Assess The Importance Of Confirmation As A Sacrament

The Importance of Confirmation as a Sacrament Since the Apostolic period when Christianity was first developing as a religion, the sacrament now called confirmation has held a variety of meanings. Traditionally, confirmation was part of baptismal initiation into Christianity and did not become its own separate sacrament until the Middle Ages. Many Catholics wonder why exactly the sacrament is necessary as part of their faith, especially knowing that reformers around the sixteenth century got rid of confirmation as a sacrament. The necessity and meaning of confirmation as a sacrament in contemporary Catholicism is unclear, however there is a great deal of reason as to why Catholics should be confirmed. The sacrament of confirmation is important

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, there are three sacraments that together are necessary for salvation: Baptism, the Eucharist, and Confirmation (Catholic Church 1286). Many Catholics wonder, if Baptism is necessary and saves one from salvation on its own, why is it that confirmation is needed to complete salvation? What does confirmation give one that baptism does not? Father Ryan Erlenbush addresses these questions in his reflection for the 6th Sunday of Easter. Without confirmation, “we maintain that the Holy Spirit had not yet come to his fullness and perfection. This is what confirmation gives that is not given in baptism: the perfection of the Christian life” (Erlenbush 2011). Confirmation, therefore, is a necessary sacrament because it is symbolic as a Catholic’s striving towards the path of perfection and salvation. Those who choose to be confirmed show that they genuinely want to feel the completeness of God’s graces and are willing to complete the necessary steps to becoming closer with

While the age at which one gets confirmed has been a controversial issue since the Middle Ages, the American bishops have narrowed the confirmation age from about seven to eighteen years of age because this is the age in which one can accept the faith that was at first accepted for them through baptism (Martos 232-233). During this time, a young person faces many challenges as they accept more responsibility and discover their own unique personalities. The sacrament of confirmation is especially important to those who receive it during adolescence, as it provides a sense of faith and comfort in transitioning to adulthood. William J. Levada says, “Confirmation would then complete or seal the process of initiation begun with infant baptism, around the time these young people were preparing to leave their family to take their place as active Christians in the world” (310). The idea that Catholics be confirmed during adolescence is important because many adolescents tend to question why they are involved in the church at all – is it their own decision or the decision of their parents? Adolescents need confirmation to help them feel at home with their faith during a time of so much change and transition and questioning. Confirmation holds sacred meaning to young Catholics who may feel they are losing their sense