The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 177: The Celebration of Confirmation (2025)
Episode Date: June 26, 2025We continue our examination of the sacrament of Confirmation, specifically the celebration and effects of the sacrament of Confirmation. Fr. Mike explores the different elements of the rite of Confirm...ation and the ways in which Confirmation increases and deepens our baptismal graces. He emphasizes, in particular, the special strength of the Holy Spirit that we receive to spread and defend the Faith by our words and actions. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1297-1305. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Hi everyone, before we get started, I wanted to let you know about an exciting announcement
that could revolutionize the way you listen to the Bible in the air and the Catechism
in the air.
Ascension has released a new Bible and Catechism app called the Ascension app.
No, here's what you get.
In this app, you get the entire text of the Great Adventure Bible.
This is incredible.
You also get the entire text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as long with the Catechism
in the Air podcast and the Bible in Your Podcast,
and transcripts for each episode.
If you're like, I'm tired of listening to that guy,
I just wanna read it,
there's complete transcripts from each and every episode.
One thing that makes this app incredibly unique
is that it includes special features
that make connections between the Bible and the Catechism
so crystal clear through color-coded references
and all these links.
The hyperlinks are amazing.
I tried it out and I'm like, oh my gosh,
it kind of has changed the way I read through the catechism,
kind of changed the way I read through the Bible.
These features will help you navigate the Bible
and catechism even more seamlessly
so you can get more out of your experience.
Also, the app provides almost 1,000 answers
to Bible questions that people who listen to the Bible
in a year, they wrote in with their questions, almost 1 a thousand answers and those answers come in the form of audio clips,
video clips, as well as resources excerpted from some of Ascension's published works.
If you want to download this app for free, super simple. Just go to the app store and search for
Ascension app. I am telling you, if learning about the Bible and the catechism is important to you, then this app will change your life.
Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast,
where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us, revealed in scripture and passed down
through the tradition of the Catholic faith.
The catechism in here is brought to you by Ascension.
In 365 days, we'll read through the catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our identity
in God's families. We journey together toward our heavenly home. This is day 177. We're
reading paragraphs 1297 to 1305. As always, I'm using the Ascension edition of the Catechism,
which includes the Foundations of Faith approach. You can follow along with any recent version
of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can also download your own Catechism in a
year reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com slash C-I-Y
and you can click follow or subscribe in your podcast app
for daily updates and daily notifications.
Today is day 177.
We are reading paragraphs 1297 to 1305.
We're continuing on talking about
the celebration of confirmation.
So yesterday we mentioned the anointing, right?
And of course the anointing oil, so the sacred chrism.
But we're gonna talk today a little bit about
the consecration of the sacred chrism. But we're gonna talk today a little bit about the consecration of the sacred chrism.
So there's oil and there's oil, right?
There's oil that you just use for whatever.
We talked about all those meanings
and the symbolism yesterday.
There's also oil that gets consecrated,
oil that gets set apart.
And it's the bishop who in the course of the chrism mass
on Holy Thursday or in our diocese,
we do it on a Monday, we celebrate our chrism mass
on a different day of the week
because we're kind of all over the place in our diocese, you know, we do it on a Monday, we celebrate our chrism mass on a different day of the week because we're kind of all over the place in our diocese and so
meaning geographically.
And so we have that chrism mass earlier on in Holy Week.
But typically chrism mass is on Holy Thursday and the bishop then consecrates the sacred
chrism for the whole diocese.
And in the Eastern churches, they do a whole nother thing.
It's beautiful, it's powerful.
And the bishop, when they celebrate the r right of confirmation, he extends a particular prayer
We're gonna go through that celebration of confirmation how that happens now the effects of confirmation
Are we're also gonna talk about today and I have to tell you I am very excited about this
So we're talking both about the celebration of confirmation and the effects of confirmation. So let's dive right in right now
Father in heaven we give you praise you praise, we give you glory.
We thank you for the sacrament of confirmation.
We thank you for the sacrament of this holy anointing
where you pour out your Holy Spirit upon your children
and send them forth and transform them.
You increase the grace of the Holy Spirit.
You increase the fruits of gifts of the Holy Spirit
inside each and every one of them.
You open us up to a special strength
to spread and defend the faith by word and action.
And we give you praise.
We thank you so much for giving us the abundance of your grace in the right of confirmation.
Help us to be open to that grace.
Help us to open our hearts to allow you to move in our lives, but help us to be courageous.
Help us to be generous in how we respond to your incredible gift of confirmation
We make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit amen it is day
177 we are reading paragraphs 1297 to 1305
The celebration of confirmation
The consecration of the sacred chrism is an important action that precedes the celebration
of confirmation but is in a certain way a part of it.
