The document provides an overview of Pentecost and the Sacrament of Confirmation from a biblical perspective. It discusses how Confirmation is rooted in the Old and New Testaments. Key points include Jesus promising the disciples the Holy Spirit, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the history and traditions surrounding Confirmation, and the responsibilities of Confirmed Christians.

1. Pentecost and The
Sacrament of
Confirmation
The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press. The English translations of the works of Cardinal
Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) also use the RSV-CE or its Second Edition.

2. Confirmation and the Bible
Confirmation is biblically based and its history begins
long before the Acts of the Apostles.
We first see the Spirit in Gen. 1.2 - The earth was
without form and void, and darkness was upon the
face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving
over the face of the waters.
We hear Jesus speak of and explain the function of the
Holy Spirit on
many occasions.
The Spirit strengthens
us, as
it did with Jesus, in
our battle with Satan.

3. Mark 1:10-11 the Trinity
10 And when he came up
out of the
water, immediately He
saw the heavens opened
and the Spirit descending
upon Him like a dove;
11 and a voice came from
heaven, ―You are my
beloved Son; with You I
am well pleased.‖
After the Spirit descended
upon Jesus He began His
public ministry.

4. Luke 3:15-16
15 As the people were in
expectation, and all men
questioned in their hearts
concerning John, whether
perhaps he were the Christ,
16 John answered them all, ―I
baptize you with water; but
He who is mightier than I
is coming, the thong of
whose sandals I am not
worthy to untie; He will
baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and with fire.

5. Jesus Overcomes Temptations
(Luke 4:1-2)
1 Filled with the Holy
Spirit, Jesus left the
Jordan and was led by
the Spirit into the
desert,
2 for forty days being put
to the test by the devil.
You will recall that
fortified by the Spirit
Jesus overcame Satan‘s
temptations.

6. Jesus Promised His Disciples that
the Holy Spirit Would Come.
Lk. 12:11 And when
they bring you before
the synagogues and
the rulers and the
authorities, do not be
anxious how or what
you are to answer or
what you are to say;
12 for the Holy Spirit
will teach you in that
very hour what you
ought to say.‖

7. Lk 24: 49 The Father Promised
the Holy Spirit
49 And behold, I send the
promise of my Father
upon you; but stay in the
city, until you are
clothed with power from
on high.‖
The promise of my Father
refers to the Holy Spirit.
Joel 2:29 Even upon the
menservants and
maidservants in those
days, I will pour out my
spirit.

8. The History of Pentecost
Jewish tradition tells us that Pentecost is the time when
Moses was given the Law of God on Mount Sinai.
The word ―Pentecost‖ means fiftieth and is only found
in the New Testament.
I was first spoken of in Exodus 23:16 as ―the feast of
harvest,‖ and again in Ex. 34:22 as ―the day of the
first fruits‖ (Num. 28:26).
The date of the feast was calculated from the second
day of the Passover and then you begin counting off
seven complete weeks or 49 days and the feast day
was to be held the next or fiftieth day (Lev. 23:15-
19; Num. 28:27-29).

9. Pentecost
The day of Pentecost in the New Testament Christian
Church is celebrated as the day on which the Spirit
descended upon the apostles.
Jesus is quoted as saying in Acts 1
3 To them he presented himself alive after his passion
by many proofs, appearing to them during forty
days, and speaking of the kingdom of God.
4 And while staying with them he charged them not to
depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of
the Father, which, he said, ―you heard from me,
5 for John baptized with water, but before many days
you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.‖

10. Pentecost Closes The Easter
Season
And it celebrates the out
pouring of the Spirit on
the first community.
Pentecost has been called
the feast that celebrates
the ―birth of the
Church.‖
Because at that point 12
frightened men
unlocked the door to
their room and began
preaching the Word of
God.

11. The Age of Confirmation
The age at which
confirmation is
received is
determined by the
local Bishop.
Confirmation is also
referred to as the
sacrament of
mature Christian
commitment.

12. In The Early Church
Confirmation wasn‘t a separate rite or ceremony until
the 3rd century.
The apostle, the bishop, presiding over the community
Baptized, Confirmed and gave the Eucharist at the
same time but as the Church grew it was no longer
possible for the bishop to physically be present at
many different and widespread geographical
locations.
The Eastern Churches were able to continue this
practice by authorizing their priest to administer
them so long as the chrism, Holy Oil, blessed by the
bishop at the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday was
used.

