There is a story about an archbishop who was going to administer Confirmation in a school. The parish priest had carefully trained the children. They had memorized every response. On the great day everything proceeded beautifully. Then the archbishop was about to say, “The Lord be with you,” when suddenly the microphone stopped working. The archbishop, thinking that only the priest could hear him, said, “There is something wrong with this blessed mic.” Immediately the children responded, “And with thy spirit!”
It is a funny story, but it reminds us of something important. We can memorize all the right responses and still miss the meaning of what we are celebrating.
Many of us remember the day of our Confirmation. We remember the church, the Bishop, the oil, the sponsors, the photographs, the celebration and perhaps even the meal that followed. But the deeper question is: What happened inside us that day? What did God do in us? And what difference has Confirmation made in the way we live today?
Confirmation is not merely a ceremony that we completed years ago. It is not a graduation from catechism classes. It is not a Catholic certificate that we keep safely in a drawer. Confirmation is the sacrament through which we receive a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit and are strengthened to live and witness to Christ. The Church teaches that through Confirmation the Holy Spirit roots us more deeply in God as his children, unites us more firmly to Christ, increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit, strengthens our relationship with the Church, and gives us courage to spread and defend our faith.
There is a joke about a young man who approached a priest and said, “Father, I need you to pray for my hearing.” The priest placed his hands over the young man's ears and prayed earnestly. When he finished, he asked, “So, how is your hearing now?”
The young man replied, “I don't know, Father. The appointment is next Tuesday!”
The Book of Revelation repeatedly says, “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” The Holy Spirit is speaking. The question is whether we are listening.
The roots of Confirmation are found deep in the New Testament. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to his disciples. After the Resurrection, he breathed upon them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). Then at Pentecost, the promise became dramatically visible. Acts 2 tells us that the disciples were gathered together when suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rush of a violent wind. Tongues as of fire appeared among them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Before Pentecost, the apostles were frightened. They had locked themselves behind closed doors. After Pentecost, the same men walked into the streets and proclaimed Christ publicly. Something had changed. Their circumstances had not changed, but they had changed.
Peter is perhaps the greatest example. Before Pentecost, a servant girl frightened him into denying Jesus. Three times Peter said, “I do not know him.” But after receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter stood before thousands and proclaimed Jesus Christ boldly.
That is what the Holy Spirit does. He takes frightened disciples and makes them courageous witnesses.
When God called Gideon, he was hiding because the Israelites were being oppressed by the Midianites. Judges tells us that Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding from the Midianites.
The angel of the Lord appeared and said:
“The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior.”
Gideon probably did not feel like a mighty warrior. He was hiding!
Yet God called him to deliver Israel. Gideon's circumstances did not immediately change. The Midianites were still powerful. Israel was still weak. Gideon himself was still afraid.
But eventually, “the spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon.” (Judges 6:34)
And the frightened man who had been hiding became the leader who stood against the Midianites.
And that is why Confirmation matters to every one of us. We see something similar in the life of St. Thomas More. Thomas More was a respected lawyer, statesman and Lord Chancellor of England. He was a man who loved his family, his work and his country. When King Henry VIII demanded that More approve the king's decision concerning his marriage and accept the king as the supreme authority over the Church in England, More found himself in a terrible situation. He knew what could happen if he refused. He could lose his position, his reputation, his freedom and eventually his life. Yet More chose to remain faithful to his conscience and to his faith. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London and eventually executed in 1535.
Thomas More was not fearless. He was a husband and father who loved his family. He knew the pain that his decision would cause them. He knew the price he was going to pay. But his faith was stronger than his fear. Before his death, he declared that he died “the King’s good servant, but God’s first.” His circumstances did not change. The prison walls remained. The threat of death remained. The king's power remained. But Thomas More had something within him that was stronger than all the powers outside him.
This is what the Holy Spirit does. The Holy Spirit does not always take away the prison, the opposition, the sickness, the difficulty or the danger. Instead, He gives us the strength to remain faithful in the midst of them. Peter before Pentecost was afraid of a servant girl; Peter after Pentecost was willing to face rulers and authorities. Thomas More faced the power of a king because he knew that there was a higher King to whom he ultimately belonged. The world around him had not changed, but the strength within him enabled him to stand.
Perhaps that is what some of us need today. We pray, “Holy Spirit, change my circumstances.” But sometimes the Holy Spirit answers, “I will change you so that you can face your circumstances.” We ask God to remove the difficult person, and God gives us patience. We ask Him to remove the problem, and He gives us wisdom. We ask Him to remove our fear, and He gives us courage. We ask Him to make the road easier, and He gives us strength to continue walking.
