Confirmation: A Biblical History
Confirmation is the second of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. “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.” (CCC 1285) For many years, for those who were raised in the Catholic Church, Confirmation was the final Sacrament of Christian Initiation children received, however this has changed in many, if not all parishes today. Now Confirmation, in many, if not most parishes, is received at the same time as a child receives their First Eucharist, usually when they are in the third grade.
When people are seeking to enter into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, whether as Catechumens (unbaptized) or Candidates (validly baptized in another Christian tradition), Confirmation is received at the same time as the sacraments of Baptism (if needed) and First Eucharist. For Catechumens, this always happens at the Easter Vigil. For Candidates, it usually happens at the Easter Vigil, however occasionally exceptions can be made depending on the individual.
The sacrament of Confirmation is rich in Biblical history. We find its promise, the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit prophesied in Ezekiel 36: 25-27: “I will sprinkle clean water over you to make you clean; from all your impurities and from all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them.” (NABRE) The first part about being cleansed is a prophecy about Baptism. The second part about receiving God’s spirit is what happens at Confirmation.
Another Old Testament referring to the Holy Spirit is found in Joel 3: 1-2: “It shall come to pass I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even upon your male and female servants, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.” (NABRE) St. Peter referred to this passage on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell upon the people assembled in the upper room.
In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove as a visible manifestation of his anointing. This served as a sign to the people that this indeed was the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, the only Son of God. And just in case the people missed the significance of the moment, God spoke and told them.
After the Resurrection, on Easter Sunday, Jesus breathed on his disciples and told them to “’Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’” (John 20:22b-23) At this moment, Jesus not only gave to the disciples the first indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he also established the apostolic succession whereby all duly appointed bishops, and when necessary, priests, would celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation for generations to come, right up to the present day.
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What Are You Looking For? Part 2: The Liturgy and the Sacraments
SpiritüelThis is the second section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This section is the section on the Life in Christ. It covers the liturgy and the sacraments. The Catholic Church has seven sacraments. They are divided into three section. The...
