Figure 8-1: A baptismal font.
Chapter 8
Entering the Church: Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation
In This Chapter
Defining the three Sacraments of Initiation
Baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Understanding the threefold meaning of the Holy Eucharist
Confirming the promises made at Baptism
Three of the seven sacraments — Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation — are classified as Sacraments of Initiation. Through Baptism, people enter (are initiated into) the Catholic Church. Through Holy Eucharist, which is also called Holy Communion, they express their unity with the Church — all her doctrines, laws, and practices. Through Confirmation, they’re considered personally responsible for their faith.
The Eastern Catholic Church administers all three Sacraments of Initiation at the same time — at infancy. The Latin (Western) Catholic Church separates the three sacraments into completely different celebrations at different ages. Normally, infants are baptized, children receive Holy Eucharist at the age of reason (around 7 years of age), and adolescents or young adults are confirmed at ages ranging from 7 to 18 years old, but many Catholics are confirmed at around 14 years old. This chapter explains the Sacraments of Initiation and offers insight into the ceremonies of Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. (Chapter 9 explains the rest of the seven sacraments.)
Come On In — The Water’s Fine
Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments. It’s the one sacrament that all Christian denominations share in common, even though each faith community baptizes at different ages and some only in one way, such as immersion. A few Christian denominations only baptize by completely immersing or dunking the person head to toe in the water, but most allow immersion or infusion such as the pouring of water over the head of the new Christian. Like the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Orders (see Chapter 9), you’re baptized only once. These three sacraments confer an indelible mark on the soul, which can never be repeated and is never removed. So, no one can ever be unbaptized or re-baptized.
In the eyes of the Catholic Church, any Baptism that uses water and the invocation of the Holy Trinity, as well as the intention to do what the Church does — that is, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” — is a valid sacrament. So Catholicism regards Episcopalian, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, United Church of Christ, Assembly of God, Church of the Nazarene, Church of the Brethren, Amish, Church of God, Disciples of Christ, Adventist, and Evangelical Baptisms to be valid. And if a follower of one of these Christian churches wants to become Catholic, he doesn’t have to be re-baptized.
That said, Catholicism doubts the Baptisms in the following faith communities to be a valid sacrament: Christian Scientists, Quakers, Salvation Army, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Unitarians/Universalists, Christadelphians, and Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). The reason has nothing to do with the religions themselves or their members, because all espouse a true love of God and neighbor. The reason merely has to do with what Catholicism considers to be a valid sacrament.
Becoming Christ’s kith and kin
Your first birth from your mother’s womb made you a member of the family established by your parents and their respective families. You have an immediate family of parents and siblings and an extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and such.
Just as natural birth ushers people into blood and marriage relationships, Baptism — as a supernatural birth — establishes ties to spiritual families. By being baptized, born again of water and the Spirit, new Christians become children of God by adoption. In other words, they’re adopted into the family of God; they can’t be born into that family because they’re human and God is divine. Jesus Christ, God and man, divine and yet human, becomes their brother. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, becomes their spiritual mother because siblings share a relationship with the parents. If Jesus is their brother by adoption, then His mother, Mary, becomes their mother by adoption.
Baptism also connects the new Catholic to the Church. The title Father is given to the priest because he typically does the baptizing. The Holy Mother Church, the Catholic Church, gives birth to the new Christian from the spiritual womb of the baptismal font. The water of the baptismal font has been likened to the waters that surround the baby in the womb — thus the reason it’s called the spiritual womb. A person is reborn through the waters of Baptism with the assistance of the priest doing the baptizing. It’s only an analogy, but it has endured for 2,000 years.
At the moment of Baptism, a new Catholic joins the local parish and diocese as well. The parish is the faith community of a neighborhood, composed of Catholic families in that area; the diocese is the faith family of many parish communities in one geographic region of the state. So, if you were baptized at Notre-Dame de Paris in France, for example, you’d be a member of the Roman Catholic Church at large, a member of the Archdiocese of Paris, and a member of the Notre-Dame Cathedral Parish, all at the same time.
Washing away original sin
More than making connections and relationships, Baptism also washes away original sin, the sin of the original parents of the whole human race: Adam and Eve. The Book of Genesis (1:26–27) says that God created man in his own image and likeness, male and female. The first man was called Adam, and the first woman, the wife of Adam, was called Eve. They were the prototype man and woman, and their sin affected all men and women after them. And the Bible says that their sin was disobedience.
