Sacrament of Confirmation. St. Mary s RCIA February 15, 2017

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Sacrament of Confirmation. St. Mary s RCIA February 15, 2017"

Andrew Alan Waters
5 years ago
Views:

1 Sacrament of Confirmation St. Mary s RCIA February 15, 2017

2 Scriptural Basis of the Sacrament Acts 8: Acts 9: 17 Acts 19:6 Hebrews 6:2

4 History of the Sacrament In the early Church the three Sacraments of initiation Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist were celebrated in the same ceremony by adult catechumens at the Easter Vigil. The catechumens descended into a pool where they were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They ascended, were clothed with a white robe, and the bishop laid hands on them and anointed them with oil. They then proceeded to a place of honor among the community where they participated in the Eucharist for the first time. Initiation thus consisted of one event with several moments. The climax was the celebration of the Eucharist.

5 The historical origins of the symbols of Confirmation are many and diverse. One source of the rituals for the Sacrament of Confirmation can be found in the bathing customs of the Roman Empire. After a bath, Romans applied bath oil. In our times, when you take a shower, you wash up and dry off. In Roman times, oil was a part of the bathing ritual. A bath included both water and oil.

6 The water ritual (Baptism) came to mean the washing away of sin, and the oil ritual (Confirmation) was interpreted to mean the sweet fragrance of God s presence: sanctifying grace.

7 Theology of the Sacrament In the Middle Ages it became the practice to confirm close to adolescence instead of infancy, and theologians began to teach that Confirmation was the sacrament of maturity. Those who received it were regarded as old enough and ready to live active, responsible Christian lives. The Christian was sealed as a witness for Christ in Confirmation and fortified by an increase of the Spirit s gifts to fight, suffer, and die for the faith. The notion of the sacrament making a person a soldier of Christ prevailed. The sign of peace in the rite was even replaced by a gentle slap on the face to indicate readiness for life s battles.

8 Conversion to Christ is a gradual process to which Confirmation gives added strength. Through it the confirmed person is strengthened for this lifelong journey. Current thinking of Confirmation has been given direction by recent Church documents that see Confirmation as integrally related to Baptism and Eucharist. Together these sacraments constitute a process by which the Spirit brings the believer to full union with the community. Confirmation does not complete Baptism in the sense that Baptism left something incomplete. Rather, the two sacraments are united in the initiation process.

9 The Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, says, 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. (1285)

10 Confirmation celebrates the fullness of the Holy Spirit in the Church. The Spirit of Jesus comes upon the members of the Church. Through Confirmation Catholics are more perfectly bound to the Church and are as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread the faith by word and deed. Confirmation seals believers in the Spirit, anointing them and empowering them to carry on the mission of Christ.

11 Every Confirmation begins with Baptism. This is true whether the Baptism was celebrated only a few moments before Confirmation (as in many Eastern rites and in our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), whether the Baptism was celebrated six years before, 14 years before Confirmation, or even 50 years before Confirmation. Confirmation complements the symbols of Baptism. Confirmation means all that Baptism means.

12 Form and Matter of the Sacrament Form: Bishop or designated Priest: Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit Matter: Holy Chrism (Blessed Oil) and the Laying on of hands by the Bishop or a delegated priest

13 Explore the Rite

The Sacrament of Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation Outline Place within the seven sacraments History and theological basis What is Confirmation Brief summary of the Ceremony Symbols and signs Gifts & Fruits of the Holy Spirit