It is the bishop who, in the course of the chrism mass of Holy Thursday, consecrates
the sacred chrism for his whole diocese.
In some eastern churches, this consecration is even reserved to the patriarch.
The Liturgy of Antioch expresses the epiclesis for the consecration of the sacred chrism, Myron, in this way.
Father, send your Holy Spirit on us, and on this oil which is before us, and consecrate it,
so that it may be for all who are anointed and marked with it Holy Myron, priestly Myron,
royal Myron, anointing with gladness, clothing with light, a cloak of salvation, a spiritual gift, the sanctification of souls
and bodies, imperishable happiness, the indelible seal, a buckler of faith, and a fearsome helmet
against all the works of the adversary.
When Confirmation is celebrated separately from Baptism, as in the case in the Roman
Rite, the Liturgy of Confirmation begins with the renewal of Baptismal promises and the
profession of faith by the Confirmans.
This clearly shows that Confirmation follows Baptism.
When adults are baptized, they immediately receive Confirmation and participate in the
Eucharist.
In the Roman Rite, the bishop extends his hands over the whole group of the Confirmans.
Since the time of the Apostles, this gesture has signified the gift of the Spirit. The bishop invokes the outpouring of the Spirit in these words,
All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed
your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon
them to be their helper and guide. Give them the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the
Spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill
them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. We ask this through
Christ our Lord. The essential right of the sacrament follows. In the Latin
right, the sacrament of confirmation is conferred through the anointing with
chrism on the forehead which is done by the laying on of the hand, and through the words,
acipe signaculum doni spiritus sancti, be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In the Eastern Churches of the Byzantine rite, after a prayer of Epiclesis, the more significant
parts of the body are anointed with Myron, forehead, eyes, nose, ears, lips, chest, back, hands, and feet.
Each anointing is accompanied by the formula, the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The sign of peace that concludes the rite of the sacrament signifies and demonstrates
ecclesial communion with the bishop and with all the faithful.
The Effects of Confirmation
It is evident from its celebration that the
effect of the sacrament of confirmation is the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit
as once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost.
From this fact, confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace.
It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, Abba, Father.
It unites us more firmly to Christ.
It increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us.
It renders our bond with the Church more perfect.
It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit, to spread and offend the faith by
word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and
never to be ashamed of the cross.
As St. Ambrose wrote, Recall then, that you have received the spiritual seal, the spirit
of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of
knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God's presence.
Guard what you have received.
God the Father has marked you with His sign.
Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has placed His pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts.
Like baptism which it completes, confirmation is given only once, for it too imprints on
the soul an indelible spiritual mark, the character which is the sign that Jesus Christ
has marked a Christian with the seal of His Spirit by clothing him with power from on
high so that he may be his witness.
This character perfects the common priesthood of the faithful, received in baptism, and the confirmed person
receives the power to profess faith in Christ publicly, and as it were, officially,
quasi ex officio.
All right, so there we have it, day 177, paragraphs 12 and 97 to 1305.
You guys, how incredible is this?
Now of course we have the very beginning.
This just description, right?
The description of that we have the sacred chrism is consecrated by the bishop or in
some Eastern churches by the patriarch.
Really beautiful prayer there in paragraph 12 and 97.
Goes on to talk about the beautiful prayer of the bishop over those who are confirmed, right?
so there's this moment in where the bishop extends his hands over the whole group of comprimands and
Then they come forward with that sacred chrism that he has
He anoints them on the forehead and says be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit
These are churches in the Byzantine, right? There's a there's a lot more oil a lot more different parts of the body
churches in the Byzantine rite there's a there's a lot more oil a lot more different parts of the body but that anointing is the the key part right that anointing with the words be sealed with the
gift of the holy spirit or in the eastern church in greek our english translation the seal of the
gift of the holy spirit and then then there's the sign of peace if you remember your own confirmation
if you were confirmed the bishop you know he anointed your forehead said be sealed with the
gift of the holy spirit and then he says peace be with you and with your spirit as you maybe shake hands or something like that
And that's paragraph 1301 talking about the sign of peace that concludes the right of the sacrament and it it means something
It's not just like hey good job or congratulations
It signifies and demonstrates ecclesial communion with the bishop and with all the faithful, right?
so you have that that peace be with you and with your spirit between you and the bishop or you and the
the confirming priests as a delegate of the bishop as a sign and as a
demonstration of the fact that, oh you're united with your bishop now, which is
pretty remarkable. But all of the our talk about confirmation has been building
towards this section today. Not, not, maybe not for you,
maybe not in the catechism, but for me, because I have to tell you this, maybe I've said this before,
I'm not sure if I've ever shared this, but paragraph 1303 and 1304 and 05, I, they, they are,
they were life-changing for me. So this is one of those days I'm like, wow, here we are finally.
