Confirmation

Just as our bodies and minds grow, Catholics believe that our souls need to grow in the life of grace. Just as the human body must grow in childhood, adolescence, and then adulthood; the human soul needs to grow into maturity. The Sacrament of 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 the Holy Eucharist. It completes the process of initiation into the Christian community, and it matures the soul for the work ahead.

Confirmation means accepting responsibility for your faith and your destiny. 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. The same Holy Spirit confirms Catholics during the Sacrament of Confirmation and gives them the same gifts and fruits. These gifts are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.  The twelve fruits given are charity (or love), joy, peace, patience, benignity (or kindness), goodness, longanimity (or long-suffering), mildness (or gentleness), faith, modesty, continency (or self-control), and chastity.