HISTORY
Although the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian initiation is clearly testified to in the Scriptures, there is no record there of a particular rite of confirmation. Similarly, the early Christians left no evidence about their specific understanding of a rite of confirmation, although there is some testimony that the bishop anointed the newly baptized with fragrant oil during the initiation rites.
By the fifth century, the connection was made between this anointing and the coming of the Holy Spirit. At that time, however, the anointing happened always in conjunction with the water bath and the celebration of the Eucharist. In these rites, the deacons baptized during the Eater Vigil readings, then the newly baptized processed into the dark church in white robes, candles lit. At his chair the bishop completed initiation by anointing them with chrism, and then, later in the rite, by giving them Eucharist.
As Christianity spread the rites of initiation changed in different parts of the Church. In general, the Church in the West thought the connection between the bishop and the anointing more important than the sequence of connection among the sacraments of initiation. Thus separate rites of baptism with water, confirmation and first communion developed, and were taken out of this ancient order at the beginning of the 20th century by Pope Pius X.
THEOLOGY
The sacrament of confirmation is the second sacrament of initiation, following baptism. It consists essentially of a prayer to call down the Holy Spirit and an anointing with sacred Chrism – a mixture of olive oil and balsam blessed by the bishop. Through this sacrament, a Christian is promised the gifts of the Holy Spirit in order to live out his or her baptismal responsibilities. The sacrament of confirmation seals baptism, while both lead to the Eucharist. The faithful are born anew in baptism, baptism is sealed by confirmation and the faithful are sustained by the Eucharist
PREPARING FOR CONFIRMATION
Young people, with the consent of their parents, come forward to prepare for confirmation when they believe they are ready to make a public commitment to their Christian faith and take up the responsibility to give public witness to their faith through Christian service within and outside the Christian community.
The MCC would ordinarily expect that a child would celebrate Confirmation before the age of seventeen.
PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM
• To provide an opportunity for young people to take time out to reflect on the meaning of faith for their lives, and to help them integrate it more fully, weaving it into a single fabric with all they say and do.
• To give our young people an opportunity to grow in their commitment to ministry service and leadership.
• To offer your young people experience in sorting through the gifts and demands of their relationship with God, and so learn how to discern God’s call in their lives.
• To afford young people the opportunity to meet and interact with other young people and families in the parish and thereby strengthen their sense of belonging to the community.
• To offer both prayer and the support of the parish community to the young people as they approach the same community seeking the sealing of their baptismal commitment through confirmation.
• The confirmed publicly commit themselves to ministry: witness or service for the sake of or on behalf of the Church’s mission to the world. Filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit – understanding, counsel, piety, knowledge, strength, wisdom, and awe and wonder in God’s presence – the confirmed are sealed in their commitment to be the mouth, ears, eyes, feet and hands of Jesus Christ extended to the world in all they say and do.
REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARATION
The MCC asks the following of all who are preparing for confirmation:
1. Regular and faithful participation in Sunday Eucharist.
2. Consistent participation in the Confirmation preparation program.
3. Participation in at least two Generations of Faith events in each year of the preparation process (see the schedule below and elsewhere on the website).
4. Participation of parents and young people in an orientation session scheduled each year. The session is scheduled for December 16, 2007.
5. Participation with parents (at least one event), sponsor (at least one event) in the volunteer service events and follow-up reflection.
Service activities may include: Habitat for Humanity house, Thanksgiving baskets, hospital visits with children, Christmas family baskets, Jesse Tree, Christmas Caroling in nursing home, Humane Society, highway clean-up for K of C, food to the poor in the park (Bridge Shelter), young people shaping their own individual and group projects, etc.
CELEBRATION
The ordinary celebration of Confirmation each year is scheduled at St. Columba, Durango, during Eastertide.