Biology has shown that you inherit many physical characteristics from your natural parents — eye and hair color, facial features, body shape, and so on. Good and bad traits and some diseases are handed down from generation to generation. In the same way, original sin is transmitted from generation to generation by birth.
Original sin doesn’t mean that a baby in the womb somehow commits a sin before being born. If Junior kicks too much inside, he’s not being a bad boy, for example. Mom just may have had too much spicy Italian sausage. To the Catholic Church, original sin isn’t a personal sin of the unborn but a sin transmitted from generation to generation by birth. All men and women are born with original sin, and only Baptism can wash it away.
Catholicism sees original sin differently from actual sin, which is what a rational person does when she consciously, deliberately, and willingly disobeys God. Original sin is the natural inclination to sin.
Think of it this way: Nobody is born with polio, measles, or chicken pox, but folks aren’t born with any immunity to these diseases, either. A baby needs to be vaccinated so the human body can produce its own antibodies and fight these diseases when it’s exposed to them. Likewise, on the spiritual level, human beings are born with a weakened resistance to temptation and sin, and this condition is part of original sin.
Baptism is to original sin what the polio vaccination is to the polio virus. Baptism restores what should have been — a spiritual resistance to sin and temptation. The first sin of the first parents, Adam and Eve, wounded human nature, and everyone inherited that wounded nature from them. Baptism washes it away.
In addition to getting rid of original sin, Baptism also imparts or infuses sanctifying grace, a special free gift from God. Sanctifying grace makes the new Christian a child of God and applies the merits of Jesus Christ, His suffering and death for sins, to the new Christian personally because the person being baptized is mentioned by name. Catholicism believes that sanctifying grace allows human beings to enter heaven. It justifies them in the eyes of God by uniting them with the Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Without sanctifying grace, one can’t stand before the utter holiness of God who is sanctity personified. Normally, you receive this special grace only through the sacraments, but God does provide some means to make sure all men and women have the potential and possibility of salvation (that is, baptism by blood or baptism of desire).
Baptizing with water
The most common form of Baptism is by water (we explain what blood and desire have to do with Baptism later in this section). The Gospels say that one must be born again of water and the Holy Spirit (John 3:5). The early Christians and their successors have been baptizing with water for almost two millennia but with some slight differences:
Immersion: Some Christian denominations fully immerse a person in water up to three times while saying the invocation of the Holy Trinity, also known as the Trinitarian formula, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Aspersion: Other Christians sprinkle water on the forehead of the one being baptized and then invoke the Trinitarian formula.
Infusion: Catholics (mostly Latin) baptize by pouring water over the head of the one being baptized while the Trinitarian formula is pronounced.
All three methods use water and the invocation of the Holy Trinity. Water (good old H2O) is the only liquid that can be used for this form of Baptism. (The priest or bishop can’t use oil, milk, or any other liquid.) Immersion or infusion is preferred to aspersion.
Many people ask why Catholics baptize infants whereas other Christians wait until the individual is old enough to decide for himself whether he wants to be baptized. Fair question. Think of it this way:
At your birth, you were given a name by your parents. You had no choice in the matter. Once you’re 18 and a legal adult, you can change your name, but from the day you are born, you need an identity. Imagine if your mom and dad waited until you were old enough to choose your own name. Not practical, is it? Similarly, Baptism defines you as a child of God. Your identity as a Christian is established at baptism.
Where you’re born and/or the nationality of your parents determines your citizenship; it isn’t deferred until you can decide for yourself. Citizens have rights and obligations. Likewise, Baptism makes you a member of the family of faith called the Church. As a member, you benefit from your rights from day one (see Chapter 11).
In the past, infant mortality was so high that many babies didn’t survive birth or early childhood, so Baptism as an infant insured that their souls wouldn’t be denied heaven. In ancient times, there was no firm teaching on baptism of desire. Medieval theologians developed a theory of Limbo being a place where unbaptized infants went. Later came a fuller and expanded understanding of the baptism of desire and the universal salvific will of God (that all men and women be given the possibility of salvation). Today, with modern medicine and progress, it’s not the fear of death but rather the hope for great potential and wonderful possibilities that encourages Catholic parents to baptize their children. It gives them an identity and a spiritual beginning. Anyway, the New Testament affirms that entire households were baptized, which meant the parents and children as well. So infant Baptisms have occurred from the very beginning.
