RITES FOR CONFIRMATION

Introductory Rites



Entrance Song (Veni Creator)



Bishop enters while all read or sing:

Veni Creator Spiritus, Mentes tuorum visita, Imple superna gratia, Quae tu creasti, pectora.	Come, Holy Ghost, Creator, come. From thy bright heavenly throne! Come, take possession of our souls, And make them all Thine Own!
Qui diceris Paraclitus, Altissimi donum Dei, Fons vivus, ignis, caritas, Et spiritalis unctio.	Thou who art called the Paraclete, Best gift of God above, The Living Spring, The Living Fire, Sweet Unction, and True Love!
Tu septiformis munere, Digitus Paternae dexterae, Tu rite promissum Patris, Sermone ditans guttura.	Thou who are sevenfold in Thy grace, Finger of God's right hand, His Promise, teaching little ones To speak and understand!
Accende lumen sensibus, Infunde amorem cordibus, Infirma nostri corpis Virtute firmans perpeti.	O guide our minds with thy blest light, With love our hearts inflame, And with thy strength, which ne'er decays, Confirm our mortal frame.
Hostem repellas longius, Pacemque dones protinus; Ductoresic te praevio, Vitemus omne noxium.	Far from us drive our hellish foe, True peace unto us bring, And through all perils guide us safe Beneath thy sacred wing.
Per te sciamus da Patrem Noscamus atque Filium; Teque utrius que Spiritum Credamus omni tempore.	Through Thee may we the Father know, Through Thee the Eternal Son, And Thee the Spirit of them both --- Thrice blessed Three in One.
Deo Patri sit gloria, Et Filio, qui a mortuis Surrexit, ac Paraclito In sacculorum saecula.	Now to the Father, and the Son Who rose from death, be glory given, With Thee, O holy Comforter, Henceforth by all in earth and heaven.
Amen.	Amen.

Greeting



Bishop. Peace be with you
People: And also with you.

Opening Prayer



Bishop. Let us pray:
Lord, please fulfill the promise by your Son and send the Holy Spirit
to enlighten our minds in Wisdom and our hearts in Compassion and lead
us to know in experience who we are in truth. Grant this through our
Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
People:Amen.

Liturgy of the Word



Old Testament Reading (Is 61, 1-3, 6, 8-9)


The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion­
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.


And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.


"For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.


Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed."


This is the Word of the Lord.
/
People: Thanks be to God.



New Testament Reading (1 Cor 12, 4-13)

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are
different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different
kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all people.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common
good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom,
to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to
another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that
one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to
another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in
different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of
tongues.All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives
them to each one, just as he determines.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all
its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we
were all baptized by one Spirit into one body ­ whether Jews or Greeks,
slave or free ­ and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.


This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.



Gospel (Mt 5, 1-12)


Bishop: May the Lord be with you.
People: And with your spirit.
Bishop: A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
People: Glory be to you, O Lord.
Bishop:Now when he saw
the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples
came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say
all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you."


This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Everyone: Praise be to you Lord Jesus Christ
Sacrament of Confirmation



Presentation of the Candidate(s)

Each Sponsor says:

Reverend Father, May I now call N. as a candidate to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Bishop: By the grace of God, please let us proceed.

After the candidate's name is said, the candidate respond:

Present.


Bishop addresses those to be confirmed:
My dear friend(s) born again in Christ by baptism, you have become
members of Christ and his holy people. Now you are to share in the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit among us. The Spirit was sent by the Lord
upon his apostles at Pentecost and was given by them and their
successors to the baptized. On the day of Pentecost the apostles
received the Holy Spirit as the Lord has promised. They also received
the power of giving the Holy Spirit to others and so completing the
work of baptism. This we read in the Acts of the Apostles. When Saint
Paul placed his hands on those who had been baptized, the Holy Spirit
came upon them and they began to speak in other languages and in
prophetic words.

Bishops are successors of the apostles and have this power of giving
the Holy Spirit to the baptized, either personally or through priests
they appoint.

