|
1
John 1:9
Walking
in the light
1
John 1
9If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness. |
Classes
for public school students in grade eight,
high school students and adults who are seeking
full membership in the church through Confirmation
please watch for registration notices in the
Parish bulletin in September.
R.C.I.A. is a process of
welcoming into our Catholic Community ADULTS
who are seeking a deeper union with God through
a personal relationship with Christ and membership
in our Church. Baptized Catholics who have
not received first Eucharist and Confirmation
are also welcomed.
A
vital component of the R.C.I.A. process is
the role of Sponsor. Practicing Catholics
are invited to act as companions on the R.C.I.C.
journey of faith - offering support, care
and prayer for their candidates. It is a wonderful
opportunity to grow in your own faith by sharing
your faith and friendship. Sponsors
must be the same sex as the candidate.
If you are interested in participating in
the R.C.I.A. programme as a candidate or sponsor,
please call 905-273-6630.
R.C.I.C. (Rite of
Christian Initiation of Children)
The R.C.I.C. is a process which prepares children
of catechetical age (7-14) for Baptism, Confirmation
and Eucharist. It is an invitation for children
to hear the Word of God, to reflect and begin
to develop a personal relationship with God
as they respond to the mystery of God's love
in their lives. For more information, contact
the Parish office.
The
Sacrament of Confirmation
Catholic
Encyclopedia Reference Link
A sacrament in which the Holy Ghost is given
to those already baptized in order to make
them strong and perfect Christians and soldiers
of Jesus Christ.
It
has been variously designated: bebaiosis or
confirmatio, a making fast or sure; teleiosis
or consummatio, a perfecting or completing,
as expressing its relation to baptism. With
reference to its effect it is the "Sacrament
of the Holy Ghost", the "Sacrament
of the Seal" (signaculum, sigillum, sphragis).
From the external rite it is known as the
"imposition of hands" (epithesis
cheiron), or as "anointing with chrism"
(unctio, chrismatio, chrisma, myron). The
names at present in use are, for the Western
Church, confirmatio, and for the Greek, to
myron.
PRESENT
PRACTICE AND DOCTRINE
Rite
In
the Western Church the sacrament is usually
administered by the bishop. At the beginning
of the ceremony there is a general imposition
of hands, the bishop meantime praying that
the Holy Ghost may come down upon those who
have already been regenerated: "send
forth upon them thy sevenfold Spirit the Holy
Paraclete." He then anoints the forehead
of each with chrism saying: "I sign thee
with the sign of the cross and confirm thee
with the chrism of salvation, in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost." Finally. he gives each a slight
blow on the cheek saying: "peace be with
thee". A prayer is added that the Holy
Spirit may dwell in the hearts of those who
have been confirmed, and the rite closes with
the bishop's blessing.
The
Eastern Church omits the imposition of hands
and the prayer at the beginning, and accompanies
the anointing with the words: "the sign
[or seal] of the gift of the Holy Ghost."
These several actions symbolize the nature
and purpose of the sacrament: the anointing
signifies the strength given for the spiritual
conflict; the balsam contained in the chrism,
the fragrance of virtue and the good odor
of Christ; the sign of the cross on the forehead,
the courage to confess Christ, before all
men; the imposition of hands and the blow
on the cheek, enrollment in the service of
Christ which brings true peace to the soul.
(Cf. St. Thomas, III:72:4).
Minister
The
bishop alone is the ordinary minister of confirmation.
This is expressly declared by the Council
of Trent (Sess. VII, De Conf., C. iii). A
bishop confirms validly even those who are
not his own subjects; but to confirm licitly
in another diocese he must secure the permission
of the bishop of that diocese. Simple priests
may be the extraordinary ministers of the
sacrament under certain conditions. In such
cases, however, the priest cannot wear pontifical
vestments, and he is obliged to use chrism
blessed by a Catholic bishop. In the Greek
Church, confirmation is given by simple priests
without special delegation, and their ministration
is accepted by the Western Church as valid.
They must, however, use chrism blessed by
a patriarch.
Matter
and Form
There
has been much discussion among theologians
as to what constitutes the essential matter
of this sacrament. Some, e.g. Aureolus and
Petavius, held that it consists in the imposition
of hands. Others, with St. Thomas, Bellarmine,
and Maldonatus, maintain that it is the anointing
with chrism. According to a third opinion
(Morinus, Tapper) either anointing or imposition
of hands suffices. Finally, the most generally
accepted view is that the anointing and the
imposition of hands conjointly are the matter.
The "imposition", however, is not
that with which the rite begins but the laying
on of hands which takes place in the act of
anointing. As Peter the Lombard declares:
