Prayer

Theme

Scripture

Reflections

Copyright C BROWN Publishing-ROA Media

Baptism and Confirmation

All-powerful God, by water and the Holy Spirit, You freed us from sin. SendYour Holy Spirit upon us to be our helper and guide. Give us the spirit ofwisdom and understanding, the spirit of knowledge and love, the spirit of joyin Your service.

The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist stand at thedoor to the Christian experience. These sacraments are not only visible ex-pressions of faith, but they actually produce spiritual change if we acceptthem and respond. Some symbols are closely associated with these sacra-ments:Water

symbol of life and death, cleansing, and nourishmentFire

symbol of warmth and lightsymbol of pain and destruction

Oil •symbol of priesthoo4 anointing healingsymbol of something rich, pure, and holy

White garmentsymbol of purity from sinsymbol of a new life and role

Through these sacraments, the Lord is present in a special way, in a newvision. We spend the rest of our life growing into this vision, conforming ourwill to Christ's will, our love to his.

• Matthew 3:13-17—The baptism of Jesus

• John 3:1-21-Unless one be born again . .

• Colossians 2:6-10—Fullness of life in Christ• Romans 8:12-17—The Spirit makes you God's children.

Questions to What meaning does baptism have for me?Ponder How does an understanding of the symbols of water, fire, oil, and a white

garment help me understand baptism and confirmation better?

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The Sacramentof Baptism—

A lifelong journeyBaptism is a serious step—a step we spend much

time getting ready for. We get new clothes, we get acandle to light the way, water to help us grow, Pa forstrength, even companions for the journey. But that isonly the beghming of a much longer journey, a life-time journey of commitment and discipleship.

Our journey begins with an invitation, a callfrom God through the Christian community to- livethe gospel as committed disciples of Christ. When weaccept the invitadont that call and response is ritualized

and made visual and "real" for us in the celebration ofBaptism.

In the Church of the first three centuries adultBaptism was the norm. Those who were interested inChristianity were invited to join the Christian communityon a journey of faith. Those who accepted the invitationbecame candidates for the sacraments of initiation(Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist). The candidates,were called catechumens and entered into a -step-by-stepprocess toward full membership in the Church. Thisprocess was called the catechumenate. Joining theChurch in the early centuries was no easy mutter. The •baptismal commitment was not to be taken lightly.

The entire Church would pray for and with thecatechumens. Instructing them in gospel values, ;haringwith 'them the faith life of the Church and celebrating thestagesoftheir faith journey with special* rituals ofwelcoming and belonging, A person's coming to •faith—or conversion to Christianity—was looked uponas a community responsibility.

The final Lent before the initiation as a specialtime for catechumens. It was like a 40-day retreat •including prayer, fasting and other formiof self-scrutinyas they prepared to accept the faith and be received inthe Church. Lent started out as the Church's officialpreparation for Baptism which was celebrated only oncea year it the Easter.Vigil. That Ls why the Scripturereadings for the liturgies of Lent and Easter are so

• heavily filled with baptismal allusions.. •Unfortunately, this beautiful, commtmity-suliported

journey to faith was short-lived. With the conversion ofthe Emperor Constantine in 313, joining the ChristianChurch became fashionable, the thing to do. Thestandards of the catechumenate were relaxed, and peoplewere simply baptized on request.

By the beginning of the fifth centur3r, thecatec. humeriate process itself had virtually disappeared.

The sacraments of initiatian became three separatesacraments celebrated at separate times. Soon adult-Baptisms declined. infant Baptism became the norm andthe process and theology of Christianinitiadon of adultsas practiced in the early Church became a lost art.

In some instances, infant Baptism became a routinedtual bordering on magic. It is our firm Catholic beliefthat the Sacrament of Baptism expresses the wonderfulgift of God by which we are "Made holy," become"children of God" and "temples of the Holy Spirit." Wemast take aare, however, not to restrict God's eft to onesingle moment (the pouring of water) or overlook thatpart of the sacrament that is our lifelong response toGod's gift.

Broadening our view of BaptismBaptism—and all sacraments, for that matter—are

much more than the moment of celebration. They neitherbegin nor end with the liturgical ritual. They are •celebrations of lived experiences. They exist before,during and after the celebration.

