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
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