Jesus Makes us His Witness

• What is the sacrament of Confirmation all about?
• Visible signs of Confirmation

  • Laying of the hand (coming of the Holy Spirit)
• Ministers of Confirmation

  • Bishops
  • Cardinals
  • Pope
  • Priests (until he has authority from Bishop)
• As witnesses, we are called to proclaim & defend our faith in words & deeds
• Pentecost = 50 days after Christ’s Ascension; Death of Christ = 3:00, Friday
• St Paul is a concrete example of courageous witness of Christ; allowed Holy Spirit to work on him; stoned to death w/ St Barnabas but survived, which shocked the anti-Christians
• Confirmation is the sacrament of witness; same way when the Apostles were filled w/ the Holy Spirit; only performed once & Confirmation increases & deepens all of the graces granted at Baptism
• Essential element of Confirmation


  • The anointing of the confirmand w/ Chrism accompanied by the words, “Be sealed w/ the gift of the Holy Spirit.”; seal is a consecration
• Confirmation was a slap (instead of laying of the hand) in the past because it slaps the consciousness out of you
• The recipient must be in a state of grace in order to be confirmed
• Mount of Olives is where Jesus gave us the idea of beatitudes
• Confirmand

  Person being confirmed
• Significance of Anointing in the Old Testament

  • Anointing = Healing
  • Purification
  • Strengthening
  • Empowerment
• Confirmation involves safeguarding by the Holy Spirit of the graces conferred on the Christian at Baptism
• Chrism

  Oil made of olives; aromatic oil that has been consecrated by a bishop
• Significance of olives = because they don’t die & in moments where Jesus was praying under an Olive Tree & the dove that holds an olive branch on its beak
• Confirmation is the perfection of baptism, as it binds the baptized more perfectly to the Church & enriches them w/ a special strength of the Holy Spirit
• The Rite of Confirmation states: '“By the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized are more perfectly bound to the Church & are enriched w/ a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread & defend the faith by word & deed.”'
• We usually receive Confirmation after the age of reason (around 7 yrs old) but can be received at any time
• The 5 Effects of Confirmation (based on CCC)

  • It roots us more deeply in divine filiation which makes us cry, “Abba! Father!”
  • It unites us more firmly to Christ
  • It increases the gift of the Holy Spirit in us
  • It renders our bond w/ the Church more perfect
  • Gives us special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread & defend the faith by word & action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, & never to be ashamed of the Cross
• Sacrament of Confirmation

  Is conferred by anointing w/ the Holy Chrism on the forehead, done while imposing these words: ‘be sealed w/ the gift of the Holy Spirit’
• In the New Testament, Christ is the “Anointed One”; perfectly fulfilling through the power of the Holy Spirit the triple role of Prophet, Priest, & Servant-King
• Main effect of Confirmation is to strengthen & confirm the grace of Baptism
• My Faith Words

  • abba - Aramaic word that means daddy/father (common term that children use)
  • Chrism - a mixture of oil & balsam, consecrated & used for anointing at Baptism, Confirmation, & in their sacramental rituals of the Catholic Church