In my new parish I am about to begin, for the first time here, a time of catechesis for the sacrament of Confirmation. I have been looking at some resources which have been made by another priest of the Leeds Diocese, and have been struck by the beauty of this sacrament.
Confirmation represents the desire of Christ Jesus himself to give this anointing in addition to the grace of Baptism. Christ desires that his followers should have the fullness of the gift of his life.
So, as Confirmation builds upon the grace of Baptism, we can see what the nature of this sacrament is: it is the fullness of the gift of the Holy Spirit for taking one's place within the Church, that is, being able to use one's life for God. And it is the fullness of the gift of the Holy Spirit for evangelisation, that is, for being able to bring new life into the Church.
In a sense, the sacrament of Confirmation represents a new evangelisation of the person being confirmed, and a new awareness within the Church of Christ's desire to transform the reality of human life by letting it come into contact with, and share in, his glorified humanity.
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