3. FLOW OF PRESENTATION
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I. Scriptural Foundation on the Sacrament of Confirmation
II. Sacrament of Confirmation Defined
III.Importance of the Sacrament of Confirmation
IV. Important Concepts on the Sacrament
4. Objectives:
1. To learn what is the sacrament of
confirmation all about.
2. To appreciate the essence of the sacrament
in our Christian lives.
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6. ⋄ The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God's Spirit
would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission.
Their prophecy was fulfilled!
HOW?
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7. 7
The roots of confirmation are found in the Church of the
New Testament.
⋄ In the Gospel of John 14, Christ speaks of the coming of the
Holy Spirit on the Apostles (John 14:15–26).
⋄ Later, after his Resurrection, Jesus breathed upon them and
they received the Holy Spirit (John 20:22), a process completed
on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4).
8. ⋄ That Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit was the sign of the
messianic age foretold by the prophets (cf. Ezek 36:25–27; Joel
3:1–2). Its arrival was proclaimed by Apostle Peter. Filled with
the Holy Spirit the apostles began to proclaim "the mighty
works of God" (Acts 2:11; Cf. 2:17–18). After this point, the New
Testament records the apostles bestowing the Holy Spirit upon
others through the laying on of hands.
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9. ⋄ Hebrews 6:1–3 — New Living Translation (NLT)
1 So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and
again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.
Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance
of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. 2 You don’t
need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the
resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And so, God willing,
we will move forward to further understanding.
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11. 11
The word comes from the Latin con- "together,
altogether," and firmāre "make firm," so confirm
originally meant roughly "to make (something)
altogether firm."
12. ⋄ Confirmation is the sacrament of spiritual strengthening
through a special conferral of the Holy Spirit for those who
have already received spiritual regeneration in Baptism.
⋄ It is a rite of initiation in Christian churches, normally carried
out through anointing and/or the laying on of hands and
prayer for the purpose of bestowing the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
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13. ⋄ Other terms for the Sacrament of Confirmation:
• The Sacrament of Myron
• Holy Anointment
The word ‘Myron’ is a Greek word which means ‘ointment’ or
‘fragrant perfume’. Confirmation confers a sacramental
character that cannot be erased and that predisposes the Christian
person to receive the very life of God, and his divine protection.
Confirmation perpetuates (keeps alive) the grace of Pentecost.
Confirmation has a Messianic (salvific) character.
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14. ⋄ In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized person is "sealed
with the gift of the Holy Spirit" and is strengthened for service to
the Body of Christ.
⋄ Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be
missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families,
neighborhoods, society, and the world. We receive the message of
faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis
given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give
the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in
loving service.
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16. ⋄ The Holy Spirit bestows seven gifts to assist us
in our mission and witness. The impact of
these gifts accompanies us in the various
stages of our spiritual development.
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17. 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
⋄ Wisdom
⋄ Understanding
⋄ Knowledge
⋄ Fortitude
⋄ Counsel
⋄ Piety
⋄ Fear of the Lord
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19. Who can receive the Sacrament of Confirmation?
⋄ Only those who were already baptized can and should receive
this sacrament which can be received only once. To receive
Confirmation efficaciously the candidate must be in the state
of grace.
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20. Who can minister the Sacrament of Confirmation?
⋄ The original minister of Confirmation is the bishop. When a
priest confers this sacrament, as ordinarily happens in the East
and in special cases in the West, the link with the bishop and
with the Church is expressed by the priest who is the
collaborator of the bishop and by the Sacred Chrism,
consecrated by the bishop himself.
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21. Current Ritual Structure of the Sacrament
⋄ The sacrament of Confirmation is usually celebrated during the
Eucharist after the Liturgy of the Word.
⋄ There are six parts to the Confirmation ceremony. Rite of
Confirmation:
Presentation of the Candidates, Homily, Renewal of Baptismal
promises, Laying on of hands, Naming and anointing with Chrism,
Sign of peace
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22. Concept on Form and Matter
⋄ The matter of the sacrament of Confirmation is the
anointing with chrism, a mixture of olive oil and balm blessed
by the bishop during the Holy Thursday ceremony. Balm is
fragrant and preserves from corruption; it signifies that the
Christian is henceforth capable of giving off the perfume of
Christian virtues and preserving himself from the corruption
of vice.
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23. Who are the sponsors for the Sacrament of Confirmation?
⋄ Being a sponsor is a lifelong commitment. A sponsor takes
on the role of a spiritual parent who “brings the candidate to
receive the sacrament, presents him to the minister for the
anointing, and will later help him to fulfill his baptismal
promises faithfully under the influence of the Holy Spirit” (Rite
of Confirmation 5).
⋄
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24. ⋄ The primary responsibility of the sponsor is to provide the
candidate prayerful support and guidance in his or her
Christian walk and to “take care that the confirmed person
behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the
obligations inherent in this sacrament” (canon 892).
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