confused kid would be up to your confessor to help you with that.

 

[Melchior]

Thank you gentlemen. I currently to believe in the efficacy of confirmation as I now believe in the Sacraments as an Anglo-Catholic.

A follow up question. If I understand correctly, we receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism in what sense is confirmation different? What do we receive that we did not have? And why the spacing out of these two Sacraments? I understand that the Latin rite used to conduct them just as the East still does, Baptism, Chrismation, Holy Communion all in the same rite.

Thanks.

Mel

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Thank you gentlemen. I currently to believe in the efficacy of confirmation as I now believe in the Sacraments as an Anglo-Catholic.

A follow up question. If I understand correctly, we receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism in what sense is confirmation different? What do we receive that we did not have? And why the spacing out of these two Sacraments? I understand that the Latin rite used to conduct them just as the East still does, Baptism, Chrismation, Holy Communion all in the same rite.

Thanks.

Mel

The Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation have always been two separate Sacraments. In the West they historically got separated when Bishops were no longer able to be at every Baptism and parish priests began Baptizing more and more infants. Western Bishops simply decided to retain at least the authority to Confirm to themselves, which they could delegate.

We do first receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism. We also receive the Holy Spirit for other purposes in the other Sacraments, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders. As St. Paul says it’s the same Spirit but different gifts, or for different purposes.