The True Power In The Sacrament of Confirmation

In the Catholic Church, the sacrament of Confirmation is the sacrament that strengthens the faith of a baptized Catholic through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Like the Apostles in the upper room, candidates must wait in prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that they can be well equipped to go forth and teach.

Candidates can pray the following prayer as they prepare to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit on the day of their confirmation:

Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit,

Divine Consoler,

I adore You as my true God,

with God the Father and God the Son.

I adore You and unite myself to the adoration

You receive from the angels and saints.

I give You my heart

and I offer my ardent thanksgiving

for all the grace which You never cease to bestow on me.

O Giver of all supernatural gifts,

who filled the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

Mother of God, with such immense favors,

I beg You to visit me with Your grace

and Your love and to grant me the gift of holy fear,

so that it may act on me as a check to prevent me

from falling back into my past sins,

for which I beg pardon.

Grant me the gift of piety,

so that I may serve You for the future with increased fervor,

follow with more promptness Your holy inspirations,

and observe your divine precepts with greater

fidelity.

Grant me the gift of knowledge,

so that I may know the things of God and,

enlightened by Your holy teaching, may walk,

without deviation, in the path of eternal

salvation.

Grant me the gift of fortitude,

so that I may overcome courageously all the assaults of the devil,

and all the dangers of this world which threaten the salvation of my soul.

Grant me the gift of counsel,

so that I may choose what is more conducive to my

spiritual advancement

and may discover the wiles and snares of the tempter.

Grant me the gift of understanding,

so that I may apprehend the divine mysteries

and by contemplation of heavenly things detach my thoughts

and affections from the vain things of this miserable

world.

Grant me the gift of wisdom,

so that I may rightly direct all my actions,

referring them to God as my last end;

so that, having loved Him and served Him in this life,

I may have the happiness of possessing Him eternally in the next.

Amen.

Another thing that confirmation candidates should pray for is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; so that as they begin their journey of strengthening their faith, the spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son is the only One who should lead them. The following prayer is to be prayed for the indwelling: of the Holy Spirit

Prayer for the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, powerful Consoler, sacred Bond of the Father and the Son,

Hope of the afflicted, descend into my heart and establish in it

 your loving dominion. Enkindle in my tepid soul the fire of your Love

 so that I may be wholly subject to you. We believe that when you

 dwell in us, you also prepare a dwelling for the Father and the Son.

Deign, therefore, to come to me, Consoler of abandoned souls,

 and Protector of the needy. Help the afflicted, strengthen the weak,

 and support the wavering. Come and purify me. Let no evil desire

 take possession of me. You love the humble and resist the proud.

 Come to me, glory of the living, and hope of the dying. Lead me

 by your grace that I may always be pleasing to you. Amen.

– Saint Augustine of Hippo

Mark 11: 24,

Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.