Sacraments of Initiation – Confirmation – Luiz Bueno
Why do we need the Sacrament of Confirmation? First, we should understand that the Spirit can be given to us in different degrees: in Baptism, we have already received this Spirit, but in Confirmation when the bishop lays hands on us and says, "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit," there is an increase of this reality within us. Making a comparison with our physical development, Baptism is like our birth, and Confirmation is our growth, which drives us to one day share in the plenitude of Christ.
When we are Confirmed, the sacrament gives us two things: grace and character. The character is a seal of the Spirit: is received even if unfortunately, the one being Confirmed is in a state of sin. The most important aspect of confirmation, however, is the grace that this Sacrament gives us to witness Jesus.
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A person that has not yet received this sacrament resembles the Apostles in the Upper Room hiding behind closed doors, ignoring the call of Christ to baptize all people and teach them to observe all that He commanded.
To bear witness to Christ it is necessary that we get rid of our human tendencies, such as the desire to please other people. To express the Christian faith, especially in the secular world that we are living today, means that we cannot pay attention to what other people are going to think of us, we cannot care if we are ridiculed because of our faith. No wonder the word "witness" in Greek, means martyrdom. The fiber of martyrs, however, can only be achieved with the help of the Holy Spirit that Christ himself promised us at the Last
Baptism is often understood to symbolise the resurrection of Christ-the revival of the sinner to a life of righteousness. Romans 6:3-11: “Do you not know that all of
The sacrament of Confirmation is the single most important sacrament a young adult Catholic can receive. It is the sacrament where you fully affirm your beliefs and initiate yourself into the Catholic church. It is necessary to have a role model that will help guide you throughout your spiritual life and that person for me is Saint Francis of Assisi. I am inspired by his incredible connection to animals and hope to one day become a veterinarian. I chose him as my Confirmation saint because of who he was before and after God became present in his life.
I want to get confirmed in the catholic faith because I have enjoyed being in our faith. I have a lot of reasons I want to get confirmed. I loved doing the services. I also love being close to God. I am going to tell you why I want to be confirmed.
Baptism in (or with) the Holy Spirit is a very important, distinctive Christian experience in the life of the believer. The basis is found in the book of Acts, specifically the event of Pentecost.
Despite many Christians, such as Patriarch Batholomew from the Greek Orthodox church who states that ‘For humans to contaminate the Earth’s waters, its land, its air, and its life, with poisonous substances. These are sins’ in an attempt to encourage prioritising environmental protection, climate skeptic Calvin Beisner states that “the Bible teaches that earth and all its subsystems… are the product of a God who is an infinitely wise designer”, reflecting that his personal interpretation of God’s revelation has led to his understanding of the Earth being intelligently design, so that humankind could not potentially destroy it, consequently leading to him not placing priority on the protection of the environment.
The gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and reverence are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit which I want to receive the most. In my opinion those gifts provide people with the knowledge to do the right thing, the wisdom to guide others to do the same, and the reverence to do what God wants you to do. I know I am ready to undertake the responsibilities that come with the sacrament of Confirmation. The retreats that I have went to, provided me with the reality of Confirmation. It showed me what Confirmation is for and what great importance it will have with my relationship with God. It informed me that Confirmation is a sign of maturity in the Catholic community. I am ready and prepared to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. I truly want to receive the sacred sacrament of
All Christians know about the Great Commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, English Standard Version). In that command, Jesus tells us to baptize in the name of the Trinity. What does the word “baptism” mean? Baptimsa and sometimes baptismos, the Greek word origin of “baptism”, can translate to “immersion” or “bathing” without any religious implications (McGowan, 2014). Nearly every Christian church practices baptism with a religious implication; however, they do not agree on God’s activity in, the qualifications for admitting a person to, and methods of administering baptism. For instance, many churches do not baptize people until they become adults and make a profession of faith, while others encourage baptizing an infant soon after they are born. The practices and philosophy for baptism changed throughout its use in the New Testament, the Early Church, and the Medieval era.