In our day the coming of the Holy Spirit in confirmation is no longer
marked by the gift of tongues, but we know his coming by faith. He
fills our hearts with the love of God, brings us closer together in one
faith but in different vocations, and works within us to make the
Church one and holy.

The promised strength of the Holy Spirit, which you are to receive,
will make you more like Christ and help you to be witnesses to his
compassion for the suffering. It will strengthen you to be active
members of the Church and to build up the body of Christ in faith, love
and compassion. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit give your lives
completely in the service of all, as did Christ, who came not to be
served but to serve.

So now, before you receive the Spirit, I ask you to renew the
profession of faith you made in baptism or your parents and godparents
made in union with the whole Church.


Renewal of Baptismal Promises

Candidate(s) stand(s) and the bishop questions them:

Do you reject delusions, false beliefs, remembering instead your own true nature as a child of God?

Candidate(s): I do.


Bishop: Do you reject
illusions, false perceptions, remembering instead that you are the
creator of your own perceptions being a child of God?

Candidate(s): I do.


Bishop: Do you reject allusion,
false stories about yourself, remembering instead the absolute reality
of your natural love and compassion as a child of God?

Candidate(s): I do.


Laying on of Hands

The Bishop standing, facing family and friends, says with hands folded:
My dear friends, let us pray to God our Father, that he will pour out
the Holy Spirit on (this person) these people to strengthen (him/her)
them with his gifts and anoint them to be more like Christ the Son of
God, that (he,she,they) too may be Sons (Daughters) of God in his Light
as well.


Brief Silent Prayer


Bishop standing lays hands upon those to be confirmed saying:
All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the
Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from the delusions,
illusions, and allusions of life. Send your Holy Spirit upon
(him/her/them) to be (his/her/their) helper and guide. Give
(him/her/them) the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of
right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill
(him/her/them) with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence in
compassion. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

People: Amen.


Anointing with Chrism
Candidate goes to bishop and kneels. Sponsor
places h/h right hand on the candidate's right shoulder, giving the
candidate's name to the bishop. (If two sponsors, sponsor on right
gives name, repeated by sponsor on the left whose right hand on
candidate's left shoulder.)
Bishop dips his right thumb in the
chrism and makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the person
being confirmed, saying:


N. be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
Confirmed: Amen.
Bishop: Peace be with you.
Confirmed: And also with you


General Intercessions:
Bishop: My dear friends, let us be one in prayer to God our Father as we are one in faith, hope, love and compassion his Spirit gives.

For the newly confirmed, who have received the fullness of God's
Spirit, that standing at the altar of the Lord they may share the
banquet of Christ's compassion, calling God their Father in the midst
of the Church, let us pray to the Lord:

People: Lord, hear our prayer.


Bishop: For the holy Church of
God, the Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem
and Rome, our Bishop N., and all the bishops together with the clergy
and all people of Good Will that the Holy Spirit may help us awaken to
who we each essentially are being one in The Spirit as Christ prayed:
Father, may they be one, as you and I are one, that they may be one is
us, let us prayer to the Lord:

People: Lord, hear our prayer.


Bishop: God our Father, you
sent your Holy Spirit upon the apostles, and through them and their
successors you give the Spirit to your people. May his work begun at
Pentecost continue to grow of all compassionate people. We ask this
through Christ our Lord.
People: Amen.


Lord's Prayer

Bishop: Let us pray together as the Lord Jesus Christ has taught"

People: Our Father,....

Concluding Rite



Bishop: Please bow your heads and pray for God's blessing.

Bishop with hands extended over the people says:

Bishop:God our Father, complete
the world you have begun and keep the gifts of your Holy Spirit active
in the hearts of your people. Make them ready to live the Gospel of
Compassion and eager to do you will. May they all be one.
People:Amen.


Bishop:And may the blessing of
almighty God, +the Father, and +the Son, and +the nHoly Spirit come
upon you and remain with you for ever.
People: Amen.


Bishop:Please, let us depart in Peace. This ceremony is now complete.
People: Thanks be to God.