Laying on of Hands!What is the laying on of hands?So where does this idea of laying on of hands come from? It’s a part of our Confirmation Sacrament, but how did we get there? We’ve talked about the story of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles after Jesus was raised and ascended into Heaven. Let’s set the scene to picture what we’re talking about: Jesus has died and has risen, He ascended into Heaven, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Disciples. We’re in the first century, and this new thing called Christianity is just starting up. Let me show you a few places in the Bible where the Apostles use the laying on of hands. The first is in Acts 6:1-7. It says, At that time, as the number of disciples continued to grow … So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” So they chose a handful of men, and they presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith. Here we clearly see the Apostles designating people who were strong in their faith, praying, and laying hands on them. This empowered them to spread the faith. Another example: Acts 8:14-17 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, (remember Peter is the Rock of the Church, the first Pope, and John is the beloved disciple) who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. In this passage it says that these people had been Baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus – just as you all have – but they were not complete until they received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Here’s another example: This tells the story of Saul, named Paul, getting baptized and converted – Saul used to persecute Christians and was converted when he had a vision of Jesus telling him to stop persecuting Him. After the vision, he became blind. This story in the Bible takes place after that- Acts 9:15-19 “So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.” Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength. Here you see him receiving the Holy Spirit, and being Baptized right afterwards. It points out that these two Sacraments are deeply related. A few more examples: Acts 13:2-3 This takes place in a Church in Antioch where two people named Barnabas and Saul were leaders- While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off. Acts 19:1-7 Paul in Ephesus. So here we see Paul, used to be Saul, in his ministry after he was Baptized and Confirmed: While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and came (down) to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” He said, “How were you baptized?” They replied, “With the baptism of John.” Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid [his] hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Altogether there were about twelve men. And one more example: Acts 28:8 It so happened that the father of Publius was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and, after praying, laid his hands on him and healed him. This is a decent amount of proof that the Apostles used the laying on of hands in a way that replicates what we call Confirmation, right? In all of these examples, we see Confirmation tied to Baptism, and we see the laying on of hands result in the Holy Spirit coming into someone’s life or healing in some way. So the Sacrament of Confirmation is a little more formal than someone praying over you in your house, right? Lets learn about what is called the Rite of Confirmation, or the official process of the Sacrament. So let’s look closer at the prayer that accompanies the laying on of hands. Laying on of Hands Prayer “Dearly beloved, Let us pray to God the almighty Father, For these, his adopted sons and daughters, Already born again to eternal life in Baptism, That he will graciously pour out the Holy Spirit upon them To confirm them with his abundant gifts, And through his anointing Conform them more fully to Christ, the Son of God.” Then the Archbishop extends his hands over them. “Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who brought these your servants to new birth By water and the Holy Spirit Freeing them from sin: Send upon them, O Lord, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete; Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and fortitude, The spirit of knowledge and piety; Fill them with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. Through Christ our Lord.” This prayer has multiple parts. The first part is a recognition of the power of God –This first line addresses God, just like most prayers start. The second part remembers Baptism (remember that at Baptism you were first given the Holy Spirit) That’s a pretty good explanation of what Baptism is – freeing us from sin. Baptism calls us all to a life of holiness. The first two parts are fairly easy to understand – Recognition of the power of God and the universal call to holiness through Baptism. The third part is what is called the invocation of the Holy Spirit. Invocation means “to call on, invoke, or give” in Latin. When the Bishop says these words, he is calling on the Holy Spirit to come to us – Send your Holy Spirit. The last part of the prayer lists out the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and asks him to pour those gifts out on us at Confirmation. We’ll learn more about these in a minute. The end of the prayer is like a signing off – a closing statement. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Another tie in to Christ as our only route to get to God. And of course, end in an ‘Amen.’ So that’s the prayer! – the recognition of the power of God, the universal call to holiness by our Baptism, the invocation of the Holy Spirit, and the request for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. At Confirmation, you’ll hear these words prayed and your sponsor will put their hands on your shoulder or your head and call on the Holy Spirit. It will be much more meaningful now that you guys have learned the importance of those actions and words. 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit Read through the descriptions of these gifts, then watch the video to better understand them. The Gift of Wisdom is our ability to value spiritual things over worldly ones. It enables us to desire the things of God and correctly order the things in our life. This gift helps us view the world through God’s perspective and the light of our faith. It instills a desire to contemplate the things of God. The Gift of Understanding helps us grasp the truths of the faith more easily and profoundly. Our human intellect cannot grasp all of God’s mysteries, but through the gift of understanding we can be lead to truth, even when we do not fully comprehend. This gift strengthens our insight through prayer, scripture, and the sacraments. The Gift of Counsel acknowledges the difference between right and wrong and bestows proper judgment. A person with right judgment avoids sin and leads a life for Christ. Counsel inspires us to speak up and encourage others to do the correct thing. It bestows upon us prudence, allowing us to act promptly and rightly in the face of difficult situations. The Gift of Fortitude sustains our decision to follow the will of God in any situation. It allows us to stand up and defend our faith, even when threatened by bodily injury or death. This gift allows us to be steadfast in our decisions to do well and to endure evil even when we do not want to. The Gift of Knowledge is awareness of God’s plan. It is not simply an accumulation of facts, but rather an understanding of God’s purpose and how we ought to respond. Knowledge helps bring to light the temptations that we face, and to discern whether to give in or live a life worthy of God’s approval. The Gift of Piety or reverence is our obedience to God and our willingness to serve him. It is not just obedience through a sense of duty or obligation, but rather obedience out of love and devotion. It facilitates a deeper respect and honor for God and His Church. The Gift of Fear of the Lord makes us aware of the glory and majesty of God and fear displeasing God and losing our connection with him because of our love for him. It helps us dread sin and fear offending God. This gift is also synonymous with the “Wonder and Awe”, which increases our desire to draw closer to God and depart from sin. What do the gifts mean to you?In the comments below, list each gift of the Holy Spirit and write down 2 examples of what it would look like put into action in your life. For example, an act of piety might be going to Mass. They can be simple, but it just helps to realize what they mean. At the end of your comment, list which gift of the Holy Spirit you think you need most in your life right now. Finally, sometime this month, take time to talk with your sponsor about the gifts and talk about which ones you need, or relate to the most.
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Renewal of Baptismal Promises!At this Confirmation class, we learned all about our Baptisms! Read on to see what you missed, what you need to know, and some announcements you need to be aware of.
5 Finger Gospel & 5 Finger Gospel Living
Questions to Answer in the CommentsMake sure to write your short responses to the following questions in the comment section.
1. How are Baptism and Confirmation connected? 2. Discuss what each of the effects of Baptism mean. 3. Why are we in need of a Savior? 4. Why did Jesus come to Earth? 5. How do we become one with Christ? 6. Why do we need to go to Confession? 7. How can we live out our faith? |
In case you missed us...Welcome to your Confirmation blog for the 2018/2019 year! In case you missed class, this is where you will come to make up the work and learning we did! Archives |