Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the “sacraments of Christian initiation,” whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit.” Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1285

Confirmation is the second of the Sacraments of Initiation and (as the name suggests) “confirms” the gift of the Holy Spirit we received in Baptism. If Baptism makes us Christians, and brings us into the Body of Christ, in a sense Confirmation then gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to help us take our place in the mission of the Church and to live out our baptism with a deeper holiness and purpose. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus to empower his mission and work of healing, teaching and bring “good news to the poor” (see Luke 4:16). So for us, the Holy Spirit who draws us close to Christ so that we can be identified as children of God, now fills us with the gifts and capacities we need to live out that calling.

In Acts of the Apostles, we hear how the early Apostles found people who had been baptised and then, by laying on their hands, shared with them the power of the Holy Spirit which had first come upon them themselves at Pentecost (see Acts 8:15-16).

Confirmation is usually conferred by the Bishop of the diocese (in our case the Archdiocese). This is to remind us that the sacraments make us part of the Church, not only in our parish or close to hoime, but part of the Church more widely. After all, it is about our mission and our lives as witnesses to the faith we share and so it is given to us by one who represents that wider Church family of which we are part. When an adult is baptised at the Easter Vigil, the priest celebrating usually then confirms the person too, as the three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) are given together on Easter Night.

The sacrament is conferred by the bishop anointing the person with Chrism, just as in Baptism, only this time as a more concrete sign of the anointing the Holy Spirit gives us. This is shown by the words he uses as he anoints the person: “N., be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Being “sealed” in the sacrament doesn’t mean “being close” like a box or an envelope, but rather it means having that final stamp or mark of God’s presence and power upon us (more like the way a document would be “sealed” with an official stamp to prove its authenticity).

Through the Sacrament, the person is given the Holy Spirit, who is usually described as bringing seven “gifts”:

Knowledge, Understanding, Wisdom, Counsel (or Right Judgment), Fortitude (sometimes known simply as ‘Courage’), Piety (or Reverence) and Fear of the Lord (sometimes spoken of as “‘Wonder and Awe in God’s Presence’). (See Isaiah 11:2 for these as gifts the Messiah will be endowed with.)