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July 6, 2008

Confirmation gives us armor to be Jesus’ soldiers

By Alicia Torres

CONTRIBUTOR

God calls each of us to be soldiers of Christ. We are challenged to boldly proclaim the Gospel, and as Pope Benedict XVI recently reminded us, even in the most challenging of settings — the streets of the world.

Soldier-saints like Joan of Arc and Ignatius Loyola knew they could not withstand battle without protection. Neither can we engage in the dramatic spiritual battle that surrounds us unless we arm ourselves.

Through baptism, we become adopted sons and daughters of God. Yet, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that: “by the sacrament of confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed (No. 1285).”

With baptism and the Eucharist, confirmation completes what the church calls the sacraments of Christian initiation.

Confirmation is so important that the church obliges the faithful to receive it, even compelling those in danger of death to be confirmed so that they too may share in the fullness of Christ through the life of the Spirit.

Old Testament figures prophesied that the Spirit of the Lord would rest upon the Messiah — fulfilled when the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ as he was baptized in the Jordan River. Jesus frequently promised the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The most radical manifestation of this promise occurred on Pentecost, when the Spirit descended upon the Virgin Mary and the Apostles as tongues of fire. All present were filled with the gifts and fruits of the Spirit, and they inspired mass conversion to Christianity. We join with them in being filled with these gifts through confirmation.

Knowing the Spirit

Today, the sacrament of confirmation is normally conferred upon adolescents who have matured in their understanding of the faith and have been instructed in their obligation as Catholics. When adults enter the church, confirmation is administered with the other sacraments of Christian initiation.

In either circumstance, it is imperative that those to be confirmed are well instructed in the meaning of the sacrament, and the serious spiritual obligation that it confers upon the soul, essentially providing the grace necessary to be a witness to Christ in the world, and even to engage in battle for the sake of Christ and of his church. Particularly, there must be an understanding of the Holy Spirit, and those gifts and works associated with the Spirit.

To each of the seven sacraments there are two essential parts: matter and form. The matter of confirmation in the Roman rite is the laying on of hands and the anointing of the forehead with sacred chrism. The bishop of the diocese blesses this chrism during the Chrism Mass in Holy Week.

The form of confirmation is the words uttered with the laying on of hands, “Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti (Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit).”

While the ordinary minister of confirmation is a bishop, in an extraordinary circumstance a priest may confer the sacrament, if given faculties by the bishop.

The sacrament also requires a sponsor, similar to the godparents chosen at baptism. The sponsor must be a person of the same sex, and be a Catholic who has received the sacraments of Christian initiation.

The confirmandi (those confirmed) receive an indelible spiritual mark, or “character,” upon their souls. This is a “sign that Jesus Christ has marked a Christian with the seal of his Spirit by clothing him with power from on high so that he may be his witness. (CCC, 1304)”

Just as soldiers are marked with the seal of their leader, so are the confirmandi marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit.

Lasting effects

So, what is the effect of confirmation? The mark of the sacrament inspires and compels the Christian to participate in the full apostolic mission of the Church. The gifts (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord) and fruits (charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity) of the Holy Spirit are the armor with which the Christian girds himself to engage fully in this mission.

The sacrament of confirmation is about being a soldier of Christ. It is about choosing to be actively, passionately Christian. The graces of the sacrament empower us to live our faith actively in the world, preaching the Gospel at all times, by word and most importantly, through our actions.

Act in courage for Christ

“There are those who have said that courage in witnessing
our faith is one of the best proofs for the existence of
God. Confirmation is the sacrament that makes possible
courageous witness...

“Today, there are plenty of opportunities to act courageously
on behalf of the teachings of Christ and the
church, to promote the stability of marriage, to support the
ideals of family life, to be brave in defending human life
from conception to death, to be steadfast in seeking justice
for the oppressed and to be determined that the light of
Christ’s compassion and peace will shine everywhere on
earth” (U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 211).

Effects of confirmation

Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal
grace:

  • roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which
    makes us cry, “Abba! Father!”
  • unites us more firmly to Christ;
  • increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
  • renders our bond with the Church more perfect
  • gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread
    and defend the faith by word and action.

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1303)