Confirmation Harrison, Daniel, James Mayfield

Scriptural Roots  “14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”  Acts 8:14-17  In the Bible, it never directly uses the word Confirmation, but references it many times with laying on of hands and receiving the Holy Spirit.

Symbols associated with Confirmation  Dove:  The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, which we accept on our Confirmation.  Fire:  Fire is another symbol for the Holy Spirit.  Chrism Oil:  Chrism Oil is put on our foreheads by the Bishop during the sacrament of Confirmation.

How Confirmation has evolved through history  Confirmation was originally given to infants before their first birthday. The Council of Constantinople, is the first time St. Augustine mentioned sealing people with the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was later changed to being the Bishops decision on when people were old enough to receive Confirmation. Today, the age for Confirmation varies throughout the world.

Developing our relationship with God  We accept our roles in the Church for ourselves. This brings us closer to God as individuals and as members of the Church.  Through the Holy Spirit we are blessed, deepening our relationship with God.

Confirmation helps us understand the Paschal Mystery  In Confirmation, we accept the Holy Spirit bringing us closer to Jesus in our everyday lives.  The gift of the Holy Spirit grants us wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel to help us understand Jesus.