Through the Sacrament of Confirmation we receive 'The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit' which strengthen us to play our part in continuing the mission of Jesus.
At Confirmation we receives the seven special gifts of the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us as we face the many pressures and temptations in life. These gifts develop in us as we respond to God in our daily lives and enable us to understand how to remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus as taught in the Scriptures and by the Church.
The Church is the only True Interpreter of Scripture in the world. It is "The pillar and ground of the Truth," (1 Timothy 3:15) "built on the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets." (Ephesians:2:20) Whenever there is a question regarding faith and morals and the interpretation of the Scriptures we need always ask, "What does Jesus teach, as recorded in Holy Scripture?" And, "What does the Church authoritatively and traditionally teach in His Name?" "Who hears you, hears Me." (Luke 10:16)
Every Church teacher must conform to Church and Scriptural teachings as interpreted and taught by the Holy Fathers, Papal Encyclicals, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. All these must be in harmony. Beware the voice not in harmony, even if that voice be the voice of the Pope himself. The voice and commands of Jesus in the Scriptures take precedence over all. He promised His Apostles and disciples, "The Holy Spirit will remind you of all that I have said, and not one word of the Scriptures will be lost." (John 14:26; 17:8,17; Matthew 5:18-19; 24:35)
Jesus commissioned His Church to teach and act as His authority in the world saying to Peter, (in company with His other Apostles,) "I give to you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, what you bind upon earth shall be bound in Heaven." (Matthew 16:19) "Who hears you hears Me." (Luke 10:16) And, "Whose sins you forgive, are forgiven." (John 20:21-23) "I will be with you all days until the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20)
The Bishop (or priest) prays that all who are being confirmed will receive the 'The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit' to help them live as true witnesses of Jesus in the world.
He prays:
'All powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;
by water and the Holy Spirit (at Baptism)
You free your Your sons and - daughters from sin
and give them new life.
Send Your Holy Spirit upon them
to be their helper and guide.
Give them the spirit of Wisdom and Understanding,
the spirit of Right Judgement and Courage,
the spirit of Knowledge and Reverence.
Fill them with the spirit of Wonder and Awe in Your Presence.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.' Amen.
These gifts of the Holy Spirit are not separate from one another.
Rather, they work together as they are received from the same Spirit.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit help us to play active roles in the Church community. As we develop them, they grow within us and we find ourselves more able to take up our challenge as followers of Christ, and to resist those temptations which would hinder us in our striving to live as true children of God.
Come Holy Spirit.
Fill the hearts of Your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of Your love.
Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created,
and You will renew the face of the Earth.
Holy Spirit, strengthen me with the gift of Wisdom so that I may see all things as God sees them. Help me to work out what is true and right as I face life's challenges and difficulties.
Holy Spirit, develop within me the gift of Understanding so that I may speak Your truth with confidence and love.
Holy Spirit, give me the gift of Knowledge, of knowing what God the Father wants of me, so that I may live according to God's will, and enter into a deep and personal relationship with the Father and the Son.
Holy Spirit, through the gift of Courage, help me to stand by the beliefs I shall profess at my Confirmation. Help me especially when I am faced with the dilemmas of following the trends in the world which do not know or reflect Your love.
Give me the Courage to always carry through what I know to be right.
Holy Spirit, enable me to reflect on the teachings of Jesus in making my decisions throughout my life.
Holy Spirit, through the gift of Reverence, enable me to respond freely to Your help so that I may honour and praise God by truly living the values of the Gospel in my daily life.
Holy Spirit, awaken in me the gift of Wonder and Awe, so that I may see the wonder of the world through the eyes of a child. Let me experience the wonder of God's real Presence living within me, so that I may see all the wonders of His Creation as a constant reminder of Who and what God Himself is: the God of Power and Might; the God of Life and Being Itself; Who has called us all to share in the wonder of His own Divine Life and Being, as His children, forever.
Endless wonder... Endless thanks and praise... O, Beautiful, Wondrous God...
For example:
It is important for us always to seek help and guidance when we need it - preferably from those we know who love and care for us and whom we know we can trust - who we know are able to give us wise counsel from their own experience.
And, so it is, that throughout our lives, from time to time, we find we need help and guidance to assure us that the decisions we are making are always good and right.
As we respond to the Holy Spirit we find His 7 special gifts developing within us. These are called: 'The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit'. They help us to understand and nurture us in our growth and development as God's own children. We are His children. He is Our Father.
Enables us to work out what is truly important, to discern what is truly good and right, and to always seek God's will and guidance in all the situations and questions in our lives.
Enables us to develop an understanding of Jesus' teachings and how they apply to give us confidence and strength in facing all the different situations in our lives.
Enables us to know what God has revealed; and to develop a faithful personal loving relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Enables us to do what is right, and gives us the strength to face and overcome the challenges and contrary pressures which rise against us.
Enables us to make good decisions by applying the teachings of Jesus, the 10 Commandments and the dictates of Natural Law in face of the difficult questions we face in life.
Enables us to develop our devotional and faithful relationship with God, loving more and more the eternal, just, faithful, loving, inviolate values and attitudes of the Gospel.
Enables us to be always aware of God's abiding Ever-Presence throughout His Universe, present in every situational event in the life of every creature, and present in our own, such that He can say, "What anyone does, even to the least of the brethren, you do to Me." (Matthew 25:40,45) And, "Not even a sparrow falls to the ground, without the Father knowing about it." (Matthew 10:29)
We, and all things, are all constantly transparent before Him.
"O Wonder, beyond Wonders, O God, How Great Thou Art!!!"
To help us to discern what is true and right:
To help us to understand the teachings of Jesus:
To help us to know what God has revealed:
To help us to rise above challenges and pressures:
To help us to make decisions that are truly good and right:
To help us to develop our relationship with God:
To help us to sense and be constantly aware of God's Presence:
In our own hearts may we often pray, calling God to be always with us in our trials, that He constantly strengthen us with the presence of His Holy Spirit living within us, remembering... "Who is joined to God is one Spirit with Him." (1 Corinthians 6:17) And, that whosoever believes in Him, "Has (already) passed from death to life." (1 John 3:14)