SACRAMENT of CONFIRMATION

What does Confirmation do? It acts as ‘miracle-gro’ in our spiritual life. When we are confirmed, the graces imparted to us at Baptism are deepened and ex-tended in a way only possible through supernatural means. That is, God offers to each of us in Confirmation graces specifically tailored to make our lives better: not only to increase our love for God and our relationship with Him in prayer, but to empower us to be better people, to enjoy every aspect of our lives more fully. That includes not only going to Mass on Sundays, but also playing basketball, making friends, and generally improving our lives in every way. It is a gift by which God offers us the grace to affect any part of our lives, if only we let Him!

"Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had re-ceived the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them… Then [Peter and John] laid their hands on them… Then they received the Holy Spirit.”

(Acts 8:14-17)

From the time of the apostles, the Church has recognized the special work of the Holy Spirit which comes alive in Confirmation. To this day, the anointing and the laying-on of hands by a bishop continues this work of the Holy Spirit entrusted to them by the Lord Himself. Of course, like any other gift, its success relies on how much we are open to receiving it. If we receive a brand-new car but never drive it, the gift remains great—but it would be so much better if we used it as it was intended! From the early days of the Church, initiation into the Christian community consisted not only of receiving Sacraments but also a period of preparation and learning. This process of catechesis, or teaching, was put in place not to make sure everyone ‘knew the rules’, but to make sure that the new Christians would be able to use the gifts they were receiving in the best possible way. Using the same example, this period is much like ‘learning the rules’ for your driver’s permit to drive that car: those who will soon be on the road with you want to know that you will be able to not only use that gift safely, but be able to use it well, both for yourselves and for those around you. Here at Saint Bernadette’s, our focus on the formation for Confirmation is centered very much on these ideas. Confirmation is a gift from God, entrusted to the Church for all those who will receive it. The Lord trusts that we will do our utmost to provide the correct environment for our young men and women to be confirmed—in other words, that we will teach them as much as we can not only about grace, but how to use that grace. We want them to know just how much is possible and made available to them through this special gift, and show them how to be open to it so that their lives are truly touched.