Sacrament of Confirmation

My Dear Parishioners,

This Thursday, the children in our Religious Education Program and our SJR School children will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.

We thank retired Archbishop Edward Adams for imposing hands on our children and giving them the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Archbishop Adams was ordained a priest by John Cardinal Krol for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1970. He was then sent to work in the Vatican’s Diplomatic Corps. His last assignment before retirement was as Papal Nuncio to the Court of St. James. He presently resides at Regina Coeli Retirement Home for Priests on the grounds of Archbishop Wood High School. He is a good and holy man and a model priest and bishop. We are blessed to have him with us this Thursday.

We thank our Director of Religious Education, Mrs. Danielle Staffieri, our Principal, Mrs. Jennifer Durkin, our Catechists and our Teachers, for all they have done in preparing our children for Confirmation.

As our parish and our children and their families make our final preparation for Confirmation, it is good to review some key points about this beautiful and powerful sacrament from the Baltimore Catechism:

330. What is Confirmation?
331. Confirmation is the sacrament through which the Holy Ghost comes to us in a special way and enables us to profess our faith as strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.

• The word “confirmation” means “a strengthening.” We are not certain from Sacred Scripture of the exact time and circumstances of the institution of Confirmation. We do know, however, that Christ instituted the sacrament before He ascended into heaven, because it is clearly evident in the New Testament that the apostles administered this sacrament.
• A confirmed person is called a soldier of Christ because, through Confirmation, he is especially deputed to profess the faith strongly and to fight for it.
• “‘He who believes in me, as the Scripture says,’ “from within him there shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” He said this, however, of the Spirit whom they who believed in him were to receive; for the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:38-39).
• “But I speak the truth to you; it is expedient for you that I depart. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).
• “And when the days of Pentecost were drawing to a close, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as of fire, which settled upon each of And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues, even as the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak” (Acts 2:1-4).
• “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter
• “On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy” (Acts 19:5-6).

334. What is holy chrism?
335. Holy chrism is a mixture of olive oil and balm, blessed by the bishop on Holy Thursday.

• Olive oil was formerly used to condition and strengthen the limbs of The olive oil in holy chrism signifies the strengthening grace of the Holy Spirit received in the sacrament.
• Balm, sometimes used as a preservative, is a fragrant substance derived from the balsam In holy chrism it signifies the sweetness of virtue and freedom from the corruption of sin.

335. What does the anointing of the forehead with chrism in the form of a cross signify?
336. The anointing of the forehead with chrism in the form of a cross signifies that the Catholic who is confirmed must always be ready to profess his faith openly and to practice it fearlessly.
337. What are the effects of Confirmation?
338. Confirmation increases sanctifying grace, gives its special sacramental grace, and imprints a lasting character on the soul.
339. What does the sacramental grace of Confirmation help us to do?
     1. The sacramental grace of Confirmation helps us to live our faith loyally and to profess it courageously.
        • The sacramental grace of Confirmation also gives us a right to the actual graces we need when tempted against faith.
     2. What is the character of Confirmation?
        1. The character of Confirmation is a spiritual and indelible sign that marks the Christian as a soldier in the army of
           • The character of Confirmation is a quality impressed on the soul that enables us to fight spiritual battles against the enemies of the faith after the example of the apostles, who, upon receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, were not afraid to profess and preach the faith to the entire world.

342. Why should all Catholics be confirmed?
343. All Catholics should be confirmed in order to be strengthened against the dangers to salvation and to be prepared better to defend their Catholic faith.

We cannot value too highly the importance of Confirmation in the supernatural life. It is a great source of strength in the warfare we must wage against the three great enemies of our salvation, the world, the flesh and the devil. The character of Confirmation remains on the soul forever, marking one who has been confirmed as a soldier of Christ, with the right and the duty of proclaiming and defending the Christian faith before the world. Nowadays there is a great need of those who will explain and uphold the true religion of Christ, even though it demands subordination to their ecclesiastical rulers. And when a lay- person, according to his capacities and position, defends and explains the faith of Christ, he is living up to the task committed to him through Confirmation and is contributing his share toward Catholic Action.

Let us lift up our “Confirmandi” and their parents in prayer this week. May their hearts be open. May they take seriously the call to be “soldiers of Christ.” May they always make Holy Mass and the other Sacraments a priority. May they help make our world a brighter and holier place.

Let us also congratulate them on their hard work and commitment. We are proud of you all, and you are in our prayers.

St. Joseph, our Patron, pray for us!

Fr. Michael J Pawelko, Pastor