Day 175: Introduction to Confirmation (1285-1289)

• It’s Day 175!!

• ARTICLE 2: THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

• Paragraph 1285 says, “It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace.”

• God wants to give all the faithful the abundance of grace

• Everyone who has been Baptized has received the Holy Spirit and God’s grace

• IT IS INCREDIBLE!!

• IT IS AMAZING!!

• AND YET…

• Confirmation is NECESSARY

• CONFIRMATION IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION

• Where does this come from?

• It comes from prefigurements in the Old Testament that are fulfilled in Jesus Christ and lived out in the history of the Church

• Let’s pray!!

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we thank you. We give you praise and we just cry out in the Power of your Holy Spirit that great are you, Lord. Great are you, Father. You are so good and you continue to give us your grace every single day. Thank you for helping us press play today. Honestly, thank you Lord for bringing us to Day 175 where we can hear more and more about the love you have for your people, the love you have for your children, and the way in which you want to pour out your Spirit. Make us all prophets. Give us all a share in your priesthood. Give us a share in your Spirit of prophecy. Give us a share in your royal gift, your royal office. You have called us to be members of your family. You have made us your sons and daughters. Help us to live like this day and every day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”

• So there we have it!!

• Paragraph 1285 says, “It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For ‘by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit.”

• In Baptism we are brought into the family of God

• AMEN!!

• ABSOLUTELY!!

• We are made partakers in the Holy Spirit

• YES!!

• We are given the fruits of the Holy Spirit

• YES!!

• COMPLETELY!!

• THERE WE ARE!!

• AND YET…

• The Apostles themselves were Baptized

• They had been adopted as God’s sons

• The Apostles had a share in the Holy Spirit

• But even with that, they lacked the special strength of the Holy Spirit

• They lacked the strength of courage

• They lacked that special strength to spread and defend the faith by word and deed

• They needed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

• Remember Acts Ch 1?

• The Apostles ask Jesus, “Lord, are you at this moment going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?”

• Jesus responds, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has pointed out. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses here in Jerusalem throughout Judea and Samaria to the ends of the Earth.”

• That word for POWER is the Greek word “DYNAMIS”

• DYNAMITE!!

• The word for WITNESS is the word “MARTYS” or “MARTYR”

• They have received the Holy Spirit

• They will now receive this NEW UNIQUE POWER of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and deed

• To NEVER be ashamed of the Cross

• To proclaim the name of Jesus Christ BOLDLY

• We are going to find these as part of the 5 EFFECTS OF CONFIRMATION

• Jesus Christ has made us into the sons and daughters of the Father

• Jesus Christ has made us sharers in His Grace

• BUT…

• HE IS ALSO SENDING US OUT!!

• When the Apostles ask Jesus that question, Jesus does not say NO

• Jesus does not say YES

• What does Jesus say?

• Go up and read it again

• Here is Fr. Mike’s interpretation…

• The Apostles ask, “Jesus, are you going to do it? Are you going to continue this work? Are you going to spread your Gospel throughout the whole world?”

• Jesus looks at the Apostles and answers, “Nope! You are!!”

• Jesus is working in them and through them

• So yes Jesus is with them and He is active

• BUT…

• If they don’t act, the Gospel STOPS

• If they don’t go out with the Power of the Holy Spirit and they don’t spread and defend the faith by how they live and speak, then that mission of salvation ENDS RIGHT THERE

• Jesus is so humble and becomes one of us and becomes one of the poorest among us and meekest among us

• Jesus allows Himself to be shamefully tortured to death and crucified

• THAT IS HOW HUMBLE OUR GOD IS!!

• BUT…

• Jesus also says, “The whole mission that I have started and I am pouring out my Holy Spirit for you to accomplish, if you don’t do it, it FAILS. If you don’t bring my Gospel, if you don’t bring my Grace to the world, IT STOPS WITH YOU!!”

• THAT IS THE INCREDIBLE THING!!

• For the Sacrament of Confirmation, here is what God has done IN YOU

• WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN YOU MUST NOT STOP WITH YOU!!

• This is one of the reasons why Jesus Christ has poured out His Holy Spirit in Confirmation

• We are going to keep on talking about this

• This a SPECIAL STRENGTH

• To be a TRUE WITNESS OF CHRIST

• MARTYR

• We are obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed

• From the early times of the Apostles they had “laying on of hands”

• Then later on they had CHRISM, the perfumed oil

• Jesus is the ANOINTED ONE

• The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is also called CHRISMATION in the Eastern Churches

• The bishop himself blesses this chrism oil at the chrism Mass

• Paragraph 1289 says, “In the West, the term Confirmation suggests that this sacrament both confirms baptism and strengthens baptismal grace.”

• What does it mean to be Baptized and Confirmed?

• What does it mean to be a Soldier for Christ?

• What does it mean to be sent out in the name of Jesus Christ to be able to bring His Grace and His Gospel to the world?

• Fr. Mike is so grateful for you and you keep pressing play

• It’s not easy

• However long it took you to get to this day, you made it

• Keep on pressing play

• Keep on praying

• Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!

• Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!

• I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!