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Acts 8:14-17
"Now, when the apostles, who were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria
had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. Who,
when they were come, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy
Ghost. For he was not as yet come upon any of them: but they were only
baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands upon
them: and they received the Holy Ghost.
Ephesians 4:30 "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God: whereby you are
sealed unto the day of redemption."
First, what is Confirmation (also called "Chrismation")? What does
Confirmation do? Confirmation:
- indelibly seals
us to the Holy Ghost, hence its name, "Sacrament of the Seal." Because
this seal is indelible and leaves a permanent mark on the recipient's
soul, the Sacrament, like Baptism and Holy Orders, may be received only
once.
- gives us the
sanctifying grace to become perfect Christians and true soldiers of
Christ, well-armed to defend Christ as King, His Mother as Queen, and
the Church Militant as His Kingdom on earth. God confirms us
(strengthens us) so we may do spiritual battle.
- imparts to us
the 7 Gifts of the Holy Ghost, as in a "personal Pentecost":
- Wisdom
- Understanding
- Counsel
- Fortitude
- Knowledge
- Piety
- Fear of the Lord
The Sacrament
may only be received by one who is baptized, preferrably while he is in
a state of grace (i.e., not in a state of mortal sin). If it is
received when the recipient is not in a state of grace, it is illicilty
but still validly received; the fruits of the Sacrament will be delayed
until he receives Penance. In addition, if
the confirmand (the one to be confirmed) has reached the age of reason,
he should be well-catechized and know the Pater
(Our Father), the Ave (Hail Mary), the Apostles' Creed, and the 10 Commandments.
The ordinary minister of Confirmation is the Bishop; priests are
extraordinary ministers of the Sacrament and may offer the Sacrament if
the Bishop authorizes them to. The matter is the imposition of hands,
the chrism, and the annointing. The form
of the Sacrament is:
"N., I sign thee
with the sign + of the Cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of
salvation; in the Name of the Father + and of the Son + and of the Holy
+ Ghost.".
Latin:
"N., signo te signo crucis + et confirmo te chrismate salutis, in
nomine Patris + et Filii + et Spiritus + Sancti."
As in Baptism, a
sponsor is chosen to stand for the confirmand. The sponsor should be a
baptized and confirmed Catholic who's at least 14 years old, is of the
same sex as the confirmand, and is well-instructed in the Faith. Also
as in Baptism, among those who may not act as sponsors are:
members of religious orders, spouses in respect to each other, parents
in respect to their own children, infidels, heretics, members of
condemned secret societies, and public sinners. The 1917 Code of Canon
Law excludes godparents from being sponsors except in cases of
emergency, but the 1983 Code of Canon Law recommends the opposite
practice: that the godparent should act as sponsor at Confirmation if
at all possible in order to better tie Baptism and Confirmation
together.
In any case, just as Abram became Abraham, as Jacob became Israel, as
Simon became Peter, and as Saul became Paul, the confirmand takes on
the name of a Saint when he is sealed to the Holy Ghost. This isn't
necessary for the sake of validity, but it is the traditional practice
of the Church, and especially important for those whose Baptismal names
are pagan. Read the lives of the Saints and choose your patron well!
If one is raised a Catholic, one is usually confirmed around the age of
7 or so, though Confirmation may come earlier or later at the
discretion of the priest and Bishop. If a child attends a Catholic
school, he may be confirmed along with classmates in preparation for
First Communion together as a class.
If one enters the Church as an adult, he is usually baptized (if
necessary), confirmed, and offered his first Communion all at the same
time (usually at the Easter Vigil), but Confirmation may take
place outside of the Easter Vigil, at the discretion of the Bishop
and the priest.
On a cultural note, just as in Baptism, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, and one's
First Communion, it is customary for
guests to bring a small gift to
the one receiving the Sacrament, a gift usually, but not necessarily,
religious in nature. Icons of his new patron, rosaries, books, etc. are
typical. A small party may follow the ceremony, especially in the case
of young confirmands. When children are confirmed as a part of a class
-- or if a thoughtful adult remembers in the case of a child being
confirmed by himself -- the boys wear red rosettes on their lapels, and
girls typically wear a pin that symbolizes the Holy Ghost (such as a
pin of a dove).
The Rite of Confirmation
I.
Preparatory Ceremonies
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The Invocation
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Turning to the
candidates, the Bishop or delegated priest sings or says:
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May the Holy
Spirit come down upon you, and the power of the Most HIgh keep you from
all sin. |
Spiritus Sanctus
superveniat in vos, et virtus Altissimi custodiat vos a peccatis. |
R. Amen |
R. Amen |
The Bishop or
priest then makes the Sign of the Cross and says:
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V. Our help + is
in the Name of the Lord. |
V. Adjutorium +
nostrum in nomine Domini. |
R. Who made
Heaven and earth. |
R. Qui fecit
caelum et terram. |
V. O, Lord, hear
my prayer. |
V. Domine,
exaudi orationem meam. |
R. And let my
cry come unto You. |
R. Et clamor
meus ad te veniat. |
V. The Lord be
with you. |
V. Dominus
vobiscum. |
R. And with your
spirit.