Pentecost is therefore not simply about what happened to the apostles two thousand years ago. Pentecost is about what the Holy Spirit continues to do in ordinary human beings. He takes the fearful and makes them courageous, the weak and makes them strong, the silent and makes them witnesses, and those who are hiding behind closed doors and sends them out into the world proclaiming Christ.
The first great effect of Confirmation is that it roots us more deeply in our identity as children of God. St Paul tells us, “You have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:15–16).
The Bible says, “So God created humankind in his image” (Genesis 1:27). Before we are successful or unsuccessful, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, admired or ignored, we are children of God.
There is a story often told about the devastating 1988 earthquake in Armenia. A father rushed to his son's school and discovered that the building had collapsed. Everyone around him believed that there was no hope. But the father refused to leave. He had promised his son, “No matter what, I will always be there for you.” He dug through the rubble for hours. Eventually, after more than a day, he heard his son's voice. The boy had survived, together with other children trapped in a pocket beneath the ruins. The father's determination came from one conviction: “I promised my son that I would be there for him.”
Its message illustrates something deeply biblical: the love of a father does not easily abandon his child.
Sometimes during difficult moments we ask, “Where is God?” But the Christian answer is not always that God will remove the difficulty. Sometimes the answer is that God is with us in the difficulty. The Holy Spirit reminds us: “You are God's child. You are not alone.”
But being God's child also means that we must learn to live like God's children. Confirmation gives us dignity, but it also gives us responsibility. If I call God “Father,” then I must ask: How am I treating his other children? St John tells us very bluntly: “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars” (1 John 4:20). The Holy Spirit does not allow us to separate devotion from daily life.
Literature gives us a powerful picture of what happens when we lose the right center of our lives. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the famous words are spoken: “This above all: to thine own self be true.” But the Christian life takes us further. We are not called merely to be true to ourselves; we are called to become true to Christ.
C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, describes the Christian life as Christ gradually transforming us from within. Christianity is not simply making ourselves a little nicer. It is allowing Christ to remake us. That is exactly what the Holy Spirit wants to do.
Another effect of Confirmation is that it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The traditional seven gifts are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.
We desperately need these gifts today.
We live in an age in which we have enormous amounts of information but not necessarily wisdom. We can Google almost anything, but Google cannot tell us what is morally right. We have thousands of voices speaking to us every day, but not every voice deserves to be followed.
Wisdom is Seeing Life from God’s Perspective
Wisdom is more than being intelligent or knowing many things. A person may have degrees, experience, and excellent memory, yet still make foolish decisions. The gift of wisdom enables us to look at life through the eyes of God. It helps us recognize what is truly important and what is temporary. Wisdom teaches us that success is not merely having more money, possessions, or recognition, but living according to God's will. Solomon had the opportunity to ask God for anything, but he asked for wisdom to govern God's people. God was pleased with his request. As Scripture says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Wisdom allows us to step back from our immediate problems and ask, “What does God want me to learn from this? What would Jesus do in this situation?”
A father once took his young son to the countryside. The boy saw an old farmer working in a small field and asked, “Daddy, why doesn't he buy a bigger tractor and make more money?” The father replied, “Perhaps because he already has enough.” The boy was surprised. He thought having more was always better. The father smiled and said, “That is the difference between knowing the price of something and knowing its value.” Wisdom teaches us the difference between what is valuable in the eyes of the world and what is valuable in the eyes of God.
Understanding means Penetrating the Meaning of Faith
Understanding is the gift that helps us go beneath the surface. It enables us not merely to hear the words of Scripture but to grasp their deeper meaning. We may hear, “Love your enemies,” but understanding makes us ask, “Why does Jesus command this? What does Christian love really mean?” Understanding helps us see the connection between faith and life. It helps us understand the sacraments, the Scriptures, the teachings of Christ, and the mysteries of faith more deeply. The disciples themselves often heard Jesus' teachings without immediately understanding them. After the Resurrection, Jesus explained the Scriptures to them, and their hearts were enlightened. Luke tells us, “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45).
A little boy was listening to his mother read the story of the Good Samaritan. When she finished, she asked, “Who was the good man in the story?” The boy answered, “The Samaritan.” His mother asked, “And why was he good?” The boy replied, “Because he stopped to help the man whom everyone else had passed by.” Then he added, “So if we see somebody lying on the road, we shouldn't just pray for him. We should stop!” The child understood something very important: faith is not merely something we hear; faith is something we live.
That is what the gift of understanding does. It takes a truth that we have heard with our ears and allows it to enter our hearts.
