Wait a minute! We just said that Baptism makes us full members of the Church. It completes the Christian Initiation begun at Baptism And, like all of God’s gifts, it is designed to help us grow in holiness, and bring us into closer relation with Him through the imparting of grace. Like all the sacraments, Confirmation is a gift given by God. To answer this, we must look at what Confirmation is, and what it does for us. So, understanding that we are already fully Catholic through Baptism makes the question, “what does it mean to be confirmed,” all the more critical. The Catechism also reminds us that “baptismal grace is a grace of free, unmerited election and does not need ‘ratification’ to become effective.” (CCC 1308) Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated.” (CCC 1272) No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. “Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. We become full members of Christ’s body, the Church through Baptism.įrom the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): Regardless of whether we had any voice in the matter, Baptism marks us with an indelible (permanent) mark as Catholic Christians. However, the sacrament is not an opportunity where the Confirmandi “choose” for themselves to be Catholic, or “confirm” the choice made for them by their parents and godparents at Baptism. Clearly, one can choose to receive Confirmation, or not. Let’s start by dispelling one of the more common myths about Confirmation: It’s not a choice You may have a few students who will respond with “becoming an adult in the Church” or “confirming what our parents chose for us at our Baptism.” Whatever the response, it’s our job as Catechists to help set the record straight about exactly what Confirmation is, and perhaps more importantly, what it is not. The first step in the process is easy enough – ask the students, “What does it mean to be confirmed?” Don’t be alarmed if the only response you get is a shrug of the shoulders or a blank stare. Only then can our young Catholics understand why Confirmation is so essential. A good way to begin any Confirmation preparation is with a basic understanding of what the sacrament is all about.
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