What does the Holy Spirit which you receive during confirmation do for us?

Answer 1

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Catholic AnswerThe effects of Confirmation is a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit (whom we receive in all of the sacraments, but most especially in Confirmation), the seven gifts of the Spirit are in bold in the indent near the end:

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from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 19941303 From this fact, Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of the baptismal grace:

-it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "ABBA! Father!; (Rom 8:15)

- it unites us more firmly to Christ;

- it increase the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;

- it renders our bond with the Church more perfect; (Cf. Lumen Gentium 11)

- it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross: ( (Cf. Council of Glorence {1439}: Denzinger-Schönmetzer, Enchiridion Symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum {1965} 1319; Lumen Gentium 11; 12.)

Recall then that you have received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God's presence. Guard what you have received. God the Father has marked you with his sign; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has placed his pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts. (St. Ambrose, De myst. 7, 42: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina {Paris: 1841-1855} 16, 402-403.)

Answer

In Confirmation,we receive the Holy Spirit in renewed strength.We receive the different gifts of the Holy Spirit. Like:knowledge,wisdom,fear of the Lord,courage,understanding,counsel and piety.If we use them in a proper way,we receive the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Answer 2

In my opinion:

I don't think they really do. I was confirmed when I was eleven. I wasn't a very good person before that, and I wasn't a very good person after that. It didn't do anything. I think that Confirmation is merely a ceremony. No actual Holy Spirit is present in the priest's words or in the annointing of the chrism or anything like that. Really, any man's change from evil to good is accomplished by a firm decision, by generosity, and by resistance of the temptation to elevate oneself in the status of this world; not by a priest's words or by oil.

You can disagree with me if you want, though.

Answer 3

In The Bible, in Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit came in tongues of flame, perhaps so that the apostles, or at least Luke's readers, would believe that the Spirit had come. This does not happen in Confirmation. Presumably, if you are being confirmed, you are a believer, so it is a matter of belief alone that the Holy Spirit has come.

Answer 4

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Catholic AnswerThe Sacrament of Confirmation is covered in the Catechism of the Catholic Church beginning with paragraph 1285-1321, the effects of Confirmation are covered in paragraphs 1302-1305

from

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

1303

From this fact [ 1302 . . .that the effect of the Sacrament of Confirmation is a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost], Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace:

-it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!"; (Rom 8:15)

-it unites us more firmly to Christ;

-it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;

-it renders our bond with the Church more perfect; (Cf. Lumen Gentium 11)

-it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross: (Cf. Council of Florence {1439}: Denzinger-Schönmetzer, Enchiridion Symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum {1965} 1319; Lumen Gentium 11; 12)

Recall then that you have received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God's presence. Guard what you have received. God the Father has marked you with his sign; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and placed his pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts. (St. Ambrose, De myst. 7, 42: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina {Paris: 1841-1855} 16, 402-403)

It is believed in the Catholic faith that when a person is Confirmed, they receive the Holy Spirit in their soul. It is the next step after Baptism.

Confirmation is partly based off of Pentecost in the Bible. Christ promised to send His Spirit (Acts 1:8), and 10 days after He ascended, He did. "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4). The apostles were afraid before Pentecost and hid because they did not want to meet the same fate that Jesus did. However, once they received the Spirit they were bold and proclaimed the Gospel without fear.

Acts 8:14-17 tells about the difference between Baptism and Confirmation: "Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." This happens again several times in Acts. This laying on of hands was necessary for the Holy Spirit to come, and it is the origin of Confirmation.

When we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation we are confirming what we believe and saying that yes, I really do believe this and I want to live as Jesus wants me to. The Holy Spirit comes to strengthen us and give us the courage to do this as well. He also gives us the gifts of wisdom, understanding, council, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

I have added a link to the Catechism of the Catholic Church so that you may see what else the Catholic Church teaches on Confirmation.

Answer 5

The symbolism of the Holy Spirit and the oil of chrism is to be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be presumed "Filled with God".

Answer 6

The Holy Spirit Gives the Confirmation candidate all 7 of His Gifts. He Seals them, just as He Did on the Day of Pentecost.

Answer 7

The Sanctying Grace for the young person.