Recognizing the role of sponsors or godparents
Every child or adult about to be baptized must have a sponsor unless he or she is in danger of death. The sponsors in Baptism have traditionally been called godparents. The minimum requirement is one sponsor, but usually when infants are baptized, they get two, one of each gender.
Canon law permits only one godparent of each gender — a godmother and godfather. For an adult or a child being baptized, these sponsors
Can’t be the parents of the one being baptized
Must be at least 16 years old
Must be practicing Catholics who go to Mass every week, are not invalidly married, and live a good Christian life
Must be already confirmed
If someone can’t find two practicing Catholics to be the godfather and godmother, then one sponsor can be Catholic and the other a Christian witness if that person is a baptized Protestant Christian in good standing.
Being a godparent carries with it no legal right or ecclesiastical authority to the custody of the children. Prior to the medical advances of the 20th century, when people died at an earlier age because of illness, godparents were the practical choice to raise a child if both parents died before the son or daughter grew up. Babies had two godparents in case one would not be able to fulfill the job of raising the child. Nowadays, however, custody is a strictly legal matter that parents must decide with their attorney. Being a godparent means more than giving Christmas and birthday gifts every year. It means actively being a good Christian witness and example, a role model, and a supporter by regularly and faithfully practicing the religion.
What goes on at a Baptism?
Baptisms in the Catholic Church usually take place on Sundays, during the parish Mass or in the early afternoon after all the Masses are over. It all depends on the parish, the pastor, and the parents. Adults who were never baptized are an exception to this rule; they’re highly encouraged to be baptized with other adults on Holy Saturday evening, during a service known as the Easter Vigil, because it’s held on the night before Easter Sunday. Children, however, are baptized once a month or every Sunday, depending on the diocese and parish.
The person being baptized is asked to dress in white. Some parishes put a small white garment on the child, especially if she isn’t already dressed in white. When adults are baptized, they typically put on a full-length white gown known as an alb, from the Latin word for white.
The white garment symbolizes the white garments that Jesus wore when he was placed in the tomb after his death on Good Friday. When the women and disciples returned on Easter day, they found the tomb empty except for the white robes. So it represents the promise of the Resurrection, made at Baptism. The promise is that the baptized body will one day die, like Christ’s did, but it’ll be raised from the dead someday by Christ. White also symbolizes purity of faith and cleansing.
The priest or deacon is usually the minister of Baptism, but anyone can baptize in an emergency, such as in a hospital or whenever someone’s life is in danger. Here are the steps that occur during both infant and adult Baptism:
1. During the Baptism of an infant, the priest or deacon asks the parents, “What name do you give your child?”
He doesn’t ask this question because he’s too senile to remember or too blind to read the child’s name on the card in front of him, but because that person becomes a child of God by name and Jesus becomes her brother by name as soon as the person is baptized. The parents respond aloud, ideally with a Christian name, such as one of the saints or heroes of the Bible.
In adult baptism, skip this step.
2. The priest or deacon asks, “What do you ask of God’s church for your child?”
The parents respond, “Baptism.” If an adult is being baptized, she answers the same.
3. In infant baptism, the priest or deacon asks the parents and the godparents whether they’re willing and able to fulfill their duties to bring up this child in the Christian faith.
4. As a symbolic gesture, the priest or deacon makes the sign of the cross with his thumb gently on the forehead of the child or adult.
This sign is made to show that the cross of Christ has saved her.
The parents and godparents do the same.
5. A particular passage from the Bible is read, usually from the New Testament, where Baptism is mentioned or alluded to.
6. After some other prayers, the first anointing takes place.
The infant’s white garb is pulled slightly beneath the neck so the priest or deacon can smear a little Oil of Catechumens (blessed olive oil) on the infant’s neck with his thumb. The same anointing takes place for an adult.
The oil symbolizes that the person, born into the world, is now being set apart from the world by the anointing. She is soon to be baptized and therefore belongs not to the world but to God and heaven.
7. The priest or deacon blesses the water of Baptism.
The prayer recalls how water has played an important role in salvation history as recorded throughout the Bible: It represents a sign of new life, the washing of sin, deliverance from slavery, and a new beginning.
8. The first part of the baptismal promises are made: renunciation of evil.
Because an infant can’t speak for herself, mom, dad, and the godparents answer for her. The priest or deacon asks, “Do you renounce Satan? And all his works? And all his empty promises?” If things go well, everyone says “I do.” If not, you have to check for devil worshippers among the crowd. Later, probably when she’s 14 years old, the child answers those same questions on her own before the bishop. Adults who are being baptized answer for themselves.