Confirmation in the Catholic Church Confirmation is a Catholic sacrament of mature Christian commitment and a deepening of baptismal gifts. Like Baptism and Eucharist, it is a Sacrament of Initiation for Catholics and a Sacrament of faith in God's fidelity to us Confirmation is the moment when two things are confirmed. The candidate confirms his/her faith in Christ and takes full responsibility for that faith and for membership of the community of faith, which we call the "church". God, through the Bishop, confirms God's claim on the candidate's life.
THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: OUR FRIEND, COMFORTER, TEACHER, AND PART OF THE TRINITY
The elements of this practice equip the individual to perform this ritual in a successful manner and allow adherents to be disciples of the Lord in the Christian community. The use of water signifies the spiritual cleansing of the individual and reflects the discussion of rebirth through water in the Gospel of John - “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water” (3:5). The use of water also unifies the individual with the ministry of Christ as we take part in the same ceremony as him. The bible highlights the eternal connection established with the Christian community as the word stresses the importance of this practice. Furthermore, the white garment symbolises the pure and virtuous nature of this ritual and signifies the releasing from the chains of sin and being reborn into a new life with Christ. Pope Francis’ statement that the “people of God have become missionary disciples” highlights the communal aspect of baptism and its contribution to Christianity as a living tradition as it is the individuals moral duty to baptise non-believers and unite them with the Christian community. The Gospel of John reinforces this obligation and the importance of baptism for the individual and the community as a whole in “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mttw
Often held as a rite of passage and entrance into the Christian church, baptism is much more than just symbolic ritual. Baptism was commanded by Jesus Christ in the Great Commission recounted in the book of Matthew. Even though we are simplistically called to be obedient by being baptized the Christian church has long debated the aspects of this ordinance. Denominations are divided on the basic meaning, types and modes of baptism even two thousand years after the founding of the Christian church. Just as the other ordinance, the Lord’s Supper, congregations find themselves at odd with tradition, biblical interpretation and even individual understanding. However, the simple message of this awe inspiring act can be explained out of the
Throughout the course of organized religion both present and past, ritualistic acts of praise and worship have been practiced as a sign of both love and honor to God. Catholicism refers to these rituals as sacraments. As Christians and members of this faith, the first sacrament received by each member is Baptism. This sacrament has not only been practiced since the beginning of our faith, but has deep meaning and symbolic ties to the start of creation with Adam and Eve. I hope to prove through both illustration and published works how Baptism as a sacrament is both a sign and symbol of humanities desire to become closer to God by cleansing them of original sin through this ritual and rite of passage.
Catholics go through a cycle of events in their spiritual lives known as the seven sacraments. Although all Catholics can not partake in each sacrament, the majority receive the Holy Eucharist and are baptized as children. The sacraments are the rites of passage in the Catholic faith. Some of the sacraments require proper preparation and knowledge of the one’s faith. The seven sacraments include Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and the Holy Orders. Faith ties the people of God together. We are united through our belief in faith. I see the sacraments as the acceptance of faith in God and of our faith. With all the diversity that exists among God’s people,
“There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church (in order); Baptism, Penance/Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick” These sacraments help build up the body of Christ, make people holy, and to give worship to God. Baptism is the very first sacrament and the first step towards a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. People usually get baptized as babies but it does not have any age limit. When babies get baptized, the priest sprinkles holy water upon your forehead but sometimes when you’re older, you put in your whole body. “The very last sacrament is the Anointing of the Sick, administered to bring spiritual and physical strength during an illness, especially near to the time of death.”
Confirmation is a hard, difficult process that comes with many sacrifices. At my school getting confirmed was a huge deal, but I never understood why. I thought it was just a redo of my baptism. As it turned out, it was a lot more important than I thought, and the journey leading to my confirmation was a very critical one.