Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on the 3rd Sunday during Lent.

My dear Parishioners,

Peace! There are seven (7) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding the Sacrament of Confirmation. The following is a reflection on article 1320.

The essential rite of Confirmation includes both matter and form. The matter of Confirmation is the anointing with Holy Chrism. Chrism is the perfumed oil used in Baptism, Confirmation, priestly and episcopal Ordination, as well as the consecration of Churches and Altars. Chrisim is consecrated by the Bishop during Holy Week at the Mass of the Chrism. The form of Confirmation includes both a gesture and words spoken by the minister. Interesting here, the Catechism includes the practice of both the East and West, reminding us of the universality of the Church.

There are two (2) different customs concerning the anointing with Holy Chrism in the Sacrament of Confirmation. In the West, the anointing with Holy Chrism is made on the forehead. This single, simple anointing, corresponds well with the Roman Liturgy which has a certain directness and noble simplicity, even if it tends to the cerebral.

In the East, the anointing with Holy Chrism is made on the forehead and the organs of the senses, such as the eyes, nose, ears, mouth… This more baroque anointing reminds us that God does not limit His grace only to our minds but even to all the senses which feed the mind

In both the East and West the imposition of hands of hands takes place in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Each of the sacraments invoke the Holy Spirit, through this epicletic gesture (the imposition of hands). Sacred Scripture presents the imposition of hands in relation to blessings and the transmission of the Spirit and worship (cf. Matthew 19:13; Acts 8:17; 28:8; 1 Timothy 5:22; Exodus 29:10, 15, 19).

The form or words used to signify the Sacrament of Confirmation are similar yet distinct in both the East and the West. The eastern Byzantine Rite uses the form: ‘Receive the mark of the gift of the Holy Spirit,’ while the Roman Rite uses the form: ‘Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ ‘The gift of the Holy Spirit’ is the same in both rites. To be marked and to be sealed are not unrelated. A mark was put on Cain as a sign of divine protection (cf. Genesis 4:15). Ezekiel was directed by God to mark the foreheads of those who sighed and mourned for the abominations committed in the land (cf. Ezekiel 9:4). Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, sealed letters with his ring, identifying them as his (cf. 1 Kings 21:7–8). Letters written on behalf of king Ahasuerus were also sealed with his ring to show they belong to him (cf. Ester 3:12; 8:8, 10). Even Jesus, the Son of Man, was sealed by the Father (cf. 6:27). In this vein to be sealed or marked is to belong to the one whose seal or mark is upon us, namely God.

God bless you!

Father John Arthur Orr