An Explanation of the Ceremonies and
of the Wonderful Effects of the
Sacrament of Confirmation
By
A Sister of Charity of Providence
Through these pages may our little ones, from their earliest years, know and love the Divine Guest of their hearts, and be ever truly devoted to Him.
May the Holy Spirit deign to bless this humble pamphlet, and captivate with His love all who read it.
Provincial House of Providence,
Mount St. Vincent,
Seattle, Washington,
August 15, 1934.
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS SACRAMENT OF LOVE
God’s great love for us never seems satisfied, never thinks that it has done enough. We should have thought that the gift of Himself in Holy Communion would have satisfied even Infinite Love. But the Ever Blessed Trinity would pour out upon us still greater treasures. God the Father in creating us, God the Son in redeeming us and in His abiding Presence with us in the Tabernacle, proved to us Their Infinite desire to make us happy here and to bring us to eternal happiness in Heaven. What then was left for the Holy Spirit to do? He had done for us all that the Father and the Son had done, for there is only one God. In every sacrament, in every grace we receive, the Holy Spirit is at work. But He would have also a sacrament of His own, in which He might come to us in person to encourage and strengthen us to be faithful soldiers of Jesus, by pouring out upon us His gifts and His fruits.
We all know that the Holy Spirit came to us first at Baptism. As we were born in the state of original sin, the devil then had possession of us. But the power of the words uttered by the priest as he baptized us: “Depart, unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit,” forced Satan to flee from us, and the Holy Spirit came to dwell in our soul forever, if we will have it so.
The devil, however, who left us at the priest’s command is jealous of God’s love for us, and does all that he can to regain possession of our heart. He would dethrone the Holy Spirit, in order to reign supreme himself. For this reason he studies us carefully from our earliest years, and redoubles his watchfulness as we become able to use our free will. He tracks our steps, watches our faults, and plans ways to tempt us, in order to make us form bad habits that will be so strong that we can hardly overcome them.
It is just at this time in our life, when our first hardest struggles begin against our bad inclinations, and when we most need help, that God comes to arm us with His strong sacrament for our spiritual warfare, to give us strength to fight against this wicked enemy, the devil.
Let us try then to understand this sacrament and prepare our heart for the coming of the Holy Spirit, in order that we may receive all the graces that He wishes to give us.
For this purpose let us go back to that night of our Lord’s Last Supper with His Apostles. We see them gathered around Him. They have just made their First Communion, and their hearts are burning with tender love for Jesus. But now He tells them that He must leave them.
For three years they had followed Him everywhere; they had learned to love Him more than all else; they had left their homes and all that they possessed to be in His company. In return He has been everything to them. With Him they feared nothing, neither the threats of Jesus’ enemies, the rulers, nor the very devils themselves.
And now Jesus is going away! Are they to be left alone? What is to become of them, and of the great work that He had told them they were to do? Who would teach them, comfort, and protect them? Like helpless children they looked at Him; they could not speak, for their hearts were breaking with sorrow. Oh, how much did not our Lord feel for them at this hour! And as He tries to comfort them, what is it that He tells them that fills their hearts with new courage? Let us listen to His own dear words of tenderness, as He promises to send them His Holy Spirit to take His place, to be to them all that He has been, — Teacher, Comforter, Protector, Light, Strength, and Joy.
Our Lord calls them “little children,” and says that because He has told them He is going away sorrow has filled their hearts. He bids them not to be troubled, for He will not leave them orphans; He will ask His Father and He shall give them another Paraclete, whom they will know because He will be in them and will teach them all things, and will abide with them forever. He tells them that it is expedient to them that He goes; for if He does not go, the Paraclete will not come to them; but that if He goes, He will send Him to them.
We see that our Lord speaks of His going away as necessary and as a gain to the Apostles, for He who was coming to take His place was His own Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, and true God as Jesus is true God, and equal to Him and to the Father in all things. He would be everything to them as Jesus had been. Just as Jesus had by His visible presence taught them by word and example; so the Holy Spirit, He told them, would teach them interiorly, for He would reside in the depths of their hearts, and moreover. He would never leave them.
