Catholic Faith Refresher Course

" Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: and strengthen me with a perfect spirit."
( Psalm 50: 14 )

DIRECTlONS TO THE STUDENT
The first few months after your Catholic Baptism, your first confession and first Holy Communion, you will be thrilled with your possession of the true faith and the spiritual security that is yours as a member of the Catholic Church. Your faith is founded on conviction and on God's grace. However. you might find it very difficult to lead a good Catholic life some months or years after your conversion. For your protection, God has given you a very special Sacrament, the Sacrament of ConfIrmation, which you are now going to study. Be sure to receive this Sacrament from the bishop when he comes to your parish.

A. YOUR CONDITION AFTER BAPTISM IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH You have the grace of God. You are a child of God. You are an heir to the kingdom of God. You share in the life of God. You havc peace of conscience, and all the happiness of a Catholic life. After Baptism, however. you are not too strong. You have all your old habits to fight. The world and its allurements beckon to you. The sting of the flesh bothers you. Satan is fighting against you more than ever before. You must be loyal, watchful, brave. It is not easy to be a good Catholic. Because you are still only a "baby" Christian, the life of grace is weak. Therefore you need special grace to be strong.

B. THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION GIVES YOU THE GRACE TO BE A GOOD CATHOLIC       Confirmation is a special Sacrament made just for this purpose: to give you the grace to be a strong Christian and a soldier ofChrist. Even the twelve Apostles had to be strengthened after their Baptism. The Apostles were not only weak, but cowardly. When Our Lord was captured by His enemies, they hid in an upper room because they were afraid. Christ was killed on Calvary . The Apostles feared that they might be next. They spent nine days in prayer ( a novena) begging God to help them, to protect them and to strengthen them. God answered their prayer.

C. THE HOLY GHOST CAME TO THE APOSTLES

The Holy Ghost came into the souls of the Apostles to make them strong.

"And when the days of Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place.And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty wind coming: and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire: and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the H oly C host: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. ..(Acts 2: 1 -4 )

D. THE MARVELOUS CHANGE IN THE APOSTLES

A marvelous change came to the souls of the Apostles. They were changed from weak to brave men. They no longer cared about danger to their bodies. They went forth and preached to the enemies of Christ. They were so full of zeal to preach Christ that some people thought they were drunk on that day of Pentecost.

Peter scolded the people and bade them: " Do penance: and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:88)

That day three thousand were instructed and baptized. They made more Christians, more priests, more bishops. They spread the Church through the world.

E. THE APOSTLES NOT ONLY HAD BEEN CONFIRMED (MADE STRONG) BUT THEY ALSO HAD POWER TO CONFIRM OTHERS

The Scriptures tell how the Apostles went about giving Confirmation to those who were "only baptized".

'Now when the apost/es, who were in Jerusa/em had heard that Samaria had received the word of God. they sent unto them Peter andJohn. Who, when they were come prayedfor them that they might receive the Ho/y Ghost. For he was not as yet come upon any of them. but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands upon them: and they received the Holy Ghost." (Acts 8:14-17)

Saint Paul went to Ephesus to confirm the people : The disciples at Ephesus were baptized" And when Paul had imposed his hands on them. the Holy Ghost came upon them: and they spoke with tongues and prophesied." (Acts 19:6)

In the Catholic Church we have always had from the earliest times this wonderful Sacrament. Saint Cyprian, a bishop in the third century, tells us this: ". ..they who are baptized ...are presented to the bishops. ..and by our prayer and imposition of hands they receive the Holy Ghost and are perfected with the seal of the Lord."

Saint Jerome in the fourth century says: "The imposition of hands should be performed over baptized persons and the Holy Ghost thus invoked. ..were there no Scriptural authority at hand, the consent of the whole world in this regard would have the force of law." (Dial. adv. Lucifer) Today the bishops, as successors of the Apostles, have this same power.