The ritual of Baptism does not bring Cod's loveinto being as if that love did not exist before theceremony. Baptism is the Church's way of celebratingand enacting the embrace of God who first loved us fromthe moment of our conception. Baptism is a ritualizationand manifestation of teal—of the outpouringof Gati'a Spirit and of our acceptance of that transforminglove. It remains for Ili to grow into what we already are:daughters and sons of God. Baptism celebrates a.familrs and a community's experience of that love inthe baptized. • •

There are other life experiences—birth, death,washing, growing anti so forth—that are eelebratedin • •Baptism. The sacrament is multifaceted, as L5 revealedin the Scripture references and the symbols of Btiptism. •Let's look at these symbols and thp Scripture passagesfrom which they originate.

Water and Spirit• Water is the obvious symbol that we associate with

Baptism, representing life, death, cleansing and growth.

In the New lbstament, then, it is appropriate thatJohn the Baptizer baptized hi the River,symbolizing that the baptized were also to leave theslavery of sin for the freedom ofa new Promised Land.Nor is it without significance that Tesus began his

• ministerial journey by being baptized in the Jordan, andthat the Spirit was 'present. •

Water and Spirit are strong and important symbolsof Baptism. To be baptized is to be'plunged into thewaters and.to open oneself to the Spirit of Jesus. To be

baptized is to have the Spirit help us make order out ofthe chaos of the Sinful world into which We are born.To be baptized is to be welcomed into the Church (thenew promised land) and to be nourished there as wejourney with each other and with Jesus in his ministry.

New lzfe,.new birth, new lightTo be baptized Is to be given new birth and new life'

(John 35). It is interesting to note that same of the early'baptismal fonts had the shape of "a womb," toemphasize the new birth/new life aspect of the sacrament.

This image is related to the darkness-light themethat is also associated with Baptism (Hebrews 6:4). Inbirth we emerge from the darkness of the womb to thebright light of a new world. Some early initiationliturgies had the baptismal candidates first turn to the

• west—where the sun sinks into darkness, to renounceSatan—and then turn to the east, the direction of'dawning light, to accept Christ: -

The new life motif of Baptism. is• intimatelyassociated with Christ's passion, death and resurrection. •In discourses with his disciples regarding his approachingdeath, Jesus said, "1 have a baptism to receiVe. What •anguish I feet till it is overt" (Luke 1250). When askingJames. and John if they really knew whet theY,werewere ready to. share in his death. "Have you thestrength...to be baptized with the baptism I am to bebaptized with?" (Mark 10:38)- Pad reiteratesJesus' questions when he asks: "Are'you not aware thatWe who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptizedinto his death?,we were buried With him se that, just.as Christ was raised from the dead,we too might live anew life" (Romans 63).

It is not an accident that the baptismal liturgy of th' eyear is the Easter Vigil, the grand celebration of Christ's.Resurrection. Through Baptism we become an "Easter"people. The giving of a candle lighted from the Paschal •

Candle helps spell out this reality. It is also the way thatthe Church, through baptismal sponsors who representthe total community, "passes the torch" of Christiancommitment to those being baptized.

• •f:Off with the old, on with the neW

: Baptism ushers us into a new era. We no longerneed be slaves to sin. We put our allegiance with podand good (Rontans 6 and Colossians 3:9). To Synclizethis oldinew them. the newly baptized is dr** iti'n.••••white garment during the •ritual of Baptism..:

In the early Church- the newly 0E140 were:expected to wear the white gaititent and keeti

sik• trnidiledfor the 50 days of Easter. Today, lit most cases, it lial;becomes symbol that is presint.obly•for theichilidbli.

the cited and then is packed away witkothet.farnily •memorabilia. Among other things. the white garrnentf-.,symbolizes the Chtircli's belief that Baptismsets 4 fittfrom Original Sin. ••

But lust what is Original Sin? The Church ctin1d4tisto insist on this doctrine and upon thethe world—a point clearly echoed in et; daily 'nev0104The killings. violence, greed and dishonesty Wk0e*:::•mirrored in the media are remindarathar.all•htiningbeings inherit the sinful tendencies and Sttus:nit49a to us by previous generations-

• •Part of die beauty of Baptism: is its asstmulcithat

through this sacrament we share in Christ's,victoriibver •the power of darkness. in the world. Yet, the tioctrine.ofOriginal Sindoes not eclipse the good news that: God'smercy and saving love are stronger than the power Ofsin—even before the baptismal. waters are poured. •: ;.'

