Introduction
Among the seven sacraments instituted by Our Lord, Confirmation stands as the sacrament of Christian maturity and strength. It completes Baptismal grace, seals the soul with the indelible mark of a soldier of Christ, and imparts the Holy Ghost with His sevenfold gifts. Yet how few Catholics understand the proper way to prepare for this august Sacrament – or how to live its graces afterward!
In every age, the Church has taught that Confirmation is not a mere ceremony of adolescence but a profound deepening of the supernatural life. As The Catechism of the Council of Trent explains, “Confirmation has been instituted by Christ to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.” To receive this Sacrament fruitfully requires a spirit of prayer, penitence, and readiness for battle.
The Nature and Effects of Confirmation
Before considering how to prepare for it, one must understand what Confirmation does. In this Sacrament, the Holy Ghost comes to strengthen the baptized soul, just as He descended upon the Apostles on Pentecost. Through the anointing with chrism by the bishop and the words “I sign thee with the sign of the Cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation,” the soul is fortified with divine grace and sealed forever as belonging to Christ.
This spiritual seal, called the character, is permanent and can never be lost. It enables the confirmed to profess the faith boldly, to resist temptation with greater vigor, and to perform the duties of a mature Catholic. The Catechism teaches that it confers:
- An increase in sanctifying grace.
- The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost in greater measure: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
- The right and duty to be Christ’s witness in word and deed.
Because it imparts this ‘spiritual seal,’ Confirmation is a Sacrament which can only be received once. It cannot be repeated. Baptism and Holy Orders are the two other sacraments which impart this character and are not to be “re-administered.”
Preparing Worthily for Confirmation
- Be in the State of Grace
The first and most essential preparation is to be free from mortal sin. The Council of Trent insists that Confirmation, like all sacraments of the living, must be received in the state of grace. Therefore, candidates should make a good confession beforehand, cleansing their souls and renewing their Baptismal promises with contrition and faith.
- Pray for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost
The Church encourages all who are to be confirmed to pray daily for an outpouring of the Holy Ghost. The traditional Sequence of Pentecost (Veni Sancte Spiritus) or the Novena to the Holy Ghost – the oldest novena in Christendom – should be said in the days leading up to receiving the Sacrament.
One may also meditate on how each gift perfects the virtues:
- Wisdom perfects charity,
- Understanding perfects faith,
- Counsel perfects prudence,
- Fortitude perfects courage,
- Knowledge perfects hope,
- Piety perfects justice toward God, and
- Fear of the Lord perfects temperance and humility.
Note: It is also a laudable practice to pray a novena to the Holy Ghost every year to commemorate the anniversary of your confirmation.
- Study the Catechism and the Duties of a Soldier of Christ
True preparation requires knowledge of what one professes to believe. Parents and pastors should ensure that candidates know the Creed, the Ten Commandments, the sacraments, the precepts of the Church, the basic catechism (e.g., The Baltimore Catechism No. 2), and the prayers of the Church. But beyond rote knowledge, they must understand that Confirmation makes them defenders of the Faith.
St. John Chrysostom compared the Christian to a soldier receiving armor before battle. To receive Confirmation without intention to fight for Christ is to mock the very grace it gives. The candidate should therefore resolve to stand for truth in public, to avoid scandal, and to bear witness to the Faith even when it is unpopular. Learning the Faith is a lifelong responsibility.
- Choose a Worthy Sponsor and Saint
The sponsor’s duty is to help the confirmed Catholic persevere in the Faith. Familial ties and friendships may be a factor for some, but definitely never the most important. Rather, one should ask, who can best serve as role model in living a virtuous Catholic life? Traditionally, the sponsor should be a devout Catholic of the same sex, exemplary in prayer and virtue, and not a baptismal godparent.
The saint chosen for one’s Confirmation name should be one which the candidate wishes to emulate and foster a greater devotion to. It makes sense to find a saint with whom you believe you share something in common (or desire to do so). For example, a man attached to poverty might choose St. Francis, or with a great Marian devotion might chose St. Louis de Montfort. Then again, a woman who cherishes knowledge might choose St. Catherine of Alexandria, or St Cecilia for those who have an affinity for music. If you want a model of courage or zeal, then St. Michael, St. Athanasius, St. Joan of Arc, or St. Catherine of Siena are fitting examples. One should read the saint’s life and invoke his or her intercession daily before and after receiving the Sacrament.
