I had decided to continue looking at the Sacraments of Initiation on this blog. As readers know, I have been looking carefully at Baptism, the greatly misunderstood sacrament. Today, I am starting a mini-series on Confirmation, another misunderstood sacrament.
Part of the misunderstanding is simply the lack of good catechesis. In addition, many lay persons are stuck in magical thinking, about which I have written many times here. To receive a sacrament is not "to be saved", as in the Protestant idea of the fundamental option, either. See Veritatis Splendor for an update on that theological error. We have all the information we need online and in print to be educated Catholic adults.
Here follow a few points from the Church's teaching on Confirmation. And, I am reminded of St. Rita today, whose Secret in the 1962 Missal I have reads. "We pray thee, Lord, through the merits of Saint Rita, to pierce our hearts with the thorns of divine suffering; by the grace deliver us from all sin, and enable us to offer thee with pure hearts the sacrifice of praise through our Lord."
As in any of the sacraments, our hearts and minds are lifted up to God.
The CCC is a good place to start with some of the points relating to Confirmation. I cannot cover much today, but will write three or so posts this week. This is merely the first.
I am going to start a bit backwards, but as I was an RCIA coordinator and teacher in the past, this is where one starts. Not everyone can receive the sacrament of Confirmation. And, before all my Byzantine brothers and sisters chime in, let me say I agree one-hundred percent with the Sacraments of Initiation all being given together, in infancy, as done in the Eastern Rite. I wish we had not separated the Sacraments of Initiation.
Having said that and as this post in on the custom in the Latin Rite, let me continue by quoting the CCC.
IV. WHO CAN RECEIVE THIS SACRAMENT?
1306 Every baptized person not yet confirmed can and should receive the sacrament of Confirmation.123 Since Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist form a unity, it follows that "the faithful are obliged to receive this sacrament at the appropriate time,"124 for without Confirmation and Eucharist, Baptism is certainly valid and efficacious, but Christian initiation remains incomplete.
So the CCC admits initiation in incomplete without Confirmation. One, however, must be baptized with a Trinitarian baptism and not one made "in the Name of Jesus", which is happening more and more in non-denominational Christian communities. One must check this out, as sometimes I have discovered in the past, that my candidate needs to back-track to baptismal preparation.
1307 For centuries, Latin custom has indicated "the age of discretion" as the reference point for receiving Confirmation. But in danger of death children should be confirmed even if they have not yet attained the age of discretion.125
Very few Catholic parents realize that even before the traditional age of discretion, which is still seven in the Church, a child in the Latin Rite, under a threat of death, may be baptized.
1308 Although Confirmation is sometimes called the "sacrament of Christian maturity," we must not confuse adult faith with the adult age of natural growth, nor forget that the baptismal grace is a grace of free, unmerited election and does not need "ratification" to become effective. St. Thomas reminds us of this:
- Age of body does not determine age of soul. Even in childhood man can attain spiritual maturity: as the book of Wisdom says: "For old age is not honored for length of time, or measured by number of years. "Many children, through the strength of the Holy Spirit they have received, have bravely fought for Christ even to the shedding of their blood.126
This point must be emphasized, as the laity is confused here. Confirmation is not bar mitzvah or an adult appropriation of the Faith, as we must do that our entire lives. It is NOT a rite of passage. Confirmation is, again, a beginning sacrament for those who are being initiated into the Catholic Faith. We also underestimate the need for the virtuous life and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In this time, children more than ever need sanctifying grace.
1309 Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands.127
In diocese where I worked, Confirmation was at least a nine month, academic year process of teaching and initiation. Preparation cannot happen in a few weeks, as this is physically and mentally impossible, as well as spiritually dubious. Notice the last line, the community, that is the entire parish, but especially the family of the confirmand, takes responsibility for training. This cannot be left merely to the priest or religious education leader. The confirmand is part of a group which is practicing its Faith and is going out into that community to continue to feed that life of Faith in the community. I hear in England the phrase, "Oh, we lose the youth after Confirmation." If this is the case, either there was not enough preparation, or poor catechesis, or the youth were not in sanctifying grace to begin with and therefore, did not receive the graces of the sacrament. See below.
1310 To receive Confirmation one must be in a state of grace. One should receive the sacrament of Penance in order to be cleansed for the gift of the Holy Spirit. More intense prayer should prepare one to receive the strengthand graces of the Holy Spirit with docility and readiness to act.128
Perhaps this is my most important emphasis today. One must be in sanctifying grace to receive the sacrament. One must be a practicing Catholic. If one is not prepared to be a practicing Catholic and continue to be so after Confirmation, then the person is simply NOT ready to receive the sacrament. Again, there is no magic here. The sacraments are given without the framework of the life of the Church. One cannot receive grace in mortal sin and it is a mortal sin for a baptized Catholic not to be going to yearly Confession and weekly Mass on Sunday.
