“Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” At the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, I confirmed three new adult parishioners with the imposition of hands and the anointing of the forehead. Last Saturday, Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez confirmed 77 of our young parishioners who attend our school or PREP. And, that same evening, I confirmed another new adult parishioner who was unable to join us at the Easter Vigil. This completed the initiation of all of these parishioners into the Church, which began at Baptism and was nurtured through the Eucharist. These three sacraments – Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation – are so important in the spiritual life and health of Catholics that we as a parish celebrated with great joy on these special occasions! I thank Laura Kerr, our evangelization coordinator, for helping me prepare the adults through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and Sister Mary Elizabeth Karalis, SSJ, our parish DRE, Kim Pepper, her Administrative Assistant, all the catechists and teachers involved and especially the parents of our children for helping them prepare for this important moment in their life-long spiritual journey!
I consider this is a good opportunity every year to offer some reflections on the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides valuable insights into the historical development and rich theology of this sacrament. Allow me to provide some highlights from the Catechism in the hope that you will read and reflect on the entire section (§1285 – 1321) yourself. The Catechism begins by stating that:
Baptism, the Eucharist and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the “sacraments of Christian initiation,” whose unity must be safeguarded. …The reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal graces, for “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. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.” (§1285)
The CCC goes on to provide the scriptural foundation for Confirmation:
In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving mission. The descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism by John was the sign that this was he who was to come, the Messiah, the Son of God. …This fullness of the Spirit was not to remain uniquely the Messiah’s but was to be communicated to the whole messianic people. On several occasions, Christ promised this outpouring of the Spirit, a promise which he fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and then more strikingly at Pentecost. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles began to proclaim “the mighty works of God.” …Those who believed in the apostolic preaching and were baptized received the gift of the Holy Spirit in their turn. From that time on, the apostles, in fulfillment of Christ’s will, imparted to the newly baptized by the laying on of hands the gift of the Spirit that completes the grace of Baptism. …The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation. …Very early, the better to signify the gift of the Holy Spirit, an anointing with perfumed oil (chrism) was added to the laying on of hands. This anointing highlights the name “Christian,” which means “anointed. (§1286-1289)
The CCC also provides a helpful explanation of the reason oil is one of the signs of Confirmation:
Anointing, in Biblical and other ancient symbolism, is rich in meaning: oil is a sign of abundance and joy; it cleanses (anointing before and after a bath) and limbers (the anointing of athletes and wrestlers); oil is a sign of healing, since it is soothing to bruises and wounds; and it makes radiant with beauty, health and strength. (§1293)
And so, through the laying on of hands and the anointing with chrism, the bishop or, during the Easter season, the pastor of a parish confirms the presence of God’s Spirit in those who were first given this Spirit at baptism and strengthens their baptismal grace! Again, congratulations to our parishioners who were fully initiated into our faith community!