- Practice Fasting and Works of Penance
The faithful of old would fast or abstain on the eve of Confirmation, imitating the Apostles who prayed and fasted before receiving the Holy Ghost on Pentecost. Such voluntary mortification purifies the soul and prepares it for grace. And confirmed Catholics are encouraged to regularly fast throughout the year.
The Rite and Its Meaning
The bishop extends his hands over those to be confirmed, invoking the Holy Ghost. Then he anoints the forehead of each person with sacred chrism in the form of a cross. The anointing on the forehead signifies that the Christian must never be ashamed of the Cross, even when facing the world’s contempt.
Afterward, the bishop lightly strikes the cheek of the newly confirmed – an ancient sign reminding the Christian to endure suffering for Christ with patience. This symbolic blow, as St. Thomas Aquinas explains, “is to make him a soldier of Christ, ready to bear reproach for His name.”
Living the Graces of Confirmation
- Be Faithful in Daily Prayer
The Holy Ghost dwells in the confirmed soul as in a temple. To live this reality, one must maintain regular prayer – especially the daily invocation: “Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful.” Morning and evening prayers should include thanksgiving for Confirmation and petitions for the strength to resist temptation.
The Fatima Prayer Booklet (2026) Is an excellent resource to help stay faithful to daily prayer.
- Practice Fortitude in Daily Life
Fortitude is the hallmark of the confirmed. This means courage to defend Catholic truth at home, school, or work, even when ridiculed. It also means perseverance in virtue, patience in trial, and fidelity to duty. The confirmed Catholic should be steadfast, not swayed by the fashions of the age.
- Frequent the Sacraments
Grace grows through use. Frequent Confession and Holy Communion nourish the gifts received in Confirmation. The confirmed should approach the altar often, making each Communion a renewal of the promise to live and die for Christ.
- Apostolic Zeal and Catholic Action
Confirmation imparts a mission. The Church expects the confirmed to engage in spiritual works of mercy – teaching, advising, admonishing, and encouraging others to the Faith. Pope John Paul II once said, “The confirmed person must become a witness of Christ in the midst of the world.” This can mean leading a Rosary group, defending Church teaching online, or setting an example of virtue in one’s profession.
- Fidelity to the Holy Ghost
After Confirmation, one must learn to discern and follow the inspirations of the Holy Ghost. This requires silence, recollection, and a willingness to obey interior promptings toward good works. The saints repeatedly stress that the surest sign of living the grace of Confirmation is docility to divine inspirations.
The Neglect of Confirmation in Modern Times
Tragically, many today receive Confirmation with little knowledge or reverence. The rite is often reduced to a social milestone rather than a spiritual commissioning. Some receive it in mortal sin or without firm faith, thereby impeding the Sacrament’s fruits. Others forget it altogether, living as if they were never confirmed.
To neglect the grace of Confirmation is to leave one’s soul defenseless. As St. Alphonsus Liguori warns, “He who is not strengthened by the Holy Ghost will easily yield to temptation.” The renewal of Catholic civilization depends on Catholics living as confirmed soldiers of Christ – confident, pure, and unashamed of their King.
Conclusion
Confirmation is not an end but a beginning. It is the day when the Christian takes up arms in the spiritual battle that endures until death. The bishop’s anointing marks not a graduation but a consecration – an enlistment in the ranks of those who fight under Christ’s banner.
To prepare well, pray earnestly, confess sincerely, study diligently, and fast humbly. Afterward, live each day in the awareness that the Holy Ghost has sealed your soul for God’s service.
Let every confirmed Catholic renew this prayer:
“Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful,
and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created –
and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.”
Then shall the promise of Pentecost be fulfilled anew in every generation.
Image Source: Saint George by – http://blog.europeana.eu/2012/04/saint-georges-the-day-of-the-book/ 1650. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.