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CATECHISM for CONFIRMATION

 

Part V

THE RITE AND A COMMENTARY

 

(4 parts: Renewal of Baptismal Promises, Laying on of Hands, Anointing with Chrism, Sign of Peace)

 

Presentation of the Candidates :

          After the Gospel the Bishop, and the priests who will be ministers of the sacrament with him, take their seats. The pastor or another priest, deacon, or catechist presents the candidates for Confirmation, according to the custom of the region. If possible, each candidate is called by name and comes individually to the sanctuary. If the candidates are children, they are accompanied by one of their sponsors or parents and stand before the celebrant.

 

If there are very many candidates, they are not called by name, but simply take a suitable place before the bishop.

 

Homily or Address :

          The Bishop then gives a brief homily. He should explain the readings and so lead the candidates, their sponsors and parents, and the whole assembly to a deeper understanding of the mystery of Confirmation.

 

 

Renewal of Baptismal Promises :

When a child is baptized, the profession of faith is made by the parents and the godparents. By this they mean that they will share their faith with the child as he grows. The profession of faith is not a mere intellectual acceptance of a body of facts, but the acceptance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which should grow, and a complete and total trust in his goodness and love.

 

This has now become reality for the child as he comes for Confirmation and with his own lips he confirms and professes his faith in Christ publicly for the first time. This is the moment the parents have looked forward to when the child was baptized.

 

There is a difference between the promises at Baptism and the ones at Confirmation. There is but a single question on the rejection of evil, summing up the three Baptism questions. There are four questions of positive faith: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and the Church. The Church is separated to allow for more elaboration of the Holy Spirit, for it is the Church and the Holy Spirit that we celebrate in Confirmation.

 

The question of the Bishop contains the words “believe in” which is more than stating an objective truth of faith. “There is a trinity.” What we are saying is that we believe in each person; they are real; we have entered into a personal relationship with each of them. Our lives are caught up in theirs, in the whole process of salvation.

 

A child should know God as a father and praise Him with love in prayer. Before Confirmation the child should know Jesus as a Brother. He ought to see the Spirit as his Friend living within him and experience some of the Spirit in a community. It is only when a child has this relationship that a profession of faith is in order.

 

With the excitement of Peter in the household of Cornelius, the Bishop exclaims loudly: “This is our Faith! These candidates belong to our community! The Spirit lives in them and they call God their father, and Jesus their Brother,” With this the people respond their “Amen”, and approval of the faith of the candidates.

 

Bishop:           Do you reject Satan and all his works and all his empty promises?

Candidates: I do.

 

Bishop:           Do you believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth?

Candidates: I do.

 

Bishop:           Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?

Candidates: I do.

 

Bishop:           Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who came upon the apostles at Pentecost and today is given to you sacramentally in confirmation?

Candidates: I do.

 

Bishop:           Do you believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting?

Candidates: I do.

 

The Bishop confirms their profession of faith by proclaiming the faith of the Church.

 

Bishop:           This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it in Christ, Jesus our Lord.

Candidates: Amen.


 

 

The Laying on of Hands :

          The sign of laying on of hands is based on Scripture. It was the gesture of the Apostles in giving of the Spirit. Here it is a  sacramental” moment, and not the Sacrament. The laying on of hands with the prayer is the ideal way to remind the children that everything is a gift from a loving Father. The confirmed should never again forget that he/she lives every day under the gift-laden arms of a loving God. He/she should never again forget that the good things he/she enjoys every day are the gifts of the Spirit. The child could be taught this gesture of praying with open palms to express asking or receiving from God.

          The concelebrating priests stand near the Bishop. He faces the people, and with joined hands, sings or says:

 

My dear friends,

In Baptism God our Father gave the new birth of eternal life to His chosen sons and daughter.

Let us pray to Our Father, that He will pour out the Holy Spirit to strengthen His sons and daughters with His gifts and anoint them to be more like Christ the Son of God.

 

          All pray in silence for a short time

          The Bishop and the priests who will minister the sacrament with him lay hands upon all the candidates (by extending their hands over them). The Bishop alone sings or say:

 

All powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

by water and the Holy Spirit

You freed Your sons and daughters from sin,

and gave them new life.

Send your Holy Spirit upon them

to be their helper and guide.

Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of right judgment and courage,

the spirit of knowledge and reverence.

Fill them with the spirit of wonder and

awe in Your presence.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 

All: Amen.

 

 

Anointing with Chrism :

Oil is used in the Church’s liturgy in three roles: strength, healing and consecration of a person or object. The Chrism used is unique for it is perfumed, mixed with balsam or balm. We could ask this question: on whose head would I like to pour a bottle of perfume? On an important person and someone I want to honour or on someone unimportant and whom I want to dishonour? Chrism is a perfumed oil we pour on the head of an important person we want to honour. In confirmation that person is the one the Holy Spirit has chosen and gifted, one the Spirit has prepared for a place in the Church community. (in life our parents use aftershaves lotion and perfumes and scent when going out with important people.) God has chosen us as important people and is going to pour the sweet scented oil of His Spirit on us. Our life must continue to give off this fragrance. We are conformed to Christ; his Spirit lives in us. We must radiate Christ.

          In saying “Amen” to the Bishop, the child is interacting in the whole process of the sacrament. He/she does not just receive. He/she agrees to his/her new role in the Church. He/she accepts the role of a gifted Christian.

 

The deacon brings the chrism to the Bishop. Each candidate goes to the Bishop or the Bishop may go to the individual concerned. The ones who presented the candidate places his/her right hand on the latter’s shoulder and gives the candidate’s name to the Bishop; or the candidate may give his/her own name.

 

          The Bishop dips his right thumb in the chrism and makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the one to be confirmed, as he says:


NN….          BE SEALED

                    WITH THE GIFT

                    Of the Holy Spirit.

 

The newly confirmed responds:

                    AMEN.

 

 

The Sign of Peace :

          The candidate has entered the community and the Bishop is now his/her friends, After honouring the entering member with perfume, he now wishes him/her the peace of Christ. This sign should be something warm and personal like clasping the hands or drawing the child to himself in a semi-embrace, to replace the “strike on the cheek” (which then indicated that the child must be ready to suffer for Christ). The warm personal sign given by the Bishop assures the child of his/her belonging fully now to the Body of Christ.

 

The Bishop now says: PEACE BE WITH YOU.

The newly confirmed respond: AND ALSO WITH YOU.


After this follow the general intercessions and the liturgy of the Eucharist.

 

 CATECHISM for CONFIRMATION

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