9. The second part of baptismal promises follows, with the Apostles’ Creed put in question form: “Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?”
Again, the hoped-for response is “I do.” Then the other two persons of the Trinity are mentioned: “Do you believe in Jesus Christ. . . ?” and “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit. . . ?” And, once again, parents and godparents answer for infants; adults answer for themselves.
10. The actual Baptism takes place.
In infant Baptism, the immediate family gathers around the baptismal font (see Figure 8-1), and the child is held over the basin while the priest or deacon pours water three times over the child’s head and says his first and middle name, and then, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Usually, the baby cries, because the water tends to be a little cool. (In the Eastern Catholic Church, the formula is: “The servant of God, [name], is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Confirmation (Chrismation) and Holy Communion are also given at the ceremony when one is baptized in the Eastern Church.)
In adult baptism, the catechumen holds her head over the basin, and the priest pours water over her head; or, if baptized by immersion, she enters the pool, and the priest dips her head into the water three times.
11. The priest or deacon anoints the top of the new Christian’s head with chrism oil.
Flip to Chapter 7 to find out where chrism oil comes from.
The anointing symbolizes that the newly baptized Christian is now exactly that — a Christian. The word Christ means anointed, and a Christian is someone who’s anointed in Jesus Christ. This anointing also means the person is now to share in the three-fold mission of Christ — to sanctify, proclaim, and give Christian leadership and example to the world. Now, a white garment is usually presented to the newly baptized.
12. A Baptismal candle is lit from the burning Easter Candle, which is present throughout the ceremony.
It symbolizes that the new Christian is a light to the world.
13. The Our Father is said and a blessing is given for mom, dad, and the family, and everyone celebrates.
If you’re invited to a Baptism
You don’t need to be Catholic or even a Christian to attend. Your presence is a sign of love, support, and friendship for the parents and for the baptized.
If you’re a Christian, you may want to join in the renewal of baptismal promises when they’re asked.
Receiving the sacrament of Baptism in other ways
Every person must be baptized to receive salvation. Baptism by water is probably what you think of when you imagine Baptism, but people can still receive the sacrament of Baptism sans the water, white garment, and priest. Baptism by blood and by desire are two valid forms of Baptism under certain circumstances.
Shedding blood for Christ
From a.d. 60 to the end of the third century, the Romans violently persecuted the early Christian Church. Christianity wasn’t even legal until after Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan in a.d. 313. During those first 300 years of Roman persecution, many who believed in Christ as the Son of God weren’t yet baptized with water. These unbaptized believers were called catechumens, which meant that they were preparing for Baptism by study and prayer but were not yet baptized. After all, people coming from a decadent pagan lifestyle needed time to clean up their act before being baptized, and some took several weeks, months, or even a year or two to prepare for their Baptism. After Baptism, they renounced their pagan ways and did no more dabbling in the idolatry and immorality of their secular contemporaries.
These catechumens and students of Christianity, otherwise known as the pre-baptized, were treated just as if they were full-fledged baptized Christians. The Roman gladiators and animals in the arena didn’t distinguish between baptized Christians and those preparing for Baptism. Both were violently persecuted.
The notion of being baptized by shedding your own blood for Christ and/or His Church grew up during the Roman persecutions. And the Catholic Church has always revered these unbaptized martyrs — people who are killed because of their faith — maintaining that the divine mercy of God wouldn’t penalize them or ignore their sacrifice merely because they died before their Baptism by water.
In addition, Herod killed many infants (Matthew 2:16) in a failed effort to kill the newborn Christ. Those infants, known as the Holy Innocents, are martyrs, too, because they shed their blood so Christ could live. So Baptism by blood is as valid as Baptism by water. The following quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church shows what the Church has to say about Baptism by blood:
The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament. (1258)
Having the will but not the way
Part of Catholic theology is the Universal Salvific Will of God, which is just a fancy way of saying that God basically would like for everyone, all men and women, to join Him in heaven. Men and women have free will, though, so He offers the gift of grace, but men and women must freely accept and then cooperate with it.
St. Augustine (a.d. 354–430) taught that God offers everyone sufficient grace to be saved, but it only becomes efficacious (successful) for those who freely accept and cooperate with that grace. In other words, God gives every human being the chance and possibility of going to heaven. Whether they get beyond the pearly gates, however, depends on the individual person. (For more on St. Augustine, see Chapter 18.)