Paragraph 1303. So I was confirmed, I believe the year
before the Catechism was promulgated, the year before the Catechism was published in English.
And I remember going through confirmation and you know, the people who taught me about
confirmation said, you know, you get the gift of the Holy Spirit. I'm like, great. So that's wisdom,
understanding, counsel, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord, you know, courage, etc. And fortitude
or courage, it's all connected, right? And courage, et cetera, and fortitude or courage.
It's all connected, right?
Um, and yet, and yet I was like, but what is it?
What, what is going to happen?
And then the year after I was confirmed, here comes the catechism and in the
catechism are these five effects of confirmation in paragraph 1303 and I
remember reading them and thinking, wow, oh my goodness, this is what confirmation
does.
So number one, well, overall, it brings an increase
in deepening up baptismal grace, okay.
But then here are the five effects.
Number one, it roots us more deeply
in the divine filiation which makes us cry, Abba Father.
So you're a son or daughter of God,
and it roots us even more deeply
in being a son or daughter of God, awesome.
Number two, it unites us more firmly to Christ.
And again, so you are united, you're brought,
remember you're brought into the body of Christ
as in your baptism, awesome.
But confirmation unites us even more firmly to Christ.
Third, it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit within us.
So those gifts, wisdom, understanding, counsel,
knowledge, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord,
all of those, you receive them in baptism.
But confirmation increases the gifts
of the Holy Spirit in us. Number four, it renders our bond with the Church more perfect.
Meaning, you know, this is another sacrament of initiation, right? So that's, I think
that's one of the reasons why maybe I could be wrong in this one. I think this is one
of the reasons though, why people say, oh, if you've been confirmed, you're an adult
in the Church now. I think that's probably what they mean. Maybe sometimes the teachers who said things like that, I had teachers who said things
like that when I was in high school.
That's when I was confirmed in high school.
And I think what they were referring to is this, this fourth effect, meaning, yeah, sacrament
of initiation renders your bond with the church more perfect.
There's not like more initiation after this because here I am living in the United States
in the West.
I was baptized, then first Holy communion and then confirmation.. So when there's a bond with the church more perfect,
okay, there it is. But the fifth effect, this is the one that I just, you guys, when I came
across this, I thought, yes, that is what I want. Here it is. It's broken down into
a couple of different parts. The fifth effect of confirmation, it says this, it gives us
a special strength of the Holy Spirit
to spread and defend the faith by word and action
as true witnesses of Christ.
Remember back in Acts chapter two, what did Jesus say?
He said, you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes upon you
and you will be my witnesses.
Here's what confirmation does.
Gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit,
not an ordinary strength of the Holy Spirit
and not even a common strength of the Holy Spirit, but a special strength of the Holy Spirit not not an ordinary strength of the Holy Spirit and not even a common strength of
The Holy Spirit but a special strength of the Holy Spirit to do what to spread and defend the faith?
By what you say and by what you do as a true witness of Jesus Christ
And I just think this is this is just the first part of that fifth
Fifth effect how incredible is that to spread and defend the faith by word and action.
That's the gift that was given to you.
That's the gift that was poured out on you
in the sacrament of confirmation.
A special strength to spread and defend the faith
by word and action as true witnesses of Christ.
Secondly, to confess the name of Christ boldly.
To confess the name of Christ boldly. Imagine confess the name of Christ boldly.
Imagine, imagine what it would be
if you and I actually did this.
Like if the average Catholic was confirmed,
that's how we lived.
We actually were able to confess the name of Jesus Christ
boldly and the third part is,
and never to be ashamed of the cross.
These are the three of the, you know,
obviously five effects of confirmation,
that fifth effect has these three parts to it.
The first one, special strength of the Holy Spirit
to spread and defend the faith by word and action
as true witnesses of Christ.
Secondly, to confess the name of Christ boldly.
Thirdly, to never be ashamed of the cross.
What if, what if that was common?
I mean, what if that's actually what we said yes to?
I just think there's something about this
that just, they lights a fire.
