Why were we confirmed anyway?
With Confirmation for all three of our parishes happening next Wednesday, the 18th, I thought I would take this opportunity to share the significance of this sacrament so we can appreciate this gift that we have received as fully-initiated Catholics.
First, it is important to know a few things that Confirmation is NOT:
1. It is not us receiving the Holy Spirit for the first time; that happened at our baptism
2. It is not technically the last and most important sacrament of full initiation into the Church: that would be the Eucharist
3. It is definitely not our graduation from needing further formation in our faith…though in practice it often seems that way
Then, what IS it?
1. It is a deepening and further activation of the gift of the Holy Spirit that we first received at our baptism
2. It is oriented to sending us out to build up the whole body of Christ, the Church, whereas our baptism is especially for our personal salvation and relationship with Jesus
3. With Baptism, it points toward the most important, culminating sacrament of initiation: the Eucharist
*Side note: This has led more dioceses to implement “restored order” for giving their sacraments: baptism given as infants or as early as possible, followed by confirmation and first communion often given at the same time, around 3rd grade. *
**Side, side note: For those of you that care about Biblical evidence of the need for the sacrament of confirmation on top of baptism, the clearest evidence that this was practiced during apostolic times is in Acts of the Apostles 9:14-17. These disciples had received “baptism in the name of Jesus” but needed the Apostles, aka a bishop, to come and “lay hands” on them to receive the outpouring of the Spirit.**
Similar to the Eucharist, it is very easy for us as Catholics to take this tremendous gift of the Holy Spirit from our baptism and confirmation for granted. Though we technically received these sacraments, their graces and full power have yet to be truly activated in our day to day experience.
One of my big desires as a pastor is to help us appreciate these gifts we have received in the sacraments and allow God to stir them into flame within us. No one is inspired to want a gift that we have if they don’t see that it makes a difference in our life first!
Please pray for our ~24 young people that will receive their confirmation on Wednesday, that the graces they receive can be immediately active and transformational in their lives. Pray also for ourselves that we can appreciate and use more deeply these gifts we have already received!
In Jesus’ joy,
Fr. Joel