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R. Et cum
spiritu tuo. |
The
Collective and Preparatory Imposition of Hands
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The Bishop or
delegated priest stretches out his hands over the candidates and
says:
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Let us pray.
Almighty, everlasting God, You have been pleased to regenerate these
Your servants by water and the Holy Spirit, and have given them
remission of all their sins; send forth upon them from Heaven Your
sevenfold Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. |
Oremus.
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui regenerare dignatus es hos, famulos
tuos ex aqua et Spiritu Sancto, quique dedisti eis remissionem omnium
peccatorum: emitte in eos septiformem Spiritum tuum sanctum Paraclitum
de caelis. |
R. Amen. |
R. Amen. |
V. The Spirit of
Wisdom and understanding. |
V. Spiritum
sapientiae et intellectus. |
R. Amen. |
R. Amen. |
The Spirit of
Counsel and fortitude. |
Spiritum
consilii et fortitudinis. |
R. Amen. |
R. Amen. |
The Spirit of
knowledge and piety. |
V. Spiritum
scientiea et pietatis. |
R. Amen. |
R. Amen. |
Fill them with
the spirit of Your holy fear, and sign them with the sign of the cross
+ of Christ in mercy for eternal life. Through the same Jesus Christ...
in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, world without end. |
Adimple eos
Spiritu timoris tui, et consigna eos signo crucis + Christi, in vitam
propitiatus aeternam. Per eumdem Dominum... in unitate ejusdem Spiritus
Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. |
R. Amen. |
R. Amen.
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II. The
Sacrament
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The candidates
may come up in two ranks with hands joined, carrying a card bearing
their Confirmation names. Each sponsor places his right hand on the
right shoulder of the candidate they are sponsoring.
The Bishop, or delegated priest, stretching the fingers of his right
hand over the head of each candidate, addresses each candidate by his
Confirmation name and annoints each candidate's forehead with his thumb
dipped in holy chrism. He confirms then with the words below
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"N., I sign thee
with the sign + of the Cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of
salvation; in the Name of the Father + and of the Son + and of the Holy
+ Ghost." |
"N., signo te
signo crucis + et confirmo te chrismate salutis, in nomine Patris
+ et Filii + et Spiritus + Sancti." |
The
newly-confirmed reply:
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R. Amen. |
R. Amen. |
The Bishop or
priest then gently strikes each candidate on the cheek, symbolizing
that the Christian is now a soldier for Christ and must endure
suffering and the persecution that comes from conflict with the world.
A hymn might now be sung if the candidates are numerous.
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III.
Concluding Prayers
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When all have
been confirmed, the following antiphon is sung or read:
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ANT: Confirm, O
Lord, what Thou has wrought in us, from Thy holy temple which is in
Jerusalem. Alleluia. |
ANT: Confirma
hoc, Deus, quod operatus es in nobis, a templo sancto tuo, quod est in
Jerusalem. Alleuia. |
V. Glory be to
the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. |
V. Gloria Patri,
et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. |
R. As it was in
the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
R. Sicut erat in
principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. |
After the
antiphon has been repeated, the Bishop or priest turns to the Altar and
sings:
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V. Lord, show up
Your mercy. |
V. Ostende
nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam. |
R. And grant us
Your salvation. |
R. Et salutare
tuum da nobis. |
V. O Lord, hear
my prayer. |
V. Domine,
exaudi orationem mean. |
R. And let my
cry come to You. |
R. Et clamor
meus ad te veniat. |
V. The Lord be
with you. |
V. Dominus
vobiscum. |
R. And with your
spirit. |
R. Et cum
spiritu tuo. |
V. Let us pray.
O God, You gave Your Holy Spirit to Your apostles, and willed that
through them and their successors the same gift should be delivered to
all the faithful: look graciously on the service we humbly render to
You; grant that the same Spirit, coming down upon those whose foreheads
we have annointed with the holy chrism, and signed with the sign of the
holy cross, may by His gracious indwelling make them a temple of His
glory, You Who are God, living and reigning with the Father and the
Holy Spirit, world without end. |
R. Amen. |
R. Amen. |
The Bishop then
gives to the confirmed a special blessing in this form:
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V. Behold, thus
shall every man be blessed who fears the Lord: May the Lord bless + you
out of Sion, that you may see the good things of Jerusalem all the days
of your life, and have life everlasting. |
V. Ecce sic
benedicetur omnis homo qui timet Dominum: Benedicat + vos Dominus ex
Sion, ut videatis bona Jerusalem omnibus diebus vitae vestrae, et
habeatis vitam aeternam. |
R. Amen. |
R. Amen. |
The Bishop sits
down, and puts on his mitre. The newly confirmed recite aloud the
Apostles' Creed, the Our Father, and the Hail Mary. The Bishop then
gives the Pontifical Blessing to the entire congregation. A Te Deum
or the Psalm Laudate pueri (Psalm 112) might be sung.
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