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Baptism happens, not onl•y, 'to. individua

to Christ's body,. the Church. That's Whyt,theVeklhak,,,,that we celebrate Baptism In the ChrilidamisiSeirkyVwith the comniunity present and actiVe1y,:pet#4"•46,

It is the community, after all,,who Is.weàojE,g1•.,

meenbers, journeying widvilitani. ptpyttilit.girni;

them, supporting and nburflOilkg ••,_

to us through cu. • t. It continueS With U4ditaint41. •living and enacting God's love itisicare throughto the world. That's a serious commitment.

Cioss.One of the most

touching ceremon-ies in the baptismliturgy occurswhen the priestmakes a small sign

• of the cross on thechild's forehead. and asks parents and god-parents to - do the seine. The Whole°Orden canummity. reaches into its peatfor a symbol to portray its deepest beliefabout life.-thatsymbol is the cross °Owns.

As the cross is traced upon the child% •forehead; Ouistians • remember that. Jesustasted the fuliness.of human lifeand will be-With this cluldrforevez Together with Jean%this child will touch and taste all of life'sbeauties and .sorroiva Because Jesus

present, the child will never be alone.

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A candle was once peo-ple's mostcommon source.of light during th0, darknight hours. For dinsit became a symbol ofJesus who brought us outof the kingdOm of dark: •neas into the Idngdoni oflight The diaina of Asti,

'the bringer of light, is'played opt: magnificentlyduring the Paster VigilMass when a large candle,a symbol of jams, is lit andits flame then used to kin-,die: the candles of. allpresent•. In: the baptism, ceremony this dramatic,manumt is mialled- as you the parents aregiven a; lighted candle, another reminder

that - through biptism. your _child passeshum the kingdom 'of darkness Into the -kingdom of light •

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• Olt• Twice -during the

• baptism Ceremonyyorarl child:wilt beincdnted with an.This anointing la avery ancient -Ciar7

• emony.• • le ikesgone by, oil was a healing. remedy rencta,sign of Owen }tinge, priests,imd pnipbete•

they might* stre4therrectalid healed;Irdiirini the comniunity of faith IS anim-

portant Moment in' the life oriolikone that callsfor future strength anddedica-tiOn. By rising oil, the church drainatrierTh,prayer- that this child Wili be ifirinitd

.by Grid

. and by 'the prayer eif the whole

community. 011 alto- recalls to Pi that oneday in the &firm the iptilitiaktomMiirdty,will once again. anoint this. Young Orson,on confimmtion day: Again., that anointingiStrength to live out thadernamis of the gos- •

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• pet ofJesus in everyday Iffe.• ,

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• wan WM bap-tized, young andold; were clothedIn a tang whitegarment, Whichthey wore theweek after -their baptism. The white gar-

ment reminded. aff in the conmumity.thatthese • new Christians were ClothedChrist that in a very real sense he Sharedtheir lives, and they his. They 1,iere lirgedto cur3r that new life with them and bleep.itimstained until the cliiir they met the Lord

in heaven.- - • •• _ -.• •Today we remember that -'cluttom by

dressing Wants in a. baptism' dresk and.alma children in whitedothes. Toward the

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• micro( the ceremony, a small symbolic Mlleis placed aver the dress, a reminder to airwho witness the cerepiony that we arecaned to live simply and sinlessly, even inthe mit.iseof icruel and chaotieworicL

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c• looparenIsk to, are a symbol; a sign Oftlie•

• whole churclifi concern for this new• Ill dais iiihert parents Ohm died befote• a

child reached nizturity, iodpel;Bet.f.s. prOnt-:

to izdce-on the responsibility of rearing.the In the faithif aiythilig happened

• to•the parade: Tadai they prongse to helpparents In their.buk as Christian ntiters.and fathers. •

G3dpiretts ate to. be role models for theeldhl. Therefore you Must choose godpar- ••

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aids with -care. Whit is imtiortimt Is not so

much_ how closely they *are related to the . .child al how closely they seeni related tothe Lord: Since godpanmts_ represent- the. -best of the- Christian.&miry, they should.live out itaideals in their daily hies.

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• ThroiallitYnOras with jle•-•watetoiees;bili,..caficle,wfdtegamientis.....atld thegodparently

themselves; the church speaks to -yo* atiotitthrile your chiki *Alive in the .Christrattcommimity.:Whatbetter way to•begn Yenis •role as Cbstattin patents thait to•Feetee theageless symbols of the chmtb: and to tmcielu.•stand both the burden and• tha•pralitse of'being.parentat6 yOar newlybaglized4,11. •

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Eucharist the initiation sacraments,because they are the foundations of theChristian life. Through these sacraments,we are immersed or initiated into the mysteryof Christ's saving death and Resurrection.We are reborn and consecrated by theseholy sacraments to become "a chosen race,a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God'sown people in order that you may proclaimthe mighty acts of him who called you out ofdarkness into his marvelous light" (I Peter2:9). To be a fully initiated member of theCatholic Church, one needs to be baptized,confirmed, and share In the Eucharist.

