by Frances Ruocco

Created on: May 25, 2008   Last Updated: October 17, 2010

Confirmation in Catholicism is where Catholics believe we will receive the Fruits of the Holy Spirit which are two kinds of gifts. There are two kinds of gifts from the Holy Spirit. The first fruits of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, Understanding, Counsel and Fear of the Lord. These first set of gifts are for the sanctification of the person who receives them.

The second set of gifts also called Charismata, are extraordinary favors granted for the help of another, which does not necessarily sanctify by themselves, and may be separated from sanctifying grace.

Those of the first class are mentioned above, Wisdom, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, Understanding, Counsel and Fear of the Lord. [not to be afraid of the Lord, but to be in awe of the Lord]

The gifts of the second class are speaking with wisdom, speaking with knowledge, faith, the gift of healing, the gift of miracles, the gift of prophecy, the gift of discerning spirits, the gift of tongues, the gift of interpreting speeches the gift of government, and the gifts of help. ["The New American Bible" by Catholic Bible Publishers.]

We are all given different gifts but we all belong to the same body, just as we have different parts of our own body, each with its own use, so the gifts of the Holy Spirit are different for each one of us, but if used wisely, we can do great things united as one family working for the good of all.

Catholics believe that each one of us who received confirmation is joining the Army of Christ, and will received all the graces we need to live our lives unafraid of spreading the words that Jesus taught the first apostles.

Before Jesus rose into Heaven, He promised that he would send the apostles the Holy Spirit so that they need not be afraid and He would be with them always until the end of time.

We can all imagine how they must have felt sitting in the upstairs room discussing and/or debating what they were supposed to do without Jesus. They had to be frightened for their own lives, they had to be trying to believe all he told them and they might have had regrets that they didn't fight to save him. Many of us would have felt the same way had we been there also.

Can't you just picture them debating some of the same issues we debate today?

Some may have taken the stand that they just had be patient and Jesus would keep His word, others could have been saying "we were fools, we should have fought to the death", and still others may have just sat there listening

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