What is Confirmation?

What is Confirmation?

Confirmation is a church practice that falls into the category of what the Book of Common Prayer calls “other sacramental rites” that are a means of grace, but not “necessary for all persons” in the same way that the two Sacraments of the Gospel (Baptism and the Eucharist) are.

In confirmation, “we express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop.” Those to be confirmed must be baptized and sufficiently instructed in the Christian Faith, penitent for their sins, and ready to affirm their confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (BCP p. 860).

Confirmation is about maturity and mission

Confirmation, then, is all about maturity and mission.

First, confirmation is about maturity: It is for those who want to express for themselves a commitment to live out their baptismal vows and receive spiritual strength to do so. In this, it is closely connected with Baptism. But whereas Baptism highlights one’s birth into the body of Christ, Confirmation stresses a commitment to growth in Christian life. In confirmation, we seek to live out what St. Paul writes in Ephesians about growing up into the full measure of Christ (Eph. 4:13).

Also, confirmation is about mission: it “marks” a person for undertaking the vocation to which he or she has been called. In this regard, Confirmation is sort of like Ordination, but for lay people: it marks you out for a specific calling. This is because it is every Christian’s vocation to proclaim the gospel and to live into a life of holiness. This is part of why Confirmation is linked to the bishop’s presence. As Ordination into the priesthood requires the bishop’s presence, so too, in Confirmation, the bishop’s presence signifies that the person being confirmed is now charged with the duty of carrying on the apostolic mission as a lay person in the Church.

Are you interested in Confirmation?

If you’re interested in confirmation, fill out our contact form to get connected with a priest who can share more details about preparation and the next opportunity.