The second sacrament of initiation is the Sacrament of
Confirmation. The Sacrament of Confirmation is necessary to complete the grace
we receive at our baptisms. The confirmed are more perfectly bound to the
Church and enriched with the special strength of the Holy Spirit. They fully
take on their roles as priest, prophet, and king and are more strictly obliged
to spread and defend the faith by word, by deed, and by example.
The word “Christ” is the English translation of the Greek
word “Christos”, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah”
meaning “anointed”. We have come to know “Christians” as followers of Christ,
but a more accurate meaning is “an anointed people”. Anointing imprints a
spiritual seal. Oil is rich in meaning and symbolism. It is a sign of abundance
and joy. It cleanses, limbers, heals and is used for beauty. Chrism oil is used
to anoint those being confirmed and is the sign of consecration. Once anointed,
they share more completely in the mission of Jesus and their lives are to give
off “the aroma of Christ.”
To consecrate means to “set aside” and to be sealed is a
mark of ownership. When someone receives the Sacrament of Confirmation they are
anointed, consecrated and sealed to the Lord. They become His property and
their lives are no longer their own. It is a time when those who were baptized
as infants assume the responsibility of their baptismal oaths their parents and
god parents took for them. The responsibility then falls squarely on those who
are confirmed.
Confirmation is a sacrament and carries with it the ancient meaning
of an oath to the death. When someone is confirmed they swear an oath to take
on more fully their role as priest, prophet, and king and share in Jesus’
mission to bear witness to the glory of God. They are to evangelize, spread the
Gospel and live in such a way that it is apparent to anyone who looks upon them
that they are children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus. They are
freely accepting the life that Jesus calls them to, even if that is a life of
hardship or even death.
What confirmation is not is a rite of passage, a ticket to
be punched, or a reason to have a photo opportunity in the Church with the old
guy in funny ancient Roman robes with a party to follow. It is not something deserved
or something owed. It is something given. It is an oath given to live as Christ
in the world and die for Christ if required. God gives the confirmed the
special grace they need to fulfill this task. To get confirmed and then not
darken the doorstep of a Church again until you get married is perjury at best
and condemnation at the extreme. An oath is often easy to take but hard to live
up to. Unless someone is willing to pick up the cross and follow Christ they
are better off not swearing the oath or receiving the Sacrament of
Confirmation.
