Flashcards: Confirmation Preparation for Young Catholics
All 50 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 What is the Sacrament of Confirmation? | The Sacrament of Confirmation is a Sacrament of Christian Initiation. |
| What are the Sacraments of Initiation? | The Sacraments of Initiation are Baptism, the Holy Eucharist, and the Sacrament of Confirmation. |
| What is the purpose of the Sacrament of Initiation? | The Sacraments of Christian Initiation lay the foundations of every Christian life. The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the Sacrament of Confirmation, and receive the Eucharist, the Food of eternal life. By means of these Sacraments of Christian Initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity. |
| What is Confirmation? | Confirmation is the sacrament through which the Holy Ghost comes to us in a special way and enables us to profess our faith as strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ. |
| Who is the usual minister of Confirmation? | The bishop is the usual minister of Confirmation. |
| Is the Sacrament of Confirmation necessary? | he Sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for for the completion of Baptismal grace. |
| Why should all Catholics be Confirmed? | All Catholics should be confirmed in order to be strengthened against the dangers to salvation and to be better prepared to defend their Catholic faith. |
| What are the effects of the Sacrament of Confirmation? | Confirmation increases sanctifying grace, gives its special sacramental grace, and imprints a lasting character on the soul. |
| What is sanctifying grace? | Sanctifying grace is a supernatural gift from God, which gives to the soul a new life, a sharing in the life of God himself. |
| What are the three divine virtues which the Holy Spirit gives us through sanctifying grace? | The three divine virtues which the Holy Spirit gives us through sanctifying grace are: Faith, Hope and Charity. |
| What does the Holy Spirit give you along with His grace? | Along with sanctifying grace and actual grace, the holy Spirit also gives His seven gifts. |
| What are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit? | The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. |
| How do the gifts of the Holy Spirit help us? | The gifts of the holy Spirit sustain the moral life of Christians. |
| What is conferred in the Sacrament of Confirmation? | The Sacrament of Confirmation, like the other sacraments instituted by Christ, confer the grace they signify. Each of the Sacraments also gives a special grace, called sacramental grace, which helps one to carry out the particular purpose of that Sacrament. |
| What is the obligation of the Sacrament of Confirmation? | Those who receive the Sacrament are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed. |
| What does the sacramental grace of Confirmation help us to do? | The sacramental grace of Confirmation helps us to live our faith loyally and to profess it courageously. The sacramental grace of Confirmation also gives us a right to the actual graces we need when tempted against the faith. |
| How did the Apostles impart the gift of the Holy Spirit? | The Apostles, in fulfillment of Christ's Will, imparted to the newly baptized by the laying on of hands the gift of the Spirit that completes the grace of Baptism. |
| What does the Church recognize as the origin of the Sacrament of Confirmation? | The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of the Sacrament of Confirmation, which, in a certain way, perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the Church. |
| Was anything added to the imposition of hands? | Very early, the better to signify the gift of the Holy Spirit, an anointing with perfumed oil (Chrism) was added to the laying on of hands. |
| What is the significance of the chrism? | The anointing with chrism highlights the name "Christian," which means "anointed" and derives from that of Christ Himself whom God "anointed with the Holy Spirit". |
| Why is the Sacrament called Confirmation in the West? | In the West, the term Confirmation suggests that this Sacrament both confirms Baptism and strengthens Baptismal grace. |
| What is used for an anointing? | Sacred chrism is used for anointing. |
| What is sacred chrism? | Sacred chrism is a mixture of olive oil and balm, blessed by the Bishop on Holy Thursday. |
| What is conferred by the anointing in the Sacrament of Confirmation? | By Confirmation, Christians, those who are anointed, share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which He is filled, so that their lives may give off "the aroma of Christ." |
| What is received in the anointing in Confirmation? | By the anointing the confirmand receives he "mark," the seal of the Holy Spirit. |
| What is the character of Confirmation? | The Sacrament of Confirmation confers a sacramental character or "seal" by which the Christian shares in Christ's priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. |
| May these sacraments ever be repeated? | No, the configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Holy Spirit, is everlasting or indelible. |
| What does the seal of the Holy Spirit do for us? | This seal of the Holy Spirit marks our total belonging to Christ, our enrollment in His service for ever, as well as the promise of divine protection in the great trial of the last days. |
| How does the Liturgy of Confirmation begin? | The Liturgy of Confirmation begins with the renewal of Baptismal promises and the Profession of Faith. |
| What is the significance of the gesture of the Bishop extending his hand over the whole group of candidates for Confirmation? | Since the time of the Apostles, this gesture has signified the gift of the Holy Spirit. |
| What is the essential rite of the Sacrament of Confirmation? | The Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred through the anointing with chrism on the forehead (with the Sign of the Cross), which is done by the laying on of the hands and through the words: "Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti" (Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit). |
| Why is the forehead anointed with the Sign of the Cross? | To show that God the Father has marked those confirmed with the sign of Christ, that "Christ the Lord has confirmed you and placed His pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts." |
| What else does the Bishop say when anointing the person he confirms? | As the Bishop dips his right thumb in the chrism and makes the sign of Cross on the forehead of the confirmandi, he rests the palm of his hand on the person's forehead and says, "Be sealed with the Gift of the holy Spirit." |
| What does the Bishop say when he gives the blow on the cheek of those confirmed? | He says: "Peace be with you." |
| What does the blow on the cheek signify? | It reminds them that by Confirmation, they were strengthened to suffer, and if necessary, even to die for Christ. |
| What is the effect of the Sacrament of Confirmation? | The effect of thee Sacrament of Confirmation is the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted by the Apostles. |
| What does the sacramental grace of Confirmation help us to do? | The sacramental grace of Confirmation helps us to live our faith loyally and to profess it courageously. |
| What is the character of Confirmation? | The character of Confirmation is a spiritual and indelible sign which marks the Christian as a soldier in the army of Christ. |
| What does the Sacrament of Confirmation bring? | Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of Baptismal grace. |
| What are some examples of the deepening of Baptismal grace? | (1) It roots us more deeply in the love of the Father. (2) It unites us more firmly to Christ. (3) It increases the gifts of the hOly Spirit in us. (4) It renders our bond with the Church more perfect. (5) 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, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross. |
| How often may the Sacrament of Confirmation be given? | Confirmation is only given once. |
| Who can receive the Sacrament of Confirmation? | Every baptized person not yet confirmed can and should receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. |
| Are the baptized required to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation? | Yes. The faithful are obliged to receive this Sacrament at the appropriate time. |
| How should the Church direct the preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation? | Preparation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the holy Spirit - His actions, His gifts, and His bidding's - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. |
| What is essential for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation? | To receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, one must be in the state of grace. |
| What would happen if the candidate were not in the state of grace? | If the candidate were not in the state of grace, he would commit a mortal sin of sacrilege. |
| Which truths and duties of the faith should the candidate know? | The candidate should know the basic prayers and the chief Truths of the Faith. Among other things, the Our Father, Hail Mary, Apostle's Creed, the Commandments, doctrine of the Sacraments, and the nature and effects of Confirmation. He must believe in the goodness and justice of God; the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, and the mystery of the Incarnation. |
| What are the duties of the confirmed? | The confirmed should: (1) Thank God the holy Spirit for the graces bestowed upon the soul. (2) Promise to steadfastly profess the Faith and live up to it. (3) Continue to study the Faith in order to explain and defend it. |
| Who is the minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation? | The bishop is the usual minister of Confirmation. |
| Why is the Bishop the minister of Confirmation? | Bishops are the ministers of Confirmation as the successors of the Apostles. They have received the fullness of Holy Orders. |