We were still children when we were baptized. Though we received the gift and the grace of the sacrament of baptism, we do not fully understand what we received. The seed of faith was entrusted to our parents and godparents. It was through the Sacrament of Confirmation that the baptismal grace is confirmed and strengthened. It is the efficient sign of grace that confers the Holy Spirit.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1285-13-14) tells us that the Sacrament of Confirmation completes Baptism; in it the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon us. Anyone who freely decides to live a life as God’s child and asks for God’s Spirit under the signs of the imposition of hands and anointing with CHRISM receives the strength to witness to God’s love and might in word and deed. He is now a full-fledged, responsible member of the Catholic Church.
Confirmation, like baptism and the Eucharist, is one of the three sacraments of initiation. The three sacraments do not give different grace, but the same grace in increasing degrees. Since Confirmation is the fullness of Christian initiation, the church prepares the faithful who will be conferred by the Holy Spirit so that they will truly understand their faith and become mature Christians who will give witness to the truths of our Catholic faith.
In the CCD program of the diocese, the young people are registered in a two-year program wherein they are formed and molded not just with the instructions, but with the experience of being an active part of their parish community. We are hoping that in those years, their relationship with God will be truly deepened and that they will explore the richness of our catholic faith in its four pillars: Creed, Sacraments, Commandments and Prayer.
