Sacraments of Initiation

Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, as a group of three Sacraments, are called the “Sacraments of Initiation.” A Sacrament is a visible sign of God’s presence, God’s activity in our lives, in the Church and in our world. But it goes beyond that! Sacraments not only show us what God is like and what God dreams for us; Sacraments also make that happen!

What does Confirmation say to us about the God we believe in? 

Confirmation(together with Baptism and Eucharist) tells us that God wants each and every one of us to belong—first of all, to God!

Second of all, God wants us to belong to one another, to care for each other and to form a community of faith with other believers. God is a family—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and God gives us the grace, in these Sacraments of Initiation, to form human families that continue to reveal God’s love to the world.

Confirmation also tells us that our purpose in life is to know, love and serve God in all kinds of ways, but especially through one another. In this Sacrament, as in Baptism, we are anointed for service.

The prayers of Confirmation tell us something really important about how strengthens us and empowers us for service. In this Sacrament, God gives us the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit to strengthen and sustain us on the journey. These seven gifts are:

• Wisdom
• Understanding
• Right Judgement
• Courage
• Knowledge
• Reverence
• Wonder and Awe

To find out more about this great gift of God and how you can celebrate it in your life, contact your pastor or other pastoral leader.