"The love of God has been poured into our hearts by his Spirit living in us." Rom 5:5; 8:11

The second of the Sacraments of Initiation, Confirmation is necessary for the completion of the grace received it baptism for as the Second Vatican Council has said: "By the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptised] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed." Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) 11.

This sacrament, then is one which signifies to the recipient, that having been given the fullness of the Holy Spirit, they have now 'come of age' and are eligible to take a full and active part in the life of the Church and her mission.

The sacrament is conferred usually by the Bishop but can, with permission from him, be administered by a priest. It is done by the laying on of hands. This gesture in a certain way continues and perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the Church. Added to this gesture, the better to signify the gift of the Holy Spirit, an anointing with perfumed oil (chrism) has been added. This anointing, too, highlights the name Christian since the word 'Christ' means the anointed one. We read in the Acts of the Apostles: "God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil." (10:38).

The act of anointing is rich in significance. From the earliest times and in many traditions, oil is a sign of abundance and joy. It cleanses (anointing would take place before and after bath in Roman times, for example) and it makes supple (again athletes would be anointed before competitions). Oil is also a sign of healing since it soothes wounds and bruises and is the cause of radiance and beauty when applied to the face and body. All of these very human attributes for the use of oil can be applied to a person's sacramental life, for sealed with the imprint of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete or Comforter (as it is sometimes called), brings gifts which make beautiful for God the recipient of the Sacrament. These gifts are seven in number: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord. From these gifts flow twelve fruits or perfections that the Holy Spirit forms within the person: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity (See St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 5:22-23). Whilst there is slight variation in the timing of when the sacrament is given, the usual age is around the time of puberty.

For further reading see: The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Articles 1285 - 1321.

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