The official church doctrine of God’s desire that everyone have the possibility of going to heaven is clearly stated in a document from a declaration by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the Vatican office in charge of defending and explaining the faith) in 2000, which says:
“The universal salvific will of God is closely connected to the sole mediation of Christ: ‘God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.’ (1 Tim 2:4)” (Dominus Iesus, #13).
So, on the one hand, you have the doctrine of the necessity of baptism, and on the other hand, you have the doctrine of the universal salvific will of God. How can God impose a requirement if, at the same time, he wants everyone to have the same chance?
As long as a person doesn’t explicitly reject Christ and his Church and deliberately refuse Baptism, he can be saved. Nonbelievers can have an implicit desire to know and accept Christ. People who lack any knowledge of Christ and His teachings are sometimes called anonymous Christians.
Therefore, the Church believes in Baptism by desire, which allows salvation for non-Christians who, through no fault of their own, do not know or have never heard about Jesus Christ. God, being all-knowing, also knows with certitude if any person would have accepted or rejected Christ had they been given the chance and opportunity.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say about Baptism by desire:
Since Christ died for all . . . we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility. . . . Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God . . . can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity. (1260)
So while the Church consistently teaches the absolute necessity of Baptism for salvation, she also understands that it can be accomplished by water, blood, or desire.
The Holy Eucharist
The Holy Eucharist refers to the consecrated bread and wine consumed by Catholics during Communion. Like Baptism, the Holy Eucharist is also considered a Sacrament of Initiation because new members are encouraged to participate regularly and often in Holy Communion.
Of all seven sacraments, the Holy Eucharist is the most central and important to Catholicism because of the staunch belief that the consecrated bread and wine are actually, really, truly, and substantially the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ. For Catholics, the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist is not just symbolic, allegorical, metaphorical, or merely spiritual. It’s real. That’s why it’s also called the Real Presence — because Christ really is present. (For more on consecrated bread and wine, the Real Presence, and the Mass, see Chapter 10.)
Understanding the consecrated host
Catholicism maintains that Christ’s body and blood are present in the consecrated host (the wafer of bread upon which the priest says the words of Jesus from the Last Supper: “This is my body”) and in the consecrated wine (over which the priest says the words of Jesus: “This is the chalice of my blood”). Holy Eucharist refers to the three aspects of Christ’s body and blood — as sacrifice during the Consecration of the Mass, as Holy Communion, and as Blessed Sacrament. These three aspects form the core of Catholic belief on the Holy Eucharist.
In Chapter 10, we discuss the parts of the Mass in detail and the Holy Eucharist as a sacrifice, but this section focuses solely on the sacred meal of Communion and the Blessed Sacrament.
The word Eucharist comes from the Greek eucharistein, meaning “thanksgiving.” Catholics are grateful and give thanks to God for providing the Holy Eucharist to feed and nourish the soul.
Only wheat bread and grape wine can be used. The moment the priest or bishop says the words of consecration — the words of Christ at the Last Supper, “This is My body” and “This is My blood,” (Matthew 26:26–29) — Catholics believe that the bread and wine become the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ.
On the natural level, whatever we eat becomes part of us (that is, until there’s too much of us, and then we must go on a diet). On the supernatural plane, when Catholics eat the body and blood of Christ, they’re supposed to become more like Christ in his obedience to the Father, humility, and love for neighbors.
To Catholics, the physical act of eating the consecrated host or drinking the consecrated wine from the chalice, a blessed cup (see Figure 8-2), is secondary to the underlying invisible reality that the human soul is being fed by the very body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ. The body merely consumes the appearances of bread and wine while the soul receives Christ personally and totally.
Figure 8-2: A chalice from which Catholics drink consecrated wine.
The Holy Eucharist is food for the soul, so it’s given and eaten during Holy Communion at the Mass. However, the form and manner of distribution bear slight differences, depending on whether you attend a Latin (Western) Rite Mass or an Eastern Rite Mass:
Latin (Western) Rite: Holy Communion is in the form of consecrated unleavened hosts made from wheat flour and water, just like the unleavened bread used by Jesus at the Last Supper. The host is flat and the size of a quarter or half-dollar. Latin Catholics may receive the host on their tongue or in their hand if the local bishop and the national conference of bishops permit.
