Confirmation is not a Sacrament that is lacking a theology, but instead it is a Sacrament that is filled with theology. If for some reason we have an adult here who has yet to be confirmed I implore you to go to your pastor and inquire about receiving this Sacrament. After all Confirmation is one of three sacraments of initiation which means that it is not a sacrament of maturity. Some say, in error, that to be confirmed is simply to be one's acceptance of the Catholic faith as an adult because as an infant they could not choose the faith for themselves. Of course, it is through baptism when one becomes a member of the Church even if they like it or not. Baptism leaves an indelible mark upon the soul that can never be taken away. Even if we don't like it we are stuck with this mark.
We live in a world where it is tough to practice our faith and this is precisely why receiving the sacrament of confirmation is so important. On the day of baptism the child is baptized in the name of the Trinity and at Confirmation the Holy Spirit comes upon them in a most special way similar to what took place among the apostles at Pentecost. In this manner the confirmed are sent forth as soldiers of Christ to participate in the war of good vs evil as well as darkness vs light. With the gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon us no matter how tough this path becomes we can conquer.
Our Gospel is given in preparation to what is to come. The apostles now rejoice with the fact that Christ has risen from the dead, but in the Ascension He will soon be snatched away from them. They will then gather and pray in the upper room and it will be there that the Holy Spirit will come upon them and lead them forth into every single hardship that they must endure. What awaits them here is eventually a life that will lead towards laying it down out of love for the one whom they serve. This path could only be possible with the graces that they received when the Holy Spirit came down upon them to lead them.
We to must not impede the Holy Spirit who is at work within us. At Confirmation we relieved these special graces which continue to lead us forth into a world that rejects the name of Christ. It is easy to silence the voice of the Holy Spirit, but we cannot do so. It is hard to be sent forth as a soldier of Christ who is sent into a battlefield that is most scared. Nevertheless, we must and can profess our faith. We must profess and live it within our own home. We must profess and live it among our family, we must profess and live it when we are at work, we must profess and live it when we are around Catholics who have grown lukewarm in their faith, and we must profess and live it with all those whom we might encounter within this life. This is not an easy task, but with gift of the Holy Spirit upon our side it is indeed possible.
Jesus told His apostles that the Spirit would come. They prepared for it and they worthily relieved it. As we approach these sacred days that lie ahead may we prepare ourself to receive and renew within ourself this most wondrous gift. Without the Holy Spirit the apostles would never have been set forth and thus too we would never of been prepared to go forth as defenders of the faith who have been fortified by the Spirit. May those of us who have been confirmed always remember this most wondrous gift that we have received and may we continue to go into the world to bring the truth of Christ's Holy Gospel. With the Holy Spirit alone is this possible because it is not us who leads the way, but instead it is the Spirit and the Spirit leads the way towards truth.
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