Knowledge is Recognizing God’s Truth
The gift of knowledge helps us recognize God at work in creation, in Scripture, in people, and in the events of our lives. Knowledge helps us distinguish between God's truth and the false messages that surround us. We live in a world where we receive enormous amounts of information every day. We can search for almost anything on the internet, but having information is not the same as possessing true knowledge. The gift of knowledge helps us ask: Is this true? Is this good? Does this lead me closer to God? St. Paul reminds us, “Test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Imagine a young man who receives two job offers. One offers a very large salary but requires him to compromise his principles. The other offers less money but allows him to live honestly and serve others. Knowledge guided by the Holy Spirit helps him see beyond the salary. He realizes that a bigger paycheck does not necessarily mean a better life. He understands that not everything that shines is gold, and not everything that is profitable is good.
The gift of knowledge helps us see reality as God sees it. It teaches us that possessions are gifts, not gods; careers are important, but they are not our identity; and success is good, but holiness is greater.
Counsel is Making Right Decisions
Counsel is the gift that helps us choose rightly when we face difficult decisions. Life constantly puts choices before us: What should I say? Where should I go? Whom should I trust? Should I forgive? Should I accept this opportunity? Should I speak or remain silent? Counsel helps us pause before acting and seek God's direction. It protects us from impulsive decisions. Proverbs says, “Without counsel plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22). Through prayer, Scripture, wise people, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, counsel helps us discover the path that leads toward what is good.
A powerful example of the gift of Counsel can be seen in the life of St. Thomas More. When King Henry VIII demanded that Thomas More accept the king as the supreme head of the Church in England, More faced an agonizing decision: obey the king and protect his position, or remain faithful to his conscience and his loyalty to God. Rather than reacting impulsively, More remained silent for a long time, prayed, reflected, studied the teachings of the Church, and sought the advice of trusted friends and spiritual advisers. Eventually, he chose to follow his conscience and refused to approve what he believed was wrong, even though he knew it could cost him his freedom and ultimately his life. His decision reminds us that the gift of Counsel does not always lead us to the easiest choice; it helps us recognize the right choice, even when that choice is difficult and costly.
Counsel does not necessarily tell us which choice is easiest. It helps us choose what is right. Sometimes God's counsel leads us along the harder road because it is the better road.
Fortitude is Having Courage to Do What Is Right
Fortitude is spiritual courage. It is the strength to remain faithful when doing the right thing becomes difficult. It is easy to be a Christian when everything is going well. The real test comes when faithfulness costs us something. Fortitude enables us to stand for truth when others ridicule us, forgive when we have been hurt, persevere when prayer seems unanswered, and continue doing good when we receive no recognition. Jesus says, “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (John 16:33).
A powerful modern example of fortitude is the story of Malala Yousafzai, who, as a young girl in Pakistan, continued to speak publicly for the right of girls to receive an education even after being threatened by the Taliban. In 2012, she was shot on her way home from school and seriously wounded, but she did not allow fear to silence her. After recovering, she continued her campaign for education and eventually addressed the United Nations and received the Nobel Peace Prize. Her courage reminds us that fortitude is not the absence of fear; it is the decision to do what is right despite fear and suffering.
when standing for truth becomes difficult, we do not run away simply because it costs us something; we trust God and remain faithful. We need that same fortitude today. A young person may need courage to say no when friends pressure him into something wrong. A parent may need courage to raise children according to Christian values. An elderly person may need courage to remain faithful through loneliness. A priest may need courage to preach the truth. A Christian may need courage simply to say, “I believe.”
Piety is Deepening Our Relationship with God
Piety is the gift that helps us develop a loving relationship with God. It is not simply saying prayers mechanically or attending religious ceremonies out of habit. Piety creates in us the attitude of a child who knows that God is his loving Father. It makes us want to pray, worship, thank God, and remain close to Him. It also makes us treat other people with respect because they are God's children. Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”(Matthew 6:9). Piety turns religion from a duty into a relationship.
A little girl would visit her grandfather every Sunday. One day someone asked her, “Why do you keep visiting your grandfather? You don't bring him anything.” She replied, “I don't go because I need something from him. I go because I love him.” That is piety. We do not come to God only because we want something. We come because we love Him.
Piety reminds us that prayer is not about informing God about what we want. It is about allowing God to transform who we are.
Fear of the Lord is Reverence Before God's Greatness
Fear of the Lord does not mean being terrified that God will punish us. It means profound reverence, awe, and respect for God. It is the realization that God is holy, infinitely greater than us, and worthy of our love and obedience. A person who has the fear of the Lord does not casually treat God, His name, His Word, or sacred things. This gift keeps us humble. Scripture says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). When we recognize the greatness of God, we also recognize our own dependence upon Him.
