Instructions and Devotions for Confirmation
Confirmation is a sacrament instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, to enable us to arrive at the state of perfect Christians, and to strengthen the spiritual life of grace which we received at baptism. It is called Confirmation , from its effect, which is to confirm and fortify those who receive it with the necessary dispositions, in the possession of the true faith, to arm them against their spiritual enemies, and to complete and finish in them the sanctification which baptism had begun. In baptism we receive the character of the children of God; in confirmation we receive the strength of men, and the character of the soldiers of Jesus Christ, says St. Melchiades. In baptism we are enlisted under the standard of Christ crucified; in confirmation we are armed with the shield of faith, and enabled to combat against the devil, the world, and the flesh. In baptism we are regenerated, and receive the sanctifying grace of God for the remission of sins; in confirmation we are prepared for a spiritual warfare, and receive the Holy Ghost for a force and corroboration, that we may stand firm in the divine service, for the sake of Christ, with a holy vigour of spirit and constancy of mind, amidst the terrors of the severest trials and persecutions. The effects of this sacrament appear visibly, not only in thousands of holy martyrs, but also in the apostles, who, after they had been confirmed on Whitsunday, by the Holy Ghost coming down upon them, were immediately changed into new men, and were animated by this Divine Spirit to that degree, that sufferings for the sweet name of Jesus became the subject of their glory. It is evident from Acts, viii. and xix., that the apostles practised confirmation, as a means to communicate the graces and gifts of the Holy Ghost to the faithful. It is of confirmation also that St. Paul makes mention, Hebrews vi. 1, 2, and 2 Corinthians i. 21, 22, where he expressly says: Now he who confirmeth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. The testaments of the most ancient writers plainly show, that the church of God, from the apostles’ days, has always believed confirmation to be a sacrament of the new law, and administered it as such. Among the rest, St. Clement, a contemporary of the apostles, says, chap. 4, that he received this doctrine from St. Peter and other apostles; and therefore he exhorts all, without delay, to hasten to be signed by the bishop, that they may receive the seven-fold grace of the Holy Ghost, since he cannot be a perfect Christian who wilfully neglects this sacrament. Tertullian, St. Fabian, and St. Melchiades, who flourished in the second, third, and fourth centuries; St. Cyprian, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose, &c. have handed down the same doctrine: and St. Augustine, cont. lit. Petil. 2, c. 104, says in express terms, “The sacrament of chrism in the kind of visible seals, is sacred and holy, even as baptism itself.” Moreover, it is plain from the 8th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, ver. 14, that the visible sign of the imposition of hands has annexed to it an invisible grace , viz. the imparting of the Holy Ghost. Consequently, confirmation is a sacrament, as it has all things necessary to constitute a sacrament, and is a visible sign of an invisible grace, &c. The ordinary minister of this sacrament is a bishop only; and it was for this reason that St. Peter and St. John, who were both bishops, were sent to confirm the Samaritans, who had been converted and baptised by Philip, the deacon; which is an additional proof, that confirmation is a holy sacrament, and not a mere ceremony, as Calvin pretends; for were it only a ceremony that they had administered, why did not Philip, the deacon, who baptised the Samaritans, use that ceremony? Where was the necessity of sending two bishops to Samaria, as the apostles did?— Acts viii. As water is made use of in baptism, so chrism is used in confirmation. Chrism is a sacred ointment, composed of oil of olives and balsam (or balm ) of Gilead , solemnly blessed by a bishop on Holy Thursday. The unction, or outward anointing with chrism , represents the inward anointing of the soul with the gifts of the Holy Ghost; as the outward ablution with water in baptism, denotes the inward washing of the soul by the sanctifying grace of God. The oil, whose properties are to assuage our pains, to fortify the limbs, and to give a certain vigour to the body, represents the spiritual effects of the grace of this sacrament in the soul; and the balm, which is of a sweet smell, and whose property is to preserve bodies from putrefaction, represents the good odour or sweet savour of Christian virtues with which we are to edify our neighbours after having received this sacrament. The form of words used in conferring this sacrament is this: I sign thee with the sign of the cross, I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Whilst the bishop pronounces the form, he makes the sign of the cross with the holy chrism, upon the forehead of each person that is to be confirmed, to give them to understand, that no worldly fear or shame is to deter them from confessing Christ crucified; but that they are openly to profess the doctrines and maxims of his gospel, and live as becomes members of his church in spite of the ill example and corrupt maxims of the world. Hence Tertullian says, lib. 1. adv. Marc. “The flesh is anointed, that the soul may be consecrated. The flesh is signed, that the soul may be fenced. The flesh, by the imposition of hands, is shadowed, that the soul, by the spirit, may be illuminated.”—This is what the bishop prays for, when turning himself towards those that are to be confirmed, with his hands joined before his breast, he says, May the Holy Ghost come down upon you and the power of the Most High keep you from all sins.