Hopefully as you're listening to this, it lights a fire in you as well. Because, because paragraph 1305 says this,
this character, right? This indelible spiritual mark, we talked about that, perfects the common
priesthood of the faithful. So here you are, you're baptized, brought into the priesthood of the
faithful. You share in Christ priesthood in this way your kingdom priest but this character in confirmation perfects that common priesthood and
The confirmed person receives the power to profess faith in Christ publicly and as it were officially or in Latin
Quasi ex officio do you realize that because you've been confirmed you actually are an official representative of the church you in some ways
He says you you you've been given the power to
profess faith in Christ publicly
Officially as an official representative of the Catholic Church as a representative of Jesus Christ in this unique
completely unique way as a lay Catholic who's you know, we say simply baptized and confirmed you are now
officially a representative of the church who must must you have received the power to confess Christ publicly
So here's the question. Do I do I profess faith in Christ publicly or is my faith something lots private? I
Mean those those close to me. They know that God is important to me. I mean those who like you know in my home you know I don't
feel so weird about it there. I pray there which is great which is
great which is right. It's wonderful. But you and I weren't merely given the
sacrament of confirmation. The Holy Spirit was not poured out on to
us and into our hearts so that we could practice our faith quietly in our own homes.
We have the freedom to do that, God willing,
but we were not given sacrament of confirmation
to keep our faith private.
You were given the sacrament of confirmation
so that you could be
someone who spreads and defends the faith. Spreads and defends the faith by
word and action as true witnesses of Jesus. That you you have the power to
profess faith in Christ publicly and as it were officially. You have been given
the gift to never be ashamed of the cross. you have been given the gift to never be ashamed of the cross.
You have been given the gift to confess
the name of Jesus Christ boldly.
And so the question that you have to ask yourself,
and I have to ask myself, is when was the last time,
when was the last time I confessed
the name of Jesus Christ boldly?
When was the last time that I was like,
if you really push me on it,
I am ashamed of the cross. I mean, I kind of downplay the fact that I am a Christian. I downplay the fact that I'm a Catholic.
When was the last time I just said, well, that's someone else's job.
So it's someone else's job to, I mean, you know, I, I listen, I go to church,
I pray someone else's job is to, to spread the faith.
You in paragraph 135, have received the power to profess faith in Christ publicly and as it were, officially.
You are, for all intents and purposes, an official representative of the Catholic Church.
And so, there are so many consequences of this.
One of them is this.
One of them is, okay, well the Church needs to do X.
You know, more Catholics need to do Y
Okay, well remember you're an official representative of the Catholic Church
So who needs to do X I?
Which Catholics need to do more why
We all do that right that makes sense and hopefully I'm not coming across like grumpy old man
I don't mean it grumpy mold man at all. I mean this in the most positive, the most excited,
the most joyful way that this is what's been poured out. This is the thing as I'm saying
you guys, this is what after I was confirmed, I realized, Oh my goodness, this is what was
given to me and I didn't know. And this was what was given to you if you were confirmed
and maybe you didn't know.
But we have to take this deeply.
We have to take this deeply into our hearts
and then we have to say, okay God,
how do you want me to do this?
Because maybe it's standing on a street corner, right?
Sure, maybe it's getting that upside down box
and standing on top of that and saying,
you believe in Jesus, maybe that means means that but maybe it just means in
your everyday life
To say well my job is to spread and defend the faith by what I say and what I do as a true witness of Jesus
My job what Jesus has done is he's given me the strength to confess the name of Christ boldly
What Jesus has done is giving me the grace to never be ashamed of the cross
How does he want me to exercise those gifts?
How does he want me to live that out now in my life?
It is not someone else's job.
It is my job.
It is not someone else's job.
It is your job.
Does that make sense?
But what a gift.
But the kind of gift that we have to say, oh my goodness, Lord, if I don't use this
gift, woe is me.
This last word today. If I don't use this gift, woe is me. This last word today, if I don't use this gift, woe is me.
If I don't use this gift, the gifts that have been poured out into my heart,
into my life, woe is me.
And woe are all of us if we do not proclaim the gospel.
Jesus didn't die for us so that we could simply keep it to ourselves.
The love of God has not been poured out into our hearts so that we could not tell anybody,
but just keep our faith private.
The love of God has been poured out into our hearts so we can cry out Abba Father and tell
the world, tell the world about the goodness of God.
So we have to pray.
That's why we have to pray for each other.
That's why we have to pray for ourselves.
Because how often do we want, are we tempted to shrink back?
How often are we tempted to sell out our Lord
and simply sell him out by being quiet?
How many of us are Peter?
I don't know him. I don't know the man.
How many of us at work on a daily basis are Peter?
I don't know what you're talking about.
So we got to pray. I don't know what you're talking about. So we gotta pray.
I don't wanna be Peter.
I mean, I wanna be Peter after he falls and comes back.
Of course, we wanna be Peter who's strong,
wanna be Peter who's bold,
but too often we are the Peter who's afraid,
afraid to be identified as someone who's a friend of Jesus.
So let's pray.
I am praying for you.
Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me.
My name is Father Mike.
I cannot wait to see you tomorrow.
God bless.