Three Myths about the Sacrament of Confirmation

This article comes from ChurchPop.com. See it in its original form here.

Is Confirmation the most misunderstood Sacrament? Here are three of the most common misconceptions:

Myth 1: The recipient is confirming, as an adult, the faith they received as a child

Actually, it’s precisely the opposite: rather than the sacrament being about the recipient confirming something, it’s about God confirming the recipient, completing baptismal grace and strengthening them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

In other words, Confirmation is not something we do for God, but something God does to us.

Myth 2: Only adults can receive Confirmation

Confirmation can actually be given to infants, as is the practice is in the East, usually immediately after Baptism. It’s been a long-standing practice in the West to only give the sacrament to those who have attained the age of reason, but that is not an absolute requirement for the Sacrament. (CCC 1290-1292)

This makes the problem with the first myth more apparent.

Myth 3: Confirmation is a capstone to one’s faith

In fact, the Confirmation ceremony is a commissioning: once confirmed and strengthened with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the recipient is “more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith, both by word and by deed, as true witnesses of Christ.” (LG 11)

So, far from “being done” with their faith, confirmed Catholics are supposed to be out there boldly preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Wouldn’t it be great if that we lived out?

24 Unstoppable Catholic Women Doing Amazing Things for God

By Becky Roach, Catholic Link

Have you ever heard it said that the Catholic Church oppresses women? Many are quick to pass judgment on what they think is the truth of the Catholic faith. In reality, the opposite is true. The Catholic Church esteems women and calls us to live out the beauty of our femininity in a way that brings glory and honor to God.

Today, we have compiled a list of 24 inspiring Catholic women that show there is no oppression going on in the Chuch. This list includes women that range in age, location, occupation, and stage in life. They are a diverse group that proves the Catholic Church calls women to be active in sharing the faith. These women lead conferences, write books, and travel the word sharing the Good News of Christ. Many have founded apostolates that are impacting thousands of people each day.

I want to note that I purposely did not include any religious sisters. Of course, there are many outstanding consecrated women doing great things for the Lord (and we will present a list of those women soon!), but this list is focused specifically on those women involved in lay apostolates. This was done to prove to the critics that ALL women in the Catholic faith can and do work to further the Kingdom of God.

1. Helen Alvare
Helen is a professor of Law at George Mason University. She frequently speaks about family planning and has written a book titled, "Breaking Through: Catholic Women Speak for Themselves." (http://amzn.to/2c3qtHl)

2. Rachel Balducci
Rachel Balducci is a blogger (http://testosterhome.net), newspaper columnist, and author. She often writes about parenting issues and the faith. Check out her book, "How Do You Tuck In A Superhero." (http://amzn.to/2cgLpyh)

Click here to see the complete list.