20120430 Confirmation seals soldiers for Christ 堅振確認基督的勇兵
According to the Baltimore Catechism, “Confirmation is the sacrament through which the Holy Spirit comes to us in a special way and enables us to profess our faith as strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.”
Confirmation presupposes baptism because it is a completion of the grace of baptism. Confirmation is to baptism what growth is to birth.
Form, matter, and minister
Confirmation is administered through the anointing with chrism on the forehead, which is done by the laying on of the hand, and through the words “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Bishop Louis LaRavoire Morrow, author of My Catholic Faith, writes, “By anointing the forehead with chrism in the form of a cross is meant that the Catholic who is confirmed must always be ready to profess his faith openly and to practise it fearlessly.”
“The cross marked on our foreheads at confirmation reminds us never to be ashamed to profess ourselves disciples of a crucified Saviour. We must profess our religion openly whenever we cannot keep silence without breaking some law of God or of the Church; for example, when we are challenged to make profession of our faith, when the Church is being attacked.”
In the Western Church the ordinary minister of confirmation is the bishop. Priests may act as extraordinary ministers of confirmation:
1) When a priest baptizes or receives an adult into the Catholic Church.
2) When a person is in danger of death.
3) When a priest receives the faculty from the bishop to confirm.
Sacramental effects
The sacrament of confirmation increases sanctifying grace, gives its special sacramental grace, and imprints a lasting character on the soul.
Confirmation increases sanctifying grace, along with infused virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
According to the Baltimore Catechism, “The gifts of the Holy Spirit help us by making us more alert to discern and more ready to do the will of God.”
There was a series of articles on the gifts of the Holy Spirit in this column last year from April 25 to June 20. You may read these articles at www.fatheranthonyho.ca.
According to Father Bennet Kelley, CP, “The sacramental grace of confirmation gives us strength to profess our faith even under difficulties and persecutions and to give good example to others.”
In his Question and Answer Catholic Catechism, Father John Hardon, SJ, points out that the sacrament of confirmation is referred to as the sacrament of martyrdom and the sacrament of witness.
It is referred to as sacrament of martyrdom because “it is the sacrament of testifying to Christ, in the Church, before the world.” And it is called the sacrament of witness because “it enables us to profess our faith not only courageously but also effectively.”
The character of confirmation is an indelible sign which marks the Christian as a soldier in the army of Christ.
Father Hardon writes, “The sacramental character imprinted on the soul in confirmation is a permanent gift that assimilates us to Christ in three ways. We are able to become:
1) Like Christ the priest, in bearing suffering patiently and sacrificing courageously.
2) Like Christ the teacher, by acquiring a strong will to keep the faith and a strong mind to understand and share the faith.
3) Like Christ the king, in developing qualities of leadership to withstand what is alien to the Gospel and draw others to follow Christ in extending the kingdom of Christ on earth.”
Father Kelley points out that as soldiers of Christ, our weapons are suffering and sacrifice, prayer, good example, and encouragement.
「博迪模天主教要理」寫道：「天主聖神藉堅振聖事，以特別的形式，臨到我們身上，堅強我們的信德，修成全德的基督徒，作為耶穌基督的勇兵。」堅振聖事使我們從聖洗聖事得賞的聖寵，與日俱增，更瑧完美。
形、質和施行者
施行堅振聖事時，是在額上傅上聖油、在頭上覆手，並同時道出「請藉此印記，領受天恩聖神。」
「我的天主教信仰」作者類斯.莫魯主教寫著：「以聖油用十字聖號傅在額上，是寓意教友在接受堅振聖事後，應以大無畏精神，實踐和公開承認自己的信仰。」「以聖油用十字聖號傅在額上，不以追隨被釘死在十字架上的基督為恥，在必要時 —— 包括教會被攻擊時 —— 公開宣認自己的信仰。」
西方的教會，一般施行堅振聖事的是主教，在幾種情況下，神父亦可以任非常務施放堅振聖事的主禮者：一）神父給一位成年人付洗後，或在特定禮儀中接納一位成年基督徒皈依聖教會後，都可向該成年人施放堅振。二）在教友病危之際，神父亦可施放堅振。三）主教特別授權神父施放堅振。
聖事的效果
天主增加領堅振教友的寵愛，賜以特別的聖事恩寵，並在靈魂上烙下永不磨滅的神印。
堅振增加寵愛時，也增加超性德行和聖神七恩。
「博迪模天主教要理」解釋：「聖神七恩幫助我們，更警覺去分辨善惡，使我們更願意承行天主的旨意。」
去年四月二十五日至六月二十日，我們曾談及聖神七恩，大家可到我的網站www.fatheranthonyho.ca灠閱。
有關特別的聖事恩寵，苦難會會士本篤.加里神父寫道：「堅振聖事賦予我們力量，讓在困難或受迫害中，也能宣認信仰，並成為眾人的楷模。」
耶穌會會士若望.赫頓神父在他的「天主教要理問答」一書中稱堅振聖事為「殉道聖事」和「見證聖事」——因為這聖事讓我們在教會內，向普世見證基督，並且勇敢地、有效地宣認我們的信仰。
堅振聖事的特質，是在我們的靈魂上，刻上永不磨滅的神聖烙印，標誌著我們是基督勇兵的一員。
赫頓神父指出：「堅振聖事的神印是特別的恩賜，使我們與基督同化 —— 一）相似基督司祭，勇敢地忍受世苦、作出奉獻犧牲。二）相似基督導師，用意志堅守信仰、用理知理解信仰、並分享信仰。三）相似基督君王，帶領別人堅定地信從福音、追隨基督，拓展基督的神國。」
加里神父續指出，基督勇兵的武器是：一）犧牲奉獻。二）祈禱。三）立善表。四）勉勵的說話。」