What does Sacred Scipture say about the Sacrament of Confirmation?

In the Old testament, the People of God expected the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Messiah. Jesus lived his life in a special Spirit of love and of perfect unity with his Father in heaven.

This Spirit of Jesus was the "Holy Spirit" for whom the people of Israel longed;
 - this was the same Spirit whom Jesus promised to his disciples,
 - the same Spirit who descended upon the disciples fifty days after Easter, on the feast of Pentecost.  - and it is again this same Holy Spirit of Jesus who descends upon everyone who receives the Sacrament of Confirmation.

In the Acts of Apostles, which were written a few decades after the death of Jesus, we see Peter and John traveling about to confirm new Christians by imposing hands on those who previously "had only been baptized in the name of Lord Jesus", so that their hearts might be filled with the Holy Spirit.

"From that time on the apostles, in the fulfillment of Christ's will, imparted to the newly baptized by the laying on of hands the gift of the Spirit that completes the grace of Baptism. For this reason in the Letter to the Hebrews the doctrine concerning Baptism and the laying on of hands is listed among the first elements of Christian instruction. The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation, which in a certain way perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the church" (Pope Paul VI).

What happens in Confirmation?

In Confirmation the soul of a baptized Christian is imprinted with a permanent seal that can be received only once and marks this individual forever as a Christian. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the strength from above in which this individual puts the grace of his Baptism into practice through his life and acts as a "witness" for Christ.

To be confirmed means to make a "covenant" with God.

The confirmand says:
"Yes, I believe in you, my God; give me your Holy Spirit, so that I might belong entirely to you and never be separated from you and may witness to you throughout my whole life, body and soul, in my words and deeds, on good days and bad."

And God says:
"Yes, I believe in you, too, my child- and I will give you my Spirit, my very self. I will belong entirely to you. I will never separate myself from you, in this life or eternally in the next. I will be in your body and your soul, in your words and deeds. Even if you forget me, I will still be there - on good days and bad".

Candidates for Confirmation, as for Baptism, fittingly seek the spiritual help of a sponsor. To emphasize the unity of the two sacraments, it is appropriate that this be one of the baptismal godparents.

Who can receive the Sacrament of Confirmation?

Any Catholic Christian who has received the Sacrament of Baptism and it is in the "state of grace" can be admitted to Confirmation. To be "in the state of grace" means not have committed any serious sin (mortal sin). By a serious sin a person separates himself from God and can be reconciled with God only by making a good confession.

A (young) Christian who is preparing for Confirmation finds himself/herself in one of the most important phrases of his/her life.
He/she will do everything possible to grasp the faith with his/her heart and his/her understanding;
he/she will pray alone with the others for the Holy Spirit;
he/she will reconcile himself/herself, with the people around him/her, and with God.

Confession is part of this, since it brings one closer to God even if one has not committed a mortal sin.

Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading 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.
To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as parish community.
The later bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands.

Source from Sunday Bulletin, 12th January 2014

What is Confirmation in Catholic Church?

Confirmation is the Sacrament that completes Baptism; in it the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon us. Anyone who freely decides to live a life as God's child and asks for God's Spirit under the signs of the imposition of hands and anointing with Chrism receives the strength to witness to God's love and might in word and deed. He/She is now full fledged, responsible member of the Catholic church.

When  a coach sends a football player onto the playing field, he puts his hand on his shoulder and gives him final instruction. We can understand Confirmation in a similar way. A hand is placed upon us. We step out onto the field of life. Through the Holy Spirit we know what we have to do and we have been given the power to do it. He has motivated us. His mission resounds in our ears. We sense his help. We will not betray his trust or disappoint him; we will win the game for him. We just have to want to do it and listen to him.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is normally administered by the Bishop. For weighty reasons when necessary, the bishop can also delegate a priest to do it. In danger of death, any priest can administer Confirmation.

Source from Sunday Bulletin, 5th Jan 2014