The Sacrament of Confirmation Ch. 4 MJS

Since the beginning the Spirit of God has been connected to the Chosen People and the coming of a Messiah.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners. (Isaiah 61:1)

The Spirit that Jesus received at his own baptism was not to be limited only to him The Spirit is for all who hear and accept the message of Jesus Christ “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.’” (Jn 7:37-38) Since the Pentecost the Apostles imparted on the newly baptized the gift of the Holy Spirit by laying hands on them.  This completed the grace of baptism  An ancient ritual gesture that symbolized the giving of the Father’s own Spirit to the recipient.

The Use of (Chrism) Oil O live oil was a sign of abundance and joy Used in cooking, providing light, cleansing the body, muscle soreness, medicinal and in beautification Religious reasons such as consecrating a person or an object  Anointing royalty and priests  Remember: the title “Christ” means “anointed one” Sacred Chrism is the oil that is used at Confirmation  Traditionally a mix of olive oil and balsam

The Sacrament Itself In the first few centuries of the Church – Confirmation was generally part of the Sacrament of Baptism The original minister of Baptism was a bishop  Logistically this became difficult Eventually, priest given the “right” to baptize but conferring of Confirmation remained the responsibility of the bishop There would be a division between the Eastern Rite Churches and the Western Rite (Roman Catholic) Churches  The East kept the Sacraments of Initiation together even though conferred in infancy  The West separated the 3 Sacraments In the year 1910 Pope St. Pius X permitted children (age of reason) to receive First Communion if properly prepared The Revised Rite of Confirmation was approved in 1971 In the US Catholic Church the age of Confirmation is from the age of reason to 16 (in general)

The Grace of Confirmation Baptism and Confirmation are intimately linked Confirmation flows from Baptism Confirmation continues what Baptism began Confirmation strengthens, intensifies, deepens, or builds on the graces we were given at Baptism Confirmation completes Baptism

Quiz “A” Ch. 4 MJS 1. List 3 uses for oil in the ancient world 2. At what point did the Apostles begin to lay hands on those newly baptized? 3.In the Eastern Rite Churches how/when do people receive their Sacraments of Initiation? 4. What is the title of Chapter 4 5. The Spirit that Jesus received at his own baptism is means for whom? (be specific) EC: What DVD did Ms. Montoya show on Wednesday, Nov. 25 th ?

Quiz “B” 1. List the 2 Sacraments that “complete” each other. 2. In what year did Pope Pius X allow children to receive First Communion? 3. In what year was the Revised Rite of Confirmation approved? 4. Chrism oil is a mix of what two things? 5. List two important uses of oil in the ancient world. EC: What is the name of Charlie Brown’s dog?

Quiz “C” 1. In the Eastern Rite Churches how/when do people receive their Sacraments of Initiation? 2. Chrism oil is a mix of what two things? 3. What is the title of Chapter 4 4. In general what is the acceptable age range for the Sacrament of Confirmation in the US Catholic Church? 5. What Church document was approved in 1971? EC: What is the name of Charlie Brown’s sister?