The Porziuncola Project
The Sacrament of Confirmation
Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love
"The apostles were gathered in prayer with Mary the mother of Jesus."
The Sacrament of Confirmation
There are seven Sacraments. Sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusred to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
It is the Sacrament by which we are more perfectly bound to the Church and enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit.
The Fruits of the Sacrament are:
1. An increase in and deepening of baptismal grace.
2. A deepening of one's roots in the divine filiation, which makes one cry
"Abba, Father!"
3. A firming of one's unity with Christ.
4. An increase of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
5. A strengthening of one's bond with the Church and closer association with her mission.
6. Special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the Faith by word and action as a true witness of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and to never be ashamed of the Cross.
7. The imprinting, as at baptism, of a spiritual mark or indelible character on the Christian's soul. Because of this character, one can receive this Sacrament only once in one's life.
The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit belong in their fullness to Christ, the Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.
1. Wisdom
-Improves our loving knowledge of God and all that leads to and comes from Him, allowing us to enjoy His presence.
2. Understanding
-Perfects our perception of the mysteries of the Faith, enabling us to penetrate more deeply into the divine truths revealed by God.
3. Counsel
-Helps us to judge promptly, correctly, and according to the will of God.
4. Fortitude
-Makes us steadfast in the Faith, constant in struggle, and faithful in perseverance.
5. Knowledge
-Enables us to discover the supernatural truths contained in God's creation and reveals the path that we should follow on our journey to heaven.
6. Piety
-Teaches us the meaning of divine filiation, leading to a true love for God as a Father and for all human beings as His children.
7. Fear of the Lord
-Increases our sense of respect in the presence of an all-powerful and loving God.
