Confirmation is the third and final of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. Baptism allows us to be born into a new life in Christ, the Eucharist nourishes us through the power of the Body and Blood of Christ, and Confirmation strenghtens the life we live in Christ.
The Sacrament of Confirmation does the following for us:
- it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!";
- it unites us more firmly to Christ;
- it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
- it renders our bond with the Church more perfect;
- it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross. (CCC 1303)
When it comes to preparing for the Sacrament, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands." (CCC 1309)
As there are Godparents for those who are baptized, there are Sponsors for those who are to be Confirmed. These sponsors are chosen to be a moral and faithful model in the life of the person receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
In addition to sponsors, there are others who can be an excellent guide for us in living a faith-filled Christian life: The saints! Who better to show us the path to heaven than those who lived ordinary (and some extraordinary) lives like ours, and are in heaven right now?!
Because of this, we ask those who are to be confirmed to choose a saint that they will use as their "Confirmation name" and to look up to for inspiration throughout their lives.