Church Membership and Confirmation

Membership and Confirmation

What is Confirmation? While we do not have the space to delve too deeply into the history and theological ideas behind confirmation in more detail, suffice it to say that in its beginnings, confirmation was an aspect of the Sacrament of Baptism which involved the laying on of hands of a bishop communicating and welcoming the Holy Spirit into the lives of the newly baptized. It was a sign and seal of the mysterious work of God involved in the sacrament of Baptism for those with faith in Jesus Christ (or those being nurtured toward this faith in Christ if infants). 

Confirmation developed in time (in the Western Catholic Church BUT not in the Eastern Church) as a way for the Bishop to still be engaged in the baptism of a child or adult (thus communicating his important place of authority in apostolic succession) after the fact. Thus, pastorally and historically it developed into an aid for the church to encourage those who had been baptized to CONFIRM (both personally and communally) that they understood the Christian faith, were committed to following Jesus as Lord, and were desirous to grow in their learning, obedience, and motivations. In time confirmation especially became the place where those baptized as infants (or those whose baptism coincided with being a citizen of a “Christian” nation), could learn and embrace the Christian faith under the authority and guidance of the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church”.

However, in Scriptural, historic, and theological terms, Confirmation serves Baptism, not the other way around. The sacrament of Confirmation does not seek to solve the mystery or importance of responding in faith to the Gospel message in partnership with the place of Baptism in our conversion – releasing and giving us faith, the Holy Spirit, and new birth in Christ. In other words, Confirmation is not the place where we “ask Jesus into our hearts” but where we personally commit and live out our faith in him in more meaningful and communal ways. If confirmation becomes that place where the Holy Spirit enlightens us to understand and internalize the Gospel message, however, we are joyful, indeed!!!! But there is nothing to say that this has not already happened in the life of the baptized as they kneel to be confirmed by their bishop.

Confirmation helps those who are baptized and committed to Christ (or considering this commitment due to a nominal view of their baptism) to then takes steps toward ever-growing discipleship in Christ, embracing a life of continual “repentance and faith” (thus, a continual conversion). Confirmation can aid all of us as we continue to live out the “already” and “not yet” aspects of our redemption.

Father Tom