A beautiful biblical example of the Fear of the Lord is found in the story of Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3:1–6). When Moses saw a bush that was burning but was not being consumed, he approached it with curiosity. But when God called him by name and revealed His presence, Moses was told, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” Moses immediately hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. Moses was not terrified that God would punish him; rather, he was overwhelmed by the holiness and greatness of God. He understood that he was standing in the presence of the Almighty. This is what the gift of the Fear of the Lordmeans: recognizing God's holiness, approaching Him with humility, and treating His presence and His Word with deep reverence.
These seven gifts work together. Wisdom helps us see; Understanding helps us comprehend; Knowledge helps us recognize the truth; Counsel helps us choose; Fortitude helps us act courageously; Piety helps us remain close to God; and Fear of the Lord keeps us humble and reverent before Him. They are not seven unrelated qualities but seven ways in which the Holy Spirit transforms the Christian life.
St Maximilian Kolbe gives us another extraordinary example. In Auschwitz, when prisoners were selected for death, Kolbe volunteered to die in place of another prisoner, Franciszek Gajowniczek, who was a husband and father. Kolbe entered the starvation cell and died there. That is what happens when the Gospel moves from the pages of the Bible into a human life.
Faith becomes courage. Courage becomes sacrifice. Sacrifice becomes love. And love becomes witness.
Jesus did not say, “I will build a collection of independent individuals.” He said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). St Paul compares the Church to the Body of Christ. “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27).
The old saying is true: Children may close their ears to our advice, but they rarely close their eyes to our example.
St Francis of Assisi expressed this beautifully in the famous saying often attributed to him: “Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.”
Our children need to see the Gospel.
They need to see forgiveness.
They need to see prayer.
They need to see generosity.
They need to see honesty.
They need to see parents kneeling before God.
They need to see Christians who can disagree without becoming enemies.
They need to see Catholics whose faith produces joy rather than bitterness.
The fifth effect of Confirmation is perhaps the most demanding: it gives us special strength to spread and defend the faith by word and action, to confess Christ boldly and never be ashamed of the Cross.
The essential rite of Confirmation is the anointing with Sacred Chrism and the words, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
A seal indicates ownership, identity and belonging. When something is sealed, it is marked as belonging to someone. In the ancient world, a king's seal carried authority. St Paul says that God “has put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment” (2 Corinthians 1:21–22).
There is another amusing story about a woman travelling by plane who was reading her Bible. A man sitting beside her asked sarcastically, “You don't really believe all that stuff, do you?”
She said, “Of course I do.”
He asked about Jonah and the whale and challenged her about how Jonah could have survived.
She answered that she would ask Jonah when she got to heaven.
The man replied, “What if Jonah isn't in heaven?”
She calmly answered, “Then you can ask him!”
It is a simple joke, but the woman was not ashamed of her faith. That is what Confirmation asks of us. We do not have to become argumentative. But we should never be ashamed of saying, “I am a Christian. I belong to Jesus Christ.” Peter once denied Jesus because he was afraid. But after Pentecost, Peter stood before people who could threaten his life and declared Jesus as Lord.
What changed? The Holy Spirit. The same Spirit came upon the apostles. The same Spirit comes upon us.
The saints understood this. St Peter and St Paul faced persecution. St Stephen faced death. St Perpetua remained faithful even when threatened with execution. St Thomas More followed his conscience despite political pressure. St Maximilian Kolbe offered his life for another prisoner. St Teresa of Calcutta served the dying whom society had forgotten. These people were not superheroes from another planet.
They were human beings who allowed the Holy Spirit to work through them. And that is the challenge of our retreat.
The retreat is not merely a time to listen to beautiful talks. It is a time to allow God to speak.
The prophet Elijah discovered that God was not necessarily found in the great wind, earthquake or fire, but in the “sound of sheer silence” (1 Kings 19:12). Perhaps God is speaking to some of us in the silence of this retreat.
There is a wonderful passage in the Gospel of John where Jesus says, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit is not simply a memory from Confirmation day. He is God's living presence within us. We must therefore stop thinking of Confirmation as something that happened to us years ago and start thinking of it as a grace that continues to work in us today.
He wants to make us witnesses. And perhaps the greatest example of a Spirit-filled person is Mary. At the Annunciation, Mary heard God's call and responded, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Mary did not know everything that would happen. She did not have a complete map of the future. She simply trusted God. That is faith.
The Holy Spirit does not always show us the entire road. He gives us enough light to take the next step.
So, brothers and sisters, as we use this retreat week to revive the commitment we made in Confirmation, let us ask the Holy Spirit to make us his instruments.
-Satish Selvarance