Your Holy Confirmation | Manhood | Logos

Your Holy Confirmation from my grandfather's prayer book (Men in prayer). Baptism has made you a child of God, bought by the blood of Christ and born again of water and the Holy Spirit.

The years of your awakening independence came. In religious life, too, you gradually became independent and stood on your own two feet. But that was also where the dangers began. You also became capable of sin, of conscious transgression of the divine will. During this time, which for many a young man is the most difficult of his religious life, and a decision for the future, the church administers the sacrament of strengthening, Holy Confirmation.

You came before the bishop and he ordained you as a man. He made a cross on your forehead with the holy oil. Since then you have indelibly worn it as a badge of honor. From ancient times, the holy oil has meant strength for battle, suppleness, fullness of strength. And in solemn form the Holy Spirit was called down with his seven gifts to fill you with wisdom and understanding, with counsel and strength, with knowledge and godliness and with the fear of God.

They are the gifts that Christ Himself possessed in supreme measure. But you should not resemble anyone else more than your divine Master. And that is why the Church has asked for these gifts especially for you. This sacrament too must often be renewed and its grace awakened anew. If ever men of faith were needed, if ever the right man needed courage and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (Logos), it is today. Prayer to the Holy Spirit must be familiar to you like prayer to the Father and the Son.

Almighty, eternal God! You gave us birth again in graces of water and the Holy Spirit and gave us forgiveness of our sins. Send your Holy Spirit from heaven over us with his seven gifts. the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of science and piety, the spirit of godliness, and mark us with the sign of the cross for everlasting life. Amen.

Come, O spirit of holiness, From heaven's glory; Send your light beam! Come, the poor father, Come, the light and peace of the heart, With the seven gifts. Comforter in desolation, Refreshment full of loveliness, Come, good soulmate! In fatigue give rest, in the embers also coolness, comfort the one who weeps desolately.

O you light of bliss, Prepare our hearts, Penetrate our souls. Without your invigorating travail, nothing in man can exist, Nothing in him can be innocent.

Give your faithful flock, who always hopes in you, your grace seven number. Grant merit to piety, Grant perseverance in salvation, And heaven's banquet. Amen.