RCIA Resource – Session 30

Confirmation — Strengthened by the Holy Spirit

RCIA – Session 30
This session forms part of a structured introduction to the Catholic Faith used in parish RCIA. It is intended to be read slowly and prayerfully, alongside participation in the life of the Church. This material is offered for formation and reflection. Reception into the Catholic Church always involves personal discernment and parish accompaniment.

Aim of this session

By the end of this session, participants should understand that:

  • Confirmation completes the grace of Baptism
  • the Holy Spirit is given in a new and strengthening way
  • Confirmation equips the baptised for witness and perseverance
  • Confirmation leaves a permanent spiritual mark
  • the sacrament is ordered to mission, not simply personal maturity

This session asks:

Why does God strengthen the baptised — and what is Confirmation for?

1. Baptism Begins Life; Confirmation Strengthens It

Baptism gives:

  • new birth
  • forgiveness of sin
  • incorporation into Christ and the Church

But life must grow.

Just as natural life requires:

  • strength
  • endurance
  • maturity

so supernatural life must be fortified.

Confirmation exists because:

the life of grace needs strengthening.

2. What Confirmation Is

Confirmation is:

The sacrament by which the baptised receive the Holy Spirit, in order to make them strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.

It is not:

  • a graduation ceremony
  • a personal declaration of belief
  • a cultural milestone

It is a real sacrament in which God acts.

Penny Catechism

Q. What is Confirmation?
A. Confirmation is the sacrament by which we receive the Holy Spirit, in order to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.

3. The Gift of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is not:

  • a feeling
  • an influence
  • an impersonal power

He is:

  • God Himself
  • personally given

In Confirmation, the Holy Spirit:

  • deepens Baptismal grace
  • strengthens faith
  • equips the soul for witness

This gift is objective and real, whether or not it is felt.

4. Strength for Witness

Confirmation is ordered to mission.

Those confirmed are strengthened to:

  • profess the faith openly
  • resist error
  • endure difficulty
  • remain faithful under pressure

This does not mean:

everyone becomes outspoken or confident

It means:

grace is given to stand firm in truth.

5. The Indelible Mark of Confirmation

Like Baptism, Confirmation leaves:

a permanent spiritual mark on the soul.

This means:

  • Confirmation cannot be repeated
  • the soul is permanently configured for Christian witness

Even if a person later neglects the faith:

  • the mark remains
  • the grace can be reawakened

God’s gift is not withdrawn.

6. Confirmation and the Bishop

Confirmation is ordinarily given by the bishop to show:

  • unity with the wider Church
  • continuity with the apostles

This expresses that Confirmation:

  • strengthens communion
  • orders the person to the Church’s mission

It is not a private sacrament.
It is ecclesial.

7. Is Confirmation Necessary?

Confirmation completes Baptismal grace.

While a person can live the faith without it,
Confirmation gives strength Christ intends to give.

To neglect it deliberately is to refuse strengthening, not freedom.

Grace is offered.
It must be received.

8. Common Difficulties Addressed

“Why don’t I feel different?”
Grace is real even when unfelt.

“Is this only for teenagers?”
No — Confirmation strengthens anyone who receives it worthily.

“Can someone live without Confirmation?”
Yes, but not with the fullness of sacramental strengthening Christ provides.

9. What Is Being Asked of You Now

At this stage, you are asked to consider this:

If God offers strength for faith and witness through the Holy Spirit, am I willing to receive that gift?

That question leads directly to the Holy Eucharist.

10. Questions for the Week

Reflect quietly during the week:

  • Where do I rely only on my own strength?
  • Where do I need perseverance or courage in faith?
  • What would it mean to live more openly as a Catholic?

11. Closing Summary

Baptism gives life.
Confirmation gives strength.

Through Confirmation:

the Holy Spirit is given

faith is fortified

the soul is marked forever

Next week we will ask:

What is the Holy Eucharist — and why is it the centre of the Church’s life?

Optional Closing Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit,
strengthen what You have begun in us.
Give us courage to live the faith we profess
and perseverance to remain faithful to the end.
Amen.