Lesson 19
Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Soldier For Christ?
Having covered Baptism and the Holy Eucharist, we now turn our attention to the Sacrament of Confirmation, the third sacrament of initiation, and like Baptism you can only receive it once. Confirmation is known as the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit, who is also known as the Holy Ghost, or Paraclete in English.
Having returned to his hometown of Nazareth early in his public ministry, Jesus cites a passage from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has anointed me, and sent me out to preach the gospel to the poor . . .” Lk 4:18. This is the first reference to the Holy Spirit and the Sacrament of Confirmation. Later, in the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of St. Paul, there will be multiple references to the “laying on of hands” and the “gift of the Holy Spirit”, something distinct from Baptism.
Essentially the Sacrament of Confirmation is the Sacrament of the Gift of the Holy Spirit, also designated as “the Sanctifier” among the three persons of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday in an epic and powerful way, changing the course of human history forever. On that day, more than three thousand were baptized and added to the Church. With the gift of the Holy Spirit, with God’s grace, everything can change for the better in an instant!
The Sacrament of Confirmation helps us to be “soldiers of Christ”, fearless witnesses of his power and love, and helps us to remain courageous and strong and steadfast in the practice of our Catholic faith.
The Apostles lived in dangerous times, when life was cruel and often short, in a land occupied by a foreign army who could impose their will unjustly with impunity. But the Apostles loved Jesus Christ with all of their heart, mind and soul, and witnessed his miracles, the biggest one being his resurrection. And while they found themselves trapped by justifiable fears of suffering and persecution, they needed to be super-charged by the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost to set them free. And for those Catholics who have that same hunger, the Sacrament of Confirmation can enable them to be brave witnesses and stand for the truth.
So tune in every day of Lent to learn more about your Catholic faith, because if you Learn it, then you can Live it; and if you Live it, you will Love it; and if you Love it, you will never Leave it!
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