Most Roman Catholics are accustomedto the practice of infant Baptism, withConfirmation and reception of the Eucharistto follow in later years. In this commonpractice, a child's full initiation into the

Church is spread over a number of yearsunder the committed care and formation ofparents, family, and the Christian commu-nity. The celebration of Baptism for adultsand children of school age, on the otherhand, normally includes the sacraments ofConfirmation and the reception of theEucharist in the same celebration. Thismodel, for receiving the sacraments of Initi-ation follows an older tradition when adultswere prepared for Baptism over severalyears and then were baptized and con-firmed at Easter, receiving their firstEucharist at the Easter Vigil liturgy. Thispractice has always been the tradition inthe Eastern Churches for infants and adultsand has now been restored in the LatinChurch for adults and children of catecheti-cal age in the Rite of Christian initiationof Adults (RCIA).

BaptismWhen in Baptism we areimmersed into the dyingand rising of Christ, all oursins are forgiven, originalsin as well as all personalsin. We become a new cre-ation in Baptism. Our oldselves are put to death andwe emerge from the watersof Baptism reborn as sonsor daughters of God. Ourlives are taken up into themystery of the Holy Trinityand we become partakersof divine life. Eternal life isour promised inheritance.

Baptism, then, is more than just a ritefor Church membership. When we areJoined to Christ, we are united to him insuch an intimate way that Saint Paul couldwrite, "it is no longer I who live, but Christwho lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). One withChrist, we share his mission as priest,prophet, and king.

To be one with Christ also means thatwe are one with his Church. We "are citi-zens with the saints and also members ofthe household of God" (Ephesians 2:19).Incorporated into the Church by Baptism,"we are built up together in the Spirit into ahouse where God lives" (Christian initiation;General Introduction, 4). Christians arecalled to live in communion with oneanother, striving always for the unity forwhich Jesus prayed to his Father when hesaid, "As you, Father, are in me and I am inyou, may they also be in us" (John I7:21).

ConfirmationConfirmation is intimately connected withBaptism. It brings an increase and deepen-ing of bavtismal grace. In the sacrament of

Confirmation, we are sealed with the Giftsof the Holy Spirit. Through this anointingwith holy chrism oil and the imposition ofhands, we are conformed more closely toChrist and are more perfectly bound to theChurch so that we may bear witness to himIn the world. The Spirit of Pentecost isgiven to us so that we might have the cour-age and wisdom, unshakeable faith, andresolute spirit to be doers of the word andcredible disciples of Christ. ThroughBaptism and Confirmation, we becomemissionaries commissioned to carry on thework of Jesus. Because Confirmationimparts an indelible character or spiritualmark on the Christian, the sacrament ofConfirmation cannot be repeated.

The Catacombs of Saint Callbctus - The Cubicles of Sacraments

THE CUBICLES OF SACRAMENTS".710,'71

With these drawings•theChristians of the first centurieswished to recall theircatechumenate (i.e. theirpreparation to Baptism) andleave a message to theircontemporaries. They had

become Christians through Baptism and had persevered in their Christian life by frequentcommunion. They also wanted to remind their dear ones, and whoever visited their tombs,that one day they would be united again only if they shared the same means of salvation.

The BaptismAs the Fathers of the Church taught in their writings, these means of salvation wereprefigured in the Old Testament This appears in the miracle of Moses striking the rock,enabling the Jewish people to quench their thirst in the desert (gx17,1-71). The Baptism ofChrist is also a prefiguration of Christian Baptism.On the back wall in Cubicle A2 is found the oldest representation of a true ChristianBaptism: a priest dressed in tunica and pallium places his right hand on the head of theperson being baptized, and standing in a stream.Other representations of Baptism are the fisherman, the Samaritan woman at the well ofSichem, the paralytic in the pool of Bethesda.

I Cubicoll del Sacramenti0 Pontificia Commissions di Amheologia Sacra

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In this Gallery A, on the left side,1 there are five small rooms, truly1 family tombs. Their importance

is due to the frescoes which dateback from the beginning of the3rd century. They frequentlydepict symbolically thesacraments of Baptism and ofthe Eucharist.

