Video Transcript

Edmund: Graduation. You ever notice there’s really two ways that people look at graduation? Like if you hated school, graduation might mean you’re free forever. I’m outta here. But if you had a plan for after school, you know, graduation might mean it’s just a new beginning. Like you’re ready to start your career. I’m graduating soon. Some people think the same about the sacrament of Confirmation. They think that Confirmation, especially if they received it as a teenager, is just like, you’re done going to class. But that’s not exactly it at all. Confirmation isn’t just this graduation. Yeah, I’m outta here. I’m outta here soon.

So the sacrament of Confirmation strengthens us because it’s preparing us to be sent forth. See, Confirmation completes Baptism because Confirmation and Baptism point to the Eucharist. So rather than an end, it’s really a beginning for many of us who have already received Baptism. And the Eucharist, Confirmation is a beginning of our fully initiated life in Christ and in the Church. So strengthened by Confirmation we’re sent out to witness to Jesus, to continue growing in our faith and to continue serving others. And the Church.

The Catechism says in paragraph 1316, “Confirmation affects Baptismal grace. It is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine affiliation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission and help bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds.” So Confirmation and Baptism are deeply connected because at Baptism, we receive baptism or grace and become temples of the Holy Spirit. So like take these three ropes, for example, individually, if I handed them to you like this, like it’d be a lot easier to cut. I cut it with this. I could cut it with this knife. See how easy it is.

See individually. But if I take these three chords and I were to weave them together into a single strand, now it’s much, much harder than a cut. So through Baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit, and through Confirmation we receive a strengthening of something that we already have. And we’re strengthened in Confirmation by being more closely associated with the Church’s mission. And by being sent out to spread and proclaim Jesus Christ through our words and deeds. So if by graduation you think that Confirmation just means you’re done learning or growing in your faith, then yeah, you’re really missing out. But if by graduation you mean that Confirmation strengthens us and prepares us to be sent out, that we’re ready now to be sent out on mission, then yeah, you have a better understanding of what Confirmation really is. Confirmation strengthens us to go and share Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit with others. And this is how Christians are sealed with the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Confirmation.