Confirmation compliments baptism by sealing and strengthening the believer to live as a child of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The child must be in 8th grade or at least 14 years of age in order to register them for catechism.
The ordinary minister of the sacrament is a bishop who - through the “laying on of hands” and “anointing with chrism oil” - invokes the presence of the Holy Spirit on the baptized person. In this powerful encounter with God, we experience again the grace of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary and the Apostles!
This sacrament has two primary signs: the laying on of hands by the bishop and the anointing with perfumed oil called chrism. Since the earliest days of the Church, the apostles conferred this sacrament upon the newly baptized. For example:
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Sama'ria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized... Acts 8:14-16
In the Early Church, we find witness of this sacrament, such as when Theophilus of Antioch (181 AD) wrote:
Are you unwilling to be anointed with the oil of God? It is on this account that we are called Christians: because we are anointed with the oil of God.
Another example is when Hippolytus (215 AD) wrote:
The bishop, imposing his hand on them, shall make an invocation, saying, ‘O Lord God, who made them worthy of the remission of sins through the Holy Spirit’s washing unto rebirth, send into them your grace so that they may serve you according to your will, for there is glory to you, to the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit, in the holy Church, both now and through the ages of ages. Amen.’ Then, pouring the consecrated oil into his hand and imposing it on the head of the baptized, he shall say, ‘I anoint you with holy oil in the Lord, the Father Almighty, and Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit.’ Signing them on the forehead, he shall kiss them and say, ‘The Lord be with you.’ He that has been signed shall say, ‘And with your spirit.’ Thus shall he do to each. The Apostolic Tradition
Over time, two traditions developed in the administration of Confirmation in the Catholic Church. In the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church, the sacrament is given at the time of baptism whether one is child or adult... even to newborn infants! Often this is done by a priest using the oil consecrated by the bishop.
In the West, (in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church), the sacrament is ordinarily administered by the Bishop sometime after the age of reason. When children are baptized as infants they receive confirmation at a later time. Adults who participate in the "Right of Christian Inititation of Adults" always receive confirmation immediately following baptism by their pastor. In the case of a baptism when one is in danger of death any priest has the authority to confer Confirmation following baptism provided that he has the proper oil of chrism available at the time of the baptism. This is the case with both adults and infants.
This sacrament provides an increase and deepening of the grace of Baptism which increase the gifts of the Holy Spirit received in Baptism.
The Catechism provides a clear list of these specific graces in #1303:
Confirmation…
Why is preparation necessary to receive Confirmation?
While the age for reception of Confirmation varies from one diocese to the next, the need for preparation is universal. Preparation involves general formation for the life of discipleship and specific formation leading the confirmand to a greater unity with the Church. The Catechism explains that "preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life." (1309)
What is required to be ready to receive Confirmation?
In additional to preparation classes one must be spiritually prepared. "To receive Confirmation one must be in a state of grace. One should receive the sacrament of Penance in order to be cleansed for the gift of the Holy Spirit. More intense prayer should prepare one to receive the strength and graces of the Holy Spirit with docility and readiness to act." (Catechism, 1310)
La confirmación complementa el bautismo sellando y fortaleciendo al creyente para vivir como hijo de Dios, mediante el poder del Espíritu Santo.
El niño debe estar en octavo grado o tener al menos 14 años de edad para poder inscribirlo en el catecismo.
El ministro ordinario del sacramento es un obispo que, mediante la “imposición de manos” y la “unción con el óleo crismal”, invoca la presencia del Espíritu Santo sobre la persona bautizada. En este poderoso encuentro con Dios, experimentamos nuevamente la gracia de Pentecostés cuando el Espíritu Santo descendió sobre María y los Apóstoles.
Este sacramento tiene dos signos principales: la imposición de manos por parte del obispo y la unción con el óleo perfumado llamado crisma. Desde los primeros días de la Iglesia, los apóstoles conferían este sacramento a los recién bautizados. Por ejemplo:
Cuando los apóstoles que estaban en Jerusalén oyeron que Samaria había recibido la palabra de Dios, enviaron a Pedro y a Juan, quienes descendieron y oraron por ellos para que recibieran el Espíritu Santo, porque aún no había descendido sobre ninguno de ellos, sino que solamente habían sido bautizados... Hechos 8:14-16
En la Iglesia Primitiva encontramos testimonio de este sacramento, como cuando Teófilo de Antioquía (181 d.C.) escribió:¿No queréis ser ungidos con el óleo de Dios? Por eso somos llamados cristianos: porque somos ungidos con el óleo de Dios.
Otro ejemplo es cuando Hipólito (215 d.C.) escribió:El obispo, imponiéndoles la mano, hará una invocación diciendo: “Oh Señor Dios, que los hiciste dignos de la remisión de los pecados por el lavamiento del Espíritu Santo para renacer, envíales tu gracia para que te sirvan según tu voluntad, porque hay gloria para ti, Padre y Hijo con el Espíritu Santo, en la santa Iglesia, ahora y por los siglos de los siglos. Amén”. Luego, vertiendo el aceite consagrado en su mano e imponiéndolo sobre la cabeza del bautizado, dirá: “Te unjo con óleo santo en el Señor, Padre Todopoderoso, y Cristo Jesús y el Espíritu Santo”. Poniendo la señal en la frente, las besará y dirá: “El Señor esté contigo”. El que ha sido signado dirá: “Y con tu espíritu”. Así hará con cada uno. La Tradición Apostólica
Con el tiempo, se desarrollaron dos tradiciones en la administración de la Confirmación en la Iglesia Católica. En los ritos orientales de la Iglesia Católica, el sacramento se administra en el momento del bautismo, ya sea que se trate de un niño o de un adulto... ¡incluso a los recién nacidos! A menudo, esto lo hace un sacerdote utilizando el óleo consagrado por el obispo.