This point is simply ignored in many areas, and it is, frankly, an abuse of the sacramental preparation and an misunderstanding of the theology of the sacraments.
1311 Candidates for Confirmation, as for Baptism, fittingly seek the spiritual help of a sponsor. To emphasize the unity of the two sacraments, it is appropriate that this be one of the baptismal godparents.129
I know situations in parishes where a sponsor is literally grabbed by the priest or religious education coordinator before the Mass to stand as a sponsor. This is horrible. In some dioceses, there are sponsoring classes. and I when I was an RCIA coordinator, the sponsors came to the first few sessions with the candidates and came on one of the two retreats we had-one with those coming into the Church and the catechumens, and one which included the sponsors.
I understand the pressure from parents and in some parishes regarding Confirmation. But, I am reminded of Bonhoeffer on Cheap and Costly Grace. Either we do it right, or it is a travesty of our Faith. Confirmation is not a numbers game for a diocese to claim how many people have been confirmed in a year, nor is it a salve on the consciences of parents who just drop the kids off or sit in the car while classes are going on. I applaud the dioceses which have now included the parents in the Confirmation preparation. It is the only way, unless a young person, and I have known some as young as nine and eleven, come forward themselves for Confirmation and take the responsibility of living out the Catholic life after this sacrament.
Here is one parish with which I am familiar in name, as some of my family lived in this diocese and the process is similar in several parishes. The Confimation prep is a year. http://www.sfx-kc.org/index.php/sacraments/
St.Francis Xavier Parish offers preparation classes for the Sacrament of Confirmation for high school freshmen and sophomores (and older students), following the guidelines established by the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph, every other year. The next Confirmation Prep class will be offered during the 2011-2012 school year. Contact Mariann McCormally for more information
.Confirmation Documents for CONFIRMATION 2012
We offer an INTENSE preparation process for those young men and women
seeking to complete their initiation into the Catholic Christian church by the
Sacrament of Confirmation. This process includes: instruction, retreats and
prayer, and experiences of service and advocacy. Liturgical celebrations
and rituals at Sunday mass punctuate the transitions through the process.
What’s next?
+ a personal interview with one of the Confirmation team leaders
+ the choosing of a sponsor
+ participation in experiences of service and advocacy
+ Palm Sunday Reading of The Passion
Sunday, April 17, 2011
10:30 Mass
+ our first candidate session
Sunday, May 15, 2011
12:00 noon – 2:00 pm
+ a “Walking Retreat” and Sponsor-Candidate Event
Sunday, June 12, 2011
12:00 noon – 6:00 pm
…candidates will participate in a “walking retreat” on Pentecost Sunday
afternoon…we will return to the parish and be joined by the sponsors at 4:00
pm…our retreat afternoon will conclude with a shared meal…
+ Ignatius Day Celebration
Sunday, July 31, 2011
10:30 am Mass + PicnicCONFIRMATION 2012
…all classes will be held at St. Francis Xavier Church…
…12:00 noon- 2:00 pm…
Sunday, September 11, 2011 CLASS
Sunday, September 25, 2011 CLASS
Sunday, October 9, 2011 CLASS
Sunday, October 23, 2009 CLASS
Sunday, November 6, 2011 RITE OF ENROLLMENT and CLASS with SPONSORS
Sunday, November 20, 2011 CLASS (NCYC Pilgrims No-Penalty Absence)
Sunday, December 11, 2011 SFX CHRISTMAS COOKIE PROJECT
Sunday, January 8, 2012 CLASS
Sunday, January 22, 2012 CLASS
Sunday, February 12, 2012 CLASS
Sunday, February 26, 2012 RETREAT DAY
Sunday, March 4, 2012 RITE OF COVENANT and CLASS with SPONSORS
Sunday, March 25, 2012 CLASS and LETTER TO PASTOR DUE
Sunday, April 1, 2012 PALM SUNDAY PASSION READING at 10:30 Liturgy
Sunday, April 15, 2012 CLASS
Sunday, April 29, 2012 LAST CLASS
Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 7:15 pm REHEARSAL for CONFIRMATION CEREMONY
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 7:00 pm CELEBRATION OF CONFIRMATION
St. Francis Xavier Parish and Visitation Parish will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation
at St. Francis Xavier.