Get ready for the Spirit

Intro.

Why does the Latin/Roman Catholic Church make us wait until we are around 16 to receive Confirmation?

The Eastern Catholics get confirmed at baptism, its called Chrismation. Some of you might have been also, its legit.

But the Sacraments imitate the Christian journey,

Birth, Food, Falling and getting back up, strengthening, job/mission/family, death

And just as you aren’t ready to be a parent when you are 1 yo, so too you’re not ready to bear witness to Christ with your mind, but of course one is with their cuteness.

I can appreciate our tradition that says that the bishop is the ordinary minister (just like the apostles), saying, “be sealed with the holy Spirit” and that we are not lacking any grace needed for salvation.

Examples of Seals

Catechism of the Catholic Church II. The Signs and the Rite of Confirmation

1295 By this anointing the confirmand receives the “mark,” the seal of the Holy Spirit. A seal is a symbol of a person, a sign of personal authority, or ownership of an object. Hence soldiers were marked with their leader’s seal and slaves with their master’s. A seal authenticates a juridical act or document and occasionally makes it secret.107 (698)

1296 Christ himself declared that he was marked with his Father’s seal. Christians are also marked with a seal: “It is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has commissioned us; he has put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”109 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 eschatological trial. (1121)

Songs 6 “Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal upon your arm” - Marriage is a sealing. And just as marriage to your spouse looks differently than if you married someone else, so too does life with Christ look uniquely His, a life lived with Him is different immensely than without.

Revelation 5&6 - The book is sealed, the last Testament with seven seals and the four riders emerging. A bowman, peacetaker, like a taxman, death, then came the martyrs in their white robes, a shaking of the heavens and the earth, and lastly the trumpet.

Genesis 38 - The Cord and Seal

Ezekiel 9:4 - Tau on the Forehead

Ezekiel 9:4 NABRE

and the Lord said to him: Pass through the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and mark an X on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the abominations practiced within it.

6 Slay ... but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary.

John 6 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

Example of Anti-Seal

The Mark of the Beast - Rev. 13:16-17 “It forced all the people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to be given a stamped image on their right hands or their foreheads, so that no one could buy or sell except one who had the stamped image of the beast’s name or the number that stood for its name.”

The simony of Simon Magus. “You have no share or lot in this matter, for your heart is not upright before God.”

Example of Mary and the Saints

Mary too is called our Advocate. Just like the Holy Spirit.

That’s because Mary’s mission is completely in line with God’s.

When did the Holy Spirit fall upon her?

When the holy Spirit overshadowed her.

“Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us...”

Why do we want her eyes? because how can a child fall with mom’s eyes on them?!

How can we not be saved if we are close to her? And what would make her turn her eyes toward us.

She looks at God! and when we are in a state of Grace she sees us.

And we too can participate in the plan of God, becoming one in will with Him

The Holy Spirit not only gives us power, but peace, shalom.

Wisdom is both the knowledge of and judgment about “divine things” and the ability to judge and direct human affairs according to divine truth (I/I.1.6; I/II.69.3; II/II.8.6; II/II.45.1–5).Understanding is penetrating insight into the very heart of things, especially those higher truths that are necessary for our eternal salvation—in effect, the ability to “see” God (I/I.12.5; I/II.69.2; II/II.8.1–3).Counsel allows a man to be directed by God in matters necessary for his salvation (II/II.52.1).Fortitude denotes a firmness of mind in doing good and in avoiding evil, particularly when it is difficult or dangerous to do so, and the confidence to overcome all obstacles, even deadly ones, by virtue of the assurance of everlasting life (I/II.61.3; II/II.123.2; II/II.139.1).Knowledge is the ability to judge correctly about matters of faith and right action, so as to never wander from the straight path of justice (II/II.9.3).Piety is, principally, revering God with filial affection, paying worship and duty to God, paying due duty to all men on account of their relationship to God, and honoring the saints and not contradicting Scripture. The Latin word pietas denotes the reverence that we give to our father and to our country; since God is the Father of all, the worship of God is also called piety (I/II.68.4; II/II.121.1).Fear of God is, in this context, “filial” or chaste fear whereby we revere God and avoid separating ourselves from him—as opposed to “servile” fear, whereby we fear punishment (I/II.67.4; II/II.19.9).

Theres a distinction here between baptism and the falling of the Holy Spirit.

Phillip the deacon baptizes

The Apostles come and laid their hands on the people and the Spirit fell on them.

During the Protestant Reformation, Luther wrote, “Hence it is sufficient to regard confirmation as a certain churchly rite or sacramental ceremony, similar to other ceremonies, such as the blessing of holy water and the like. For if every other creature is sanctified by the word and by prayer, (1 Timothy 4:4 f.) why should not much rather man be sanctified by the same means? Still, these things cannot be called sacraments of faith, because there is no divine promise connected with them, neither do they save; but sacraments do save those who believe the divine promise.” (1520 treatise, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church:, https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/12/luther-confirmation-sacramental-not-sacrament.html)

But the Holy Church has always taught it as an article of faith, as at the Council of Trent, Hence, Pope Melchiades marks the difference between them with minute accuracy in these terms: " In baptism," says he, " the Christian is enlisted into the service, in confirmation he is equipped for battle; at the baptismal font the Holy Ghost imparts the plenitude of innocence, in confirmation the perfection of grace; in baptism we are regenerated to life, after baptism we are fortified for the combat; in baptism we are cleansed in confirmation we are strengthened; regeneration saves by its own efficacy those who receive baptism in peace, confirmation arms and prepares for the conflict." [12] These are truths not only recorded by other Councils, but specially denned by the Council of Trent, and we are therefore no longer at liberty not only to dissent from, but even to entertain the least doubt regarding them. [13]”

And from St. Clement, to St. Ambrose to St. Augustine, to St. Thomas Aquinas, the Church has always maintained this as a Sacrament. So, I trust the Church, and what poverty to not receive the gift that Christ Himself promised and intended for us to receive as the in-between and forever gift!

For now, no one may say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.’

Ps 66:4 “All the earth falls in worship before you; they sing of you, sing of your name!”

Fewer and fewer people are saying Jesus is Lord, however, the other night I saw a bunch of people, our people, being confirmed, for one reason or another. Our Church is growing.

Christ and His Church, filled with the Spirit, beloved of the Father, has a wisdom and peace that the world cannot match. And at some point you have felt this peace, that’s why you’re here. But we cannot manufacture that peace. Its just a gift, but you can receive it and hold onto it.