The EucharistAs seen in these cubicles the preference of the Christians for the symbols of the Eucharistgoes to the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Jo 6,1-15). Through thismiracle, Jesus promised a very particular and different bread: his body ( Jo 6,22-59). Thescene of the multiplication of the loaves is always repeated in the same way: seven personsit round a table. The number seven is symbolic and indicates that all are called by God tobe saved. Two or three dishes with loaves are placed on the table, and at the sides of thetable are baskets of bread which may contain seven to twelve loaves.The Biblical JonahThe prophet Jonah, a biblical figure very dear to the early Christians, appears in all thesecubicles. Jonah had preached repentance and conversion to the inhabitants of Nineveh,that is to the pagans. Jonah symbolizes the call to salvation of all men, whether Jews orpagans. Indeed, since the faithful buried in this crypt were originally all pagans, the prophet

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The Catacombs of Saint Cabals - The Cubicles of Sacraments Page 2 of 2

came to be the image of God's universal mercy.Jonah is also a symbol of resurrection. Jesus himself quotes Jonah as a figure of thisreality: "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the be* of the whale, so will the Sonof man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, and then rise again (Mt12,40).

The "Martyrs' Staircase"At the end of the Cubicles of Sacraments there begins the "Martyrs' Staircase", excavatedabout the middle of the 2nd century, and which still preserves steps of that period. It wascalled the "Martyrs' Staircase" because the Popes buried in the nearby crypt passed thatway. It is also thought that young Tarcisius used it when he came to pray at the tombs ofthe martyr popes, or to get the Eucharist and carry it to the Christians in prison or in theirhomes during a period of persecution.

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Baptism is a symbol of Christ's passion •• You were led'don' to the font of holy baptism justas Christ was taken down from the cross and placed inthe tomb which is before :your eyes. Each of you wasasked, "Do you believe in the name of the Father, andof the Son, and of the Holy. Spirit?" You made the pia-fession of faith that brings salvation, you were plungedinto the water, and three times you rose again. Thissymbolized the three days Christ spent in the tomb.

As our Savior sent three days and three nights inthe ,depth of • theearth, -so • y9ur -first rising from thewater represented the first day and your first immersionrepresented the first night. At.night.-A- man ,cannot see,

but in the day he walks in the light. So-when you wereimmersed in the water it was like night for yowand you

• could not see, but when Toti rose. again it was• like. corn-ing into broad daylight. In the ssinie instant you diedand were born again; the saving water was both yourtomb. and your mother. •

St*MOrt'-&phrase in, another •cOntext is very: apposite

' here. He spoke Of a time to 'Vim birth, and a time to die.'F9r you, however, it •wa the reverse: a time to die, anda time to be born, althoUgh in fact both events took placeat the smile time and your birth was simultaneous withyour death.' . .• • •I•• • • •. •

• This is something amazing and unheard of! It was notwe who actually died, were •buried and rose again; Weonly did' these things symbolically, but we •have' beensaved in actual fact. It is 'Christ who s.vas_Frn,cified; who

• was binied and who rose again, and , all this has been •itiributed•-to.. us. We share in his Sufferings syrnbOlic-ally

and gain salvation in reality. What boundless love 'formen! Christ's undefiled hands were pierced. by the nails;he suffered the pain.. I experience•no pain, no anguish,.yet by the share that have in his iuffe:tings he freelygrants me. salVation:

Let no one imagine that baptism consists only in the• - •forgiveness of sins and in the grace of adoption. Ourbaptism is not like the baptism of John, which conferredonly the forgiveness of sins. We know perfectly well that

•! baptism, besides washing away our sins and bringing' the gift of the Holy Spirit, is a symbol of the sufferings

of Christ: This is why Paul exclaims: Do you not knowthat when we were baptized into Christ 7esus we •were,by that very action, Sharing in his death? By baptism. wewent with him into the tomb.

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Catechism paragraphs 1285-1321, 1631

The sacrament of Confirmation completesthe grace of Baptism.

When adults or older children are baptized,they are usually confirmed immediatelyafterward by the same priest who baptizedthem. Lilo Baptism, Confirmation imprintsa permanent spiritual mark, or character, onthe soul, so a person can receive thissacrament only once.