F. THE WONDERFUL CARE OF CHRIST FOR YOU       God has led you to the Catholic Church (and school) .God has given you the opportunity to receive a course in religious instructions. You have seen perhaps how foolish and evil your life has been. You have been led by the kindness of the priests and sisters whom God put here to help you. God wants you. God gives you the grace to give up sin. You have been baptized, but you are terribly weak. The Church is like a loving mother. She gives you Baptism, the Body and Blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sin, and now, a special Sacrament to enable you to be a good Catholic, a Sacrament to make you strong.

A child receives the Sacrament of Confirmation when he needs it most, at about ten or eleven years of age. Shortly after this the temptations come, and the child needs special grace to help him conquer sex temptations, the lure of the flesh, and the bad example of worldy people all around him. Just as the Apostles were made strong by special grace, so you and your children receive new and extraordinary graces from Confirmation which makes you strong.

G. YOU RECEIVE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST

The special gifts of the Holy Ghost are strengthened in Confirmation. These gifts are: Wisdom -a desire for things of God. This gift directs your whole life for God. Understanding -helps you to know more clearly the mysteries of faith. Counsel- perfects your judgment. Knowledge -enlightens your mind. Fortitude- strengthens you to do the will of God in all things. F ear of the Lord -makes you fear to lose the love of God. Piety -enables you to love God as a Father.

H. THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY GHOST The fruits of the Holy Ghost are the good works which you perform by the power of the Holy Ghost whom you have received. These are: Charity -the works of charity .Joy- the satisfaction that comes from living right. Peace -the contentment that comes from your victory over evil. Patience -the strength to bear with the failings of others. Benignity -the works you do because of divine love. F aith -works performed from your belief in God. Modesty .continency. chastity -God 's aids to you to live a modest and pure life.

I. HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR CONFIRMATION

Some weeks or months after your Baptism, you will have to prepare yourself for ConfIrmation. To receive Confirmation, you must be a baptized Catholic, free from mortal sin and well instructed. You must have a sponsor, a person of the same sex as yourself, but not the same person you hadat Baptism. You must also take the name of another Saint besides the name you received at Baptism.
 
J.THE WONDERFUL DAY OF CONFIRMATION

Confirmation is the occasion of a big celebration in every parish church. The church is beautifully decorated and clergy from all the neighboring parishes are here to honor the bishop and the Sacrament he will give this night.

The bishop extends his hands over all the people he is confirming while he asks the Holy Ghost to come into their souls. He then anoints their foreheads with the holy oil in the form of a cross and says: "1 sign thee with the sign of the cross and I confIrm thee with the chrism of salvation in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

Oil is used on athletes to make them strong and agile; the oil of ConfIrmation makes your soul strong and agile by the special grace it gives. The bishop gives you a blow on the cheek as he says, "Peace be with thee." The blow is to remind you that you are a soldier of Christ and should be ready to suffer for Christ.
 

K. DO YOU HAVE TO BE CONFIRMED TO GET TO HEAVEN?

God did not say you must be confirmed in order to save your soul. This Sacrament is not like Baptism which is absolutely necessary for salvation. But without Confirmation, the grace in your soul could wither away like a hot-house flower exposed to the weather; you could become a weak Christian; you might even give up the true faith and the You will be terribly tempted by your past habits, by the pagan, careless world around you; you will be inclined at times to miss Mass, to eat meat on Friday, to violate God's Laws on Marriage and Chastity. Therefore, you need every help God has given you. For these reasons, it is usually a sin to neglect to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

L. PRACTICAL POINTS YOU MUST KNOW

Ask the priest when Confirmation will be given in your parish. There will be some special classes in preparation for this Sacrament. Be sure to be there for these special classes.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW From Lessons 27 & 28

1.   What does Baptism do for your soul?

2.   What does Confirmation do for you?

3.   Can one enter Heaven without Baptism?

4.   Who gives Confirmation?

5.   How soon after a chid is born should he be baptized?

6.   Is it absolutely necessary to be confirmed?