Last Wednesday, January 29, the General Audience began at 10:30am in Saint Peter's Square. The Holy Father met there with pilgrims and with the faithful who had gathered there from all across Italy and from various locations around the world.
During the catechesis, which he spoke in Italian, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the Sacraments, concentrating this time on the Sacrament of Confirmation. Following the summaries of the catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father spoke greetings to various groups of the faithful who were present.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In this third catechesis on the Sacraments, we will reflect on Confirmation or Cresima, which is understood in continuity with Baptism, to which it is connected in an inseparable way. These two Sacraments, together with the Eucharist, make up one salvific event - Christian initiation - with which we are inserted in Jesus Christ, who died and is risen, and become new creatures and members of the Church. This is why originally these three Sacraments were celebrated at the same time, at the end of the catechumenal journey, normally during the Easter Vigil. Thus the course of formation was sealed and a gradual insertion in the Christian community, which could sometimes last even several years. It was done step by step in order to arrive, first at Baptism, then at Confirmation and finally the Eucharist.
Ordinarily one speaks of the Sacrament of Cresima, a word which means anointing. And, in fact, through the oil called sacred Chrism we are conformed, in the power of the Spirit, to Jesus Christ, who is the only true Anointed One, the Messiah, the Holy One of God.
The term Confirmation, therefore, reminds us that this Sacrament brings a growth of Baptismal grace: it unites us more firmly to Christ; it brings to fulfillment our bond with the Church; it gives us the special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith, to confess the name of Christ and never to be ashamed of His cross (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1303).
For this reason it is important to be concerned that our children, our young ones celebrate this Sacrament. We all must take care that they be baptized: and this is good, but perhaps we don’t care so much if they receive Confirmation: they remain half-way and do not receive the Holy Spirit, which is very important in Christian life, because it gives us the strength to go forward!
Let us think, each one of us: do we, truly care that our children and our young ones receive Confirmation? This is important, it is important! And if you have children in your home, young ones who have not received it yet and are of age to receive it, do everything possible to bring this Christian initiation to fulfillment so that they may receive the strength of the Holy Spirit. It is important!
Of course it is important to give the candidates for Confirmation a good preparation, which must seek to lead them to personal adherence to faith in Christ and to awaken in them the sense of belonging to the Church.
Confirmation, like every Sacrament, is not the work of men but of God, who takes care of our life in order to mould us in the image of His Son, to make us capable of loving like Him. He does so by infusing in us His Holy Spirit, whose action pervades the whole person and the whole of life, as shining through the seven gifts that Tradition, in the light of Holy Scripture, has always evidenced. These seven gifts: I do not wish to ask you if you remember the seven gifts. Maybe you all do ... but I will say them in your name. What are these gifts? Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of God. And these gifts are given to us by the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. I intend to dedicate to these gifts the catecheses that will follow those of the Sacraments.
When we receive the Holy Spirit in our heart and allow Him to act, Christ Himself makes Himself present in us and moulds our lives. Through us, it will be Him who prays, who forgives, who infuses hope and consolation, who serves brethren, who makes Himself close to the needy and the least, who creates communion, who sows peace. Think of how important this is: through the Holy Spirit, Christ Himself comes to do all this in our midst for us. For this reason it is important that children and young ones receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Dear brothers and sisters let us remind ourselves that we have received Confirmation! All of us! Let us remember it first of all in order to thank the Lord for this gift, and then to ask Him to help us to live as true Christians, to walk always with joy according to the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Following the summaries of this catechesis, spoken in various languages, the Holy Father presented greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims who were present. To the English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims present at today’s Audience, especially those from Scotland, Ireland and the United States. My special greeting goes to the pilgrimage group from the Diocese of Rapid City, accompanied by Bishop Robert Gruss. Upon you and your families I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!
During the catechesis, which he spoke in Italian, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the Sacraments, concentrating this time on the Sacrament of Confirmation. Following the summaries of the catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father spoke greetings to various groups of the faithful who were present.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the last General Audience of January
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In this third catechesis on the Sacraments, we will reflect on Confirmation or Cresima, which is understood in continuity with Baptism, to which it is connected in an inseparable way. These two Sacraments, together with the Eucharist, make up one salvific event - Christian initiation - with which we are inserted in Jesus Christ, who died and is risen, and become new creatures and members of the Church. This is why originally these three Sacraments were celebrated at the same time, at the end of the catechumenal journey, normally during the Easter Vigil. Thus the course of formation was sealed and a gradual insertion in the Christian community, which could sometimes last even several years. It was done step by step in order to arrive, first at Baptism, then at Confirmation and finally the Eucharist.
Ordinarily one speaks of the Sacrament of Cresima, a word which means anointing. And, in fact, through the oil called sacred Chrism we are conformed, in the power of the Spirit, to Jesus Christ, who is the only true Anointed One, the Messiah, the Holy One of God.
The term Confirmation, therefore, reminds us that this Sacrament brings a growth of Baptismal grace: it unites us more firmly to Christ; it brings to fulfillment our bond with the Church; it gives us the special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith, to confess the name of Christ and never to be ashamed of His cross (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1303).
For this reason it is important to be concerned that our children, our young ones celebrate this Sacrament. We all must take care that they be baptized: and this is good, but perhaps we don’t care so much if they receive Confirmation: they remain half-way and do not receive the Holy Spirit, which is very important in Christian life, because it gives us the strength to go forward!
Let us think, each one of us: do we, truly care that our children and our young ones receive Confirmation? This is important, it is important! And if you have children in your home, young ones who have not received it yet and are of age to receive it, do everything possible to bring this Christian initiation to fulfillment so that they may receive the strength of the Holy Spirit. It is important!
Of course it is important to give the candidates for Confirmation a good preparation, which must seek to lead them to personal adherence to faith in Christ and to awaken in them the sense of belonging to the Church.
Confirmation, like every Sacrament, is not the work of men but of God, who takes care of our life in order to mould us in the image of His Son, to make us capable of loving like Him. He does so by infusing in us His Holy Spirit, whose action pervades the whole person and the whole of life, as shining through the seven gifts that Tradition, in the light of Holy Scripture, has always evidenced. These seven gifts: I do not wish to ask you if you remember the seven gifts. Maybe you all do ... but I will say them in your name. What are these gifts? Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of God. And these gifts are given to us by the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. I intend to dedicate to these gifts the catecheses that will follow those of the Sacraments.
When we receive the Holy Spirit in our heart and allow Him to act, Christ Himself makes Himself present in us and moulds our lives. Through us, it will be Him who prays, who forgives, who infuses hope and consolation, who serves brethren, who makes Himself close to the needy and the least, who creates communion, who sows peace. Think of how important this is: through the Holy Spirit, Christ Himself comes to do all this in our midst for us. For this reason it is important that children and young ones receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Dear brothers and sisters let us remind ourselves that we have received Confirmation! All of us! Let us remember it first of all in order to thank the Lord for this gift, and then to ask Him to help us to live as true Christians, to walk always with joy according to the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Following the summaries of this catechesis, spoken in various languages, the Holy Father presented greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims who were present. To the English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims present at today’s Audience, especially those from Scotland, Ireland and the United States. My special greeting goes to the pilgrimage group from the Diocese of Rapid City, accompanied by Bishop Robert Gruss. Upon you and your families I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!
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