Welcome to the Sacrament of Confirmation

This is a basic question yet there are so many different ways to answer it.

It is a Sacrament that marks the completion of a process of initiation. Baptism, the Eucharist and Confirmation are considered together as the Sacraments of Initiation. In the Early Church, they marked the entry of a convert into the Church. Throughout the history of the Christian Faith, these sacraments became separated, with Confirmation being the last to be conferred. Confirmation is therefore necessary for the completion of a process started at Baptism.

Confirmation and diamonds are similar in that both a multi-faceted. The more facets or faces a diamond has the more it sparkles. To help remember the many aspects of Confirmation you could use the following mnemonic:

		Dedication of your life to the Church and its mission to bring God's message to the world.
		end of Initiation; marks the completion of the process of Initiation into the Church which started at Baptism
		Affirming Baptismal promises; promises were said on your behalf at Baptism. Confirmation is an opportunity to affirm these promises.
		More understanding; the more you learn and practice your faith, the closer you can come to understanding God's plan for you in His creation.
		Obligation; with full membership of the Church comes a responsibility for you to follow the teachings of the Faith.
		New start; the completion of Initiation with Confirmation marks a new start in your Christian life, with new opportunities and possibilities to liveout your Faith.
		Discovery; all the previous aspects above set the scene for exploration and discovery of new spiritual depths in yourself and in those around you.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church answers this point in the following way, 'by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptised] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.'