Video Conference 23 March 2002 Prof. Bate, Johannesburg

In Confirmation we are "enriched by a special strength of the Holy Spirit" (CCC 1285). This outpouring of the Holy Spirit confers an indelible character upon us (DS 1609) which manifests itself in power given so that we might witness fully to Christ both within our own lives and in proclamation to others. The gift that we receive is a "revelatory action of the Christian God" (Osborne 1999:179) which enlivens us not only for our own well-being and spiritual benefit but especially so that we may go out to others and bring the good news of salvation, both by word and deed, to those we encounter.

The sacrament of Confirmation provides us with new strength from the Holy Spirit which enables us to live, in a mature way, the life according to the Spirit which St Paul expresses in terms of a variety of fruits (Gal 5: 16-6:10). These examples help us to understand that life in the Spirit manifests itself in a vast variety of ways as the Holy Spirit enters each person, within their own humanity, to imprint the sacramental character. Each one is called to manifest this character according to his or her own personality, culture and circumstance. But the fact that individuals live within communities and cultures also adverts us to the socio-cultural dimensions of the effects of the sacrament.

In Christifideles Laici the Pope reaffirms that "with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation, the baptized share in the same mission of Jesus as the Christ, the Saviour-Messiah" (CL13). The special strengthening received in Confirmation is a particular sign of this call to ministry in the Church. The ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit within us may also be manifest in particular gifts in order to respond to the various human situations in which we find ourselves. Charisms are given to all Christians in order to respond to the wealth of human needs which exist in the world. These needs are often very practical like food, clothing, medicine to fight sickness or even liberation from corrupt political dictators. The gifts required to respond to these needs also have to be practical and it is interesting to note how such practical gifts are found within St Paul’s lists. It is often forgotten, for example, that almsgiving or sharing one’s wealth is a charism (Rom 12:8) as is the utterance of wisdom (1 Cor 12:8) and indeed service of others (Rom 12:7). "Whether they be exceptional and great or simple and ordinary, the charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit that have, directly or indirectly, a usefulness for the ecclesial community, ordered as they are to the building up of the Church, to the well-being of humanity and to the needs of the world" (CL 24).

That is why we see the presence of the Spirit working through ordinary Christians struggling against corrupt political regimes in many countries of the world. We also see it in the work of the Catholic Church in South Africa which has the largest non-governmental HIV/AIDS programme in the country involving many ordinary Christians providing care for those with AIDS. We see it in those who dedicate their lives to educational programmes and institutions of the Church and in many other ways. All of this is ministry and all of it is the mission of the Church. It is incumbent on Priests to recognise the different roles that all Christians are called to play in the life of the Church. "The Pastors, therefore, ought to acknowledge and foster the ministries, the offices and roles of the lay faithful that find their foundation in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation" (CL 23). This must be done recognising "the substantial diversity of the ministry of Pastors which is rooted in the Sacrament of Orders, all the while respecting the other ministries, offices and roles in the Church, which are rooted in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation" (CL 23).

References

CL Christifideles laici. Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation of his Holiness John Paul II on the vocation and the mission of the lay faithful in the church and in the world.

Orborne, K B 1999. Christian Sacraments in a Postmodern World. NY: Paulist.