Unless the person to be confirmed is aninfant or very young child, the Church hassome requirements for Confirmation: Theperson must be baptized, profess his or herfaith in Christ, be in a state of grace, andreally want Confirmation. Each personconfirmed must be willing to be an activemember of the Church who gives witness toa belief in Christ by the way he or she lives.

The rite of Confirmationusually takes place

during Mass. Thesacrament is givenwhen the bishop layshis hands on theperson's head andthen anoints theperson on theforehead with the oil

of chrism while

saying, "Be sealed with the gift of theHoly Spirit"

Perhaps you are already familiar with theseven gifts of the Holy Spirit They are:

Wisdom: to help us make wisedecisions that keep God first inour lives.Understanding: to help us grasp themeaning of the truths of our faith.Counsel (or right judgment): to help usseek good advice from others and alsoto give good advice when we are asked.Knowledge: to help us know all we canabout God and our faith.Fortitude (or courage): to give us innerstrength to live our faith even when it'sdifficult to do so.Piety (or reverence): to help us truly

• love and worship God.Fear of the Lord (or wonder and awe):to help us appreciate the wonders ofGod's love all around us.

Confirmation pours these gifts into oursouls. By our Confirmation, these gifts arepoured out into the Church and from herinto the world. The Holy Spirit continuesto make us holy!

At Confirmation, the bishop calls each person being confirmed by his or herConfirmation name. A person can choose to use his or her given name.Many people, however, choose to take another name, not to replace theirown name but to add another patron saint on whose life a person can modelhis or her own life.

Confirmation•••• •

NIL Overview of Sacraments

In the early Church there was no mention of 7 sacraments.Early Christians did hold some actions higher thanothers—for instance, baptism and eucharist

In the 12th Century one document actually listed 30 sacs.

By this time, rituals we know as 7 sacraments were gainingprominence.

Ins the 13th Century — the 7 sacraments were affirmed

The Council of Trent (1545-1563) defined the meaningand the number of sacraments.

Please look at the diagram in your packet:

The first sacrament that we receive is BAPTISM, in which

die to sin and rise to new life in Christ. Baptism washes

away original sin—which is not something a person doesbut it comes with being human as we enter a worldof sin. It is a sin for us only in an analogous sensebecause we have not willed it. It is part of ouroriginal state or condition rather an action of ours—a tendency toward alienation from God.

Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ andcalls us to ministry.

I RCIA -111 - Overview of Sacraments

Catholics believe that you are baptized only one time—as

long as the baptism is with water and the name of the

Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Christian

faiths such as Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians,

Episcopalians, Lutherans, Baptists—all who are followers

of Jesus Christ—come under the umbrella of Christianity.

So in RCIA, if you have been baptized, you are not

baptized again and you are called a CANDIDATE. If you

have not been baptized, you are called a CATECHUMEN.Baptism in the first few centuries was administered

mostly to adults. Baptizing members of Christian familiesduring infancy gradually became normal practice.

The symbols of baptism are water, which is vital forlife; oil which is healing and strengthening by the HolySpirit; Candle which represents Jesus as the Light of theWorld and is warm, inviting and comforting; and theWhite Garment which is a symbol of purity and ourbecoming a new person in Christ. Baptism is the firstSacrament of Initiation.

RCIA - 1111 Overview of Sacs.

The second sacrament of initiation is CONFIRMATION.

Confirmation focuses on spiritual adulthood. In the

sacrament we receive the SEVEN GIFTS OF THE

HOLY SPIRIT, which are KNOWLEDGE,

UNDERSTANDING, WISDOMN,COUNSEL, COURAGE,

REVERENCE, WONDER AND AWE.

Symbols are the laying on of hands and the oil which is

called CHRISM.

EUCHARIST, (HOLY COMMUNION, BLESSED

SACRAMENT) is the Third Sac. Of Initiation. The word

"Eucharist" means "Thanksgiving" so there is always an

emphasis on giving God perfect thanks and praise.

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In the Eucharistic liturgy bread and wise are consecrated.This consecration brings about a change called

TRANSUBSTANTIATION.

Bread and wine become the BODY AND BLOOD OF

CHRIST. This is the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Christ's presence has taken over the bread and wine,

so that, for us who believe, it is no longer merely bread

and wine but Christ himself.

After Mass, the remaining Hosts are placed in the

tabernacle in reserve for those who wish to receive Jesus

in the Blessed Sacrament when they are sick or dying.The tabernacle is in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

RCIA members are asked to participate in the Communion

Procession by placing hands across chest as you approach

the priest or minister and to receive a blessing until you

have come into full communion with the Church.