Eastern Rite: Catholics receive consecrated leavened bread (the yeast or leaven symbolizes the Resurrection), which is placed inside the chalice (cup) of consecrated wine. The priest takes a spoon and gingerly places a cut cube of consecrated bread soaked in the consecrated wine inside the mouths of the communicants without ever touching their lips or tongue.
Discovering who can receive Holy Communion
The word Communion comes from Latin: Co means “with” and unio means “union.” Communio means “union with.” Catholics believe that Communion allows the believer to be united with Christ by sharing His body and blood. The priest and deacon, sometimes with the assistance of extraordinary ministers (nonclerics who have been given the authority to assist the priest), distribute Holy Communion to the faithful (see Chapter 10 for more on what happens during Mass). Because this is really and truly the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ, receiving Holy Communion, God’s intimate visit with His faithful souls, is most sacred.
When believers receive Holy Communion, they’re intimately united with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. However, Communion isn’t limited to the communicant (the one receiving Holy Communion) and Jesus Christ. By taking Holy Communion, the Catholic is also expressing her union with all Catholics around the world and at all times who believe the same doctrines, obey the same laws, and follow the same leaders. This is why Catholics (and Eastern Orthodox Christians) have a strict law that only people who are in communion with the Church can receive Holy Communion. In other words, only those who are united in the same beliefs — the seven sacraments, the authority of the pope, and the teachings in the Catechism of the Catholic Church — are allowed to receive Holy Communion.
In the Protestant tradition, Communion is often seen as a means of building unity among various denominations, and many have open Communion, meaning that any baptized Christian can take Communion in their services. Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians, on the other hand, see Communion not as the means but as the final fruit of unity. So only those in communion can receive Holy Communion. It has nothing to do with who’s worthy.
Think of it this way: If a Canadian citizen moves to the United States, lives in Erie, Pennsylvania, works in Erie, and has a family in Erie, he can do so indefinitely. However, he can’t run for public office or vote in an American election unless and until he becomes a U.S. citizen. Does being or not being a citizen make you a good or bad person? Of course not. But if citizens from other countries want to vote, they must give up their own citizenship and become U.S. citizens.
Being a non-Catholic in the Church is like being a non-citizen in a foreign country. Non-Catholics can come to as many Catholic Masses as they want; they can marry Catholics and raise their children in the Catholic faith, but they can’t receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church until they become Catholic. Becoming Catholic is how a person gets united with and experiences union with the whole Catholic Church. Those in union can then receive Holy Communion.
Similarly, Catholics who don’t follow the Church’s laws on divorce and remarriage, or who obstinately reject Church teaching, such as the inherent evil of abortion, shouldn’t come forward to receive Communion because they’re no longer in communion. This prohibition isn’t a judgment on their moral or spiritual state because only God can know that. But receiving Holy Communion is a public act, and therefore, it’s an ecclesiastical action requiring those who do it to be united with all that the Church teaches and commands and with all the ways that the Church prays.
Partaking of First Holy Communion
When boys and girls (usually in second grade) make their First Holy Communion, it’s a big occasion for Catholic families. Like their Baptism, the day of First Communion is one filled with family, friends, and feasting after the sacred event has taken place in church.
Girls typically wear white gowns and veils and often look like little brides, and boys wear their Sunday best or new suits and ties bought just for the occasion. Some parishes have the entire class make their First Communion together at a Sunday or Saturday Mass, but other parishes allow each child to go on a different weekend.
The children are generally too young to appreciate all the theological refinements of transubstantiation, the act of changing the substances of bread and wine into the substances of the body and blood of Christ, but as long as they know and believe that it’s not bread or wine they’re receiving but the real body and blood of Jesus Christ, they are old enough to take Holy Communion. (For more on transubstantiation, see Chapter 10.)
Like Penance and the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Eucharist can be received more than once. (However, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders can’t be repeated.)
First Penance (see Chapter 9), which is going to confession for the first time, must come before First Communion.
Adult converts normally make their First Communion at the Easter Vigil, the same night they are baptized and confirmed.
Coming of Age: Confirmation
The final Sacrament of Initiation is Confirmation. Soon after babies are born and get fed, they start to grow. Growth is as vital to human life as nourishment. The body and mind must grow to stay alive. Catholics believe that the soul also needs to grow in the life of grace. Just as the human body must grow through childhood, adolescence, and then adulthood, the human soul needs to grow into maturity.