—Amen . A little blow is given on the cheek to the persons confirmed, to imprint in their minds, that they are to be ready to bear with meekness and patience, all crosses, persecutions, trials, affronts, and injuries, for the sake and glory of their Lord and Master Jesus Christ. At the same time the bishop says, Peace be with thee , to signify that the true peace of God, which, as St. Paul says, exceeds all understanding , is chiefly to be found in patient suffering for God and his truths. Lastly, the bishop prays for those who have been confirmed, that the Holy Ghost may ever dwell in their hearts, and make them temples of his glory. After which be dismisses them with his blessing, &c. Q. Can this sacrament of confirmation be received more than once? A. No; because, like baptism, it imprints an indelible character or spiritual mark in the soul, which always remains. Q. Is there any spiritual kindred contracted in confirmation? A. Yes; the godfather or the godmother contracts the same spiritual kindred as in the sacrament of baptism. Q. Is confirmation absolutely necessary to salvation? A. It is not so necessary but that a person may be saved without it; yet, when a favourable opportunity offers for receiving it, it would be certainly a sin to neglect so powerful a help to salvation, and deprive ourselves of the benefit of this holy sacrament, which our blessed Redeemer was mercifully pleased of his infinite goodness to institute, as the never-failing means in his church to communicate his divine spirit to his followers. It would be a still more grievous crime to neglect confirmation through contempt, disregard, or want of faith. It is to a wilful neglect of this sacrament that the holy fathers attribute the downfall of several apostates from the true religion. Q. What kind of persons stand most in need of the grace of this sacrament? A. Those who are most exposed to temptations against faith, or to persecutions upon account of their religion. Q. At what age may a person be confirmed? A. Ordinarily speaking, the church does not give confirmation to children before they are seven years old; but defers it till they come to the use of reason, and are sufficiently instructed and prepared. Fathers and mothers should take care to have them carefully instructed in the Christian doctrine, and regularly prepared to be presented to the bishop for confirmation at the proper time, before they have received the Blessed Eucharist. If their children be lost through ignorance, they shall answer for it to God. Q. What are the dispositions necessary for receiving the sacrament of confirmation worthily? A. A person must be free from the guilt of mortal sin, and in the state of grace; for the holy spirit of wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins .—Wisdom i. 4. He must also be well instructed in the principles of the Christian faith, according to his age and capacity, and have a proper sense of what he is doing. Q. In what manner then must a person prepare himself for confirmation? A. First, he must examine his conscience diligently, and if he find it charged with wilful sin, he must take care to purge it by a good sacramental confession; for it would be a grievous sacrilege to presume to receive the sacrament of confirmation, knowingly in the state of mortal sin.—Secondly, he must prepare himself some days before by devout and humble prayer, frequently and fervently calling upon God to dispose his soul for receiving the Holy Ghost, who communicates his gracious gifts and favours in proportion to the dispositions with which they are received. Q. As confirmation is ordained for the sanctification of souls, why do not all who receive it become saints? A. The fault is entirely their own. God on his part is ready to bestow all the graces necessary to enable them to become saints; but, alas! how few are disposed to improve and co-operate with them as they might and ought! How few make the proper use of them! How many on the contrary resist them, like the stiff-necked Jews! How many contristate and extinguish the divine spirit, as the apostle expresses it! How many banish this heavenly guest from the temple of their souls by falling into mortal sin, and thus obstruct the operation of this holy sacrament! Q. Is a person obliged to receive the sacrament of confirmation fasting? A. No. There is no strict obligation or precept for it, though to fast on the eve and day of confirmation is a laudable custom, and conformable to the practice of the primitive church. Q. Why are the fervent exercises of piety and devotion required before confirmation? A. For two reasons: First, because our Saviour has assured us that his heavenly Father will give his good spirit to them that ask it. —Luke, xi. 13. Secondly, in imitation of the apostles, who, during the ten days between the ascension of our Lord and the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, retired from the noise and tumults of the world, and continued with one accord in prayer, with Mary the Mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.— Acts , i. 14. Q. Why are we to invoke the Holy Ghost in particular? A. Not that we are to neglect praying to the Father and the Son also, as we know that all the three persons are but one and the same God; but because the work of our sanctification, the pouring down the grace of God into our souls, and all the heavenly favours and helps that are necessary for conducting us in the way of salvation, are the effects of the divine love, and are by a peculiar approbation attributed in a special manner to the operation of the Holy Ghost, as it is the love of the Father and of the Son, and as it is from God’s love that all grace, all virtue and sanctification, flow and proceed.