Jesus gives ample notice about the Holy Spirit and the role the Spirit plays in the economy of salvation: John 3:6-8; John 14:15-17; John 14:26; Matthew 12:31-33; Luke 24:45-49; and Luke 25:45-47 just to name a few. We see the Sacrament of Confirmation celebrated for the first time on Pentecost (50 days after Jesus’ triumphant resurrection and 10 days after His ascension into heaven). Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) is the day the Holy Spirit comes down on the 12 Apostles and our Blessed Mother and they receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit along with the ability to speak different languages (“tongues of fire”).

The Sacrament of Confirmation is the reception of the Holy Spirit and the gifts that come with the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (AKA: wonder and awe). Since the very beginning of the Church, the Sacrament of Confirmation was celebrated at the same time as Baptism. We still do this today for adults who are baptized, like at the Easter Vigil coming up on March 30 at 8:00pm. The adults in our Rite of Christian Initiation program who are being baptized will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation just after their Baptism. Our sisters and brothers in the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox still celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation right after the Baptism of infants. Why did we break away from this ancient practice? The main reason has to do with Bishops being the main administrator of the Sacrament, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Fourteen dioceses in the United States have implemented what is called “Restored Order,” meaning they celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation in second grade (age 7 – the age of reason) and then First Holy Communion in third grade (age 8) with their first Confession still celebrated before their First Holy Communion. Personally, I think this is the best compromise next to the ideal of re-connecting Confirmation with Baptism (which we already do for adults). I think this is a good idea because we’re holding back spiritual gifts from our children that could positively impact their most formative years.

The fullness of the Holy Spirit carries the gifts I mentioned above, and those gifts are necessary for young people. Waiting until their age 13+ is almost too late, especially in our current society where most teens have made up their mind about God and religion by age 13. If we can give them the fullness of the Holy Spirit and His accompanying gifts at infancy or even by age 7, we will be setting them up for spiritual success. Now, while I think this is a great idea, I’m still bound by the policies and procedures of the Archdiocese of Chicago. So, I can’t just move our celebration of Confirmation to age 7 without the Cardinal allowing me, so don’t worry if you disagree with me. No big changes are coming to St. Edward or the Archdiocese around the Sacrament of Confirmation.

One last thing about Confirmation. While this is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation, it is not a “required” Sacrament for heaven. It certainly helps! Again, the fullness of the Holy Spirit and His accompanying gifts make life a lot easier to navigate with God’s grace, but you don’t have to be Confirmed to get married or to have your own child baptized. That being said, I highly encourage all baptized Catholics to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Check with you parish RCIA or adult faith formation leaders on how you can prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation as an adult.