Catholics believe that Confirmation is the supernatural equivalent of the growth process on the natural level. It builds on what was begun in Baptism and what was nourished in Holy Eucharist. It completes the process of initiation into the Christian community, and it matures the soul for the work ahead. The Eastern Catholic Church confirms (chrismates) at Baptism and gives Holy Eucharist as well, thus initiating the new Christian all at the same time.
Too often, Confirmation is the bribe to get Catholic kids who go to public school to attend CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine), also known as religious education classes. As long as they attend eight years of CCD, they’re eligible for Confirmation.
But Confirmation is more than a carrot on a stick to keep kids in CCD classes. This Sacrament of Initiation means that they become young adults in the Catholic faith. During an infant’s Baptism, parents and godparents make promises to renounce Satan and believe in God and the Church on behalf of the child. At Confirmation, before the bishop, the young adult renews those same promises, this time in her own words.
So what occurs during Confirmation? The Holy Spirit is first introduced to a Catholic the day that she’s baptized, because the entire Holy Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — are invoked at the ceremony. During Confirmation, God the Holy Spirit comes upon the person, accompanied by God the Father and God the Son, just as he did at Pentecost. The Feast of Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit from heaven to earth upon the 12 apostles and the Virgin Mary, occurring 50 days after Easter and 10 days after Jesus’s Ascension (Acts 2:1–4).
This sacrament is called Confirmation because the faith given in Baptism is now confirmed and made strong. Sometimes, those who benefit from Confirmation are referred to as soldiers of Christ. This isn’t a military designation but a spiritual duty to fight the war between good and evil, light and darkness — a war between the human race and all the powers of hell.
Traditionally, the 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. These are human qualities that can be activated by the Holy Spirit. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts are supernatural graces given to the soul. With these fruits and gifts, confirmed Catholics are now equipped to live out their baptismal call to holiness as adult members of the faith.
A bishop is the ordinary minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation. However, priests can be delegated by the bishop to confirm young people of the parish or adult converts being brought into full communion.
The following occurs during the Sacrament of Confirmation:
The ceremony may take place at Mass or outside of Mass, and the bishop usually wears red vestments to symbolize the red tongues of fire seen hovering over the heads of the apostles at Pentecost.
Each individual to be confirmed comes forward with his sponsor. The same canonical requirements for being a godparent in Baptism apply for sponsors at Confirmation. At Baptism, Junior’s mom and dad picked his godfather and godmother; for Confirmation, he picks his own sponsor. The sponsor can be the godmother or godfather if they’re still practicing Catholics, or he may choose someone else (other than his parents) who’s over the age of 16, already confirmed, and in good standing with the Church. One sponsor is chosen for Confirmation.
Each Catholic selects his own Confirmation name. At Baptism, the name was chosen without the child’s consent because the child was too little to make the selection alone. Now, in Confirmation, another name — in addition to the first and middle names — can be added, or the original baptismal name may be used. It must be a Christian name, though, such as one of the canonized saints of the Church or a hero from the Bible. You wouldn’t want to pick a name like Cain, Judas, or Herod, for example, and no secular names would be appropriate.
The Catholic being confirmed stands or kneels before the bishop, and the sponsor lays one hand on the shoulder of the one being confirmed. The Confirmation name is spoken, and the bishop puts chrism oil on the person’s forehead, says his name aloud, and then says, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The person responds, “Amen.” The bishop then says, “Peace be with you.” And the person responds, “And with your spirit” or “And also with you.”
Latin (Western) Rite Catholics are usually baptized as infants, receive First Communion as children, and are confirmed as adolescents. Adult converts who’ve never been baptized are baptized when they become Catholic; they’re confirmed and receive their First Communion at the same time. Or, if adult converts were baptized in a Protestant Church, they make a Profession of Faith, are confirmed, and receive Holy Eucharist — typically at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday. Eastern Rite Catholics are confirmed at the same time they are baptized.
Confirmation means accepting responsibility for your faith and destiny. Childhood is a time when you’re told what to do, and you react positively to reward and negatively to punishment. Adulthood, even young adulthood, means that you must do what’s right on your own, not for the recognition or reward but merely because it’s the right thing to do. Doing what’s right can be satisfying, too. The focus is on the Holy Spirit, who confirmed the apostles on Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4) and gave them courage to practice their faith. Catholics believe that the same Holy Spirit confirms Catholics during the Sacrament of Confirmation and gives them the same gifts and fruits.