I recently had the enormous privilege of performing my first confirmation as a bishop. It took place at Holy Cross Parish in Moor Park, California, a large, bustling, and bi-lingual parish in my pastoral region. I told the confirmandi -- and I meant it -- that I would keep them in my heart for the rest of my life, for we were connected by an unbreakable bond.
It is sometimes said that Confirmation is a sacrament in search of a theology. It is indeed true that most Catholics could probably give at least a decent account of the significance of Baptism, Eucharist, Confession, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick, but they might balk when asked to explain the meaning of Confirmation. They might say it is the Catholic version of a Bar Mitzvah, but this would not even come close to an accurate theological description.
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