13. Unity
The Latin or Roman The unity of the three
church continues to sacraments ―must be
have the Bishop safeguarded even though
confirm but sometimes they might not be
allows priest to confirm received at the same
in special situations. time.
The Catechism of the
Catholic Church states
1285:
―Confirmation is still
united with baptism and
the Eucharist as the
sacraments of initiation.

14. The Gifts or Graces Received
The prophet Isaiah (Isa. ―twice given gifts.‖
11:2) names the gifts of They are given to the soul
the Holy Spirit. with the grace of Baptism
1. Wisdom, and are again given and
2. Understanding, also strengthened and
3. Counsel, taken on as your own
when you are Confirmed
4. Fortitude, because you speak for
5. Knowledge, yourself instead of having
6. Piety, godparents speak on their
7. Fear of the Lord. behalf as they did at your
These gifts are sometimes baptism.
referred to as the

15. The World Is Your Desert
Experience
Jesus received and was We are in our own
strengthened by Holy desert, the world and
Spirit at His baptism are also continually
(Luke 3:21-22) tempted by the devil.
Luke 4:1 tells us, ―And When you say, ―No,‖ to
Jesus, full of the Holy Satan and his
Spirit, returned from the temptations we are
Jordan, and was led by saying ―Yes,‖ to God.
the Spirit Are you listening to the
2 for forty days in the Holy Spirit who lives
wilderness, tempted by within you?
the devil.‖

16. Inhale, Exhale: The Essential
Rhythm of Life
dwells within us.
Children need nourishment
to survive and spiritual
children need the
nourishment which is
given to them by Mother
Church.
We became members of
Christ body when we were
Inhaling & exhaling is the first baptized.
thing a newborn must do to
The Eucharist nourishes our
survive.
spiritual growth and keeps
The breath of Christian life is us a healthy member of
found in the Holy Spirit that the body of Christ.

17. We were spiritual infants
the degree of spiritual
and in time we need to maturity by
become spiritual adults. demonstrating our faith
In order to be spiritual to others.
adults we need to learn
how and explain to
others what it means to
be a Catholic Christian.
It is through Catholic
education in the
home, at religious
education classes, and
in the Church, that we
learn the basics of our
faith but it is in our
adulthood that we earn

18. Sponsors
It is important to they lacked as infants:
remember that This is my Church and I
Christianity is a life accept the faith of this
long learning process. Church as mine and I will
Like any other career you be faithful to it until I go
must continue to learn to the place that Jesus has
or you will fail to prepared for me (John
mature. 14:2-3).
Now that the candidate for No one comes to faith alone.
Confirmation is more Confirmation like Baptism
mature they can stand requires a sponsor, a
before the bishop and person who will help the
say with the knowledge candidates grow faith.

19. of living water.‘‖
39 Now this he said about
the Spirit, which those
who believed in him
were to receive; for as
yet the Spirit had not
been given, because
Catholics have
Jesus was not yet
traditionally chosen a
Confirmation name. glorified.
It may be the name of a
saint or a hero whose
life has inspired the
candidate.
John 7:38 He who believes
in me, as the scripture
has said, ‗Out of his
heart shall flow rivers

20. The Christian‘s Responsibility
Ezekiel 33:7 ‗Son of man wicked person will die for
I have appointed you as this guilt, but I shall
watchman for the hold you responsible for
House of Israel. When the death.
you hear a word from 9 If, however, you do warn
my mouth, warn them someone wicked to
from me. renounce such ways and
8 If I say to someone repent, and that person
wicked, ―Evildoer, you does not repent, then the
are to die,‖ and you do culprit will die for this
not speak to warn the guilt, but you yourself
wicked person to will have saved your
renounce such ways, the life.

21. Warning Others
Warning others of the consequences of judgment caused by their
sin is never a popular task.
We, the Christian, have a responsibility to be the ―watchmen‖ and
warn people of the destructive nature of sin and its final
irrevocable result—death and hell (33:1–33).
Our responsibility is to warn them but how the message is
received is beyond our control.