Catholic Confirmation Preparation

The Sacrament of Confirmation Confers the Grace to Persevere 

Catholic Confirmation is the sacrament that strengthens us in the faith till final perseverance. It gives us the weapons necessary to fight our own faults, the devil, the flesh, and the world.

Learning its definition and the other Baltimore Catechism No. 2 Confirmation answers to the test questions is easy with practice.

• The Baltimore Catechism is the best trusted Catholic catechism in English. Children learn it right the first time.
• It has a long history since 1885.
• It has concise Catholic answers.
• It has wonderful prayers like the perfect Act of Contrition.

Depending on how old you or your children are when you have the opportunity to be confirmed, you will want to read different books. See suggestions below.

The easiest book to read to learn about the Catholic sacrament of Confirmation is the Baltimore Catechism (BC) which came in several levels. It gives an outline of the main truths with several questions about each one. The answers have no fluff.

There are three main sections for the sacrament of Confirmation on this page:

1. List Of Confirmation Catechism Resources
2. Choosing A Catholic Confirmation Catechism
3. Confirmation Catechism Class

1. List Of Catholic Confirmation Resources

2. Choosing A Catholic Confirmation Catechism

2.A. Baltimore Catechism No. 2 Confirmation Questions

In preparing our children for Confirmation, you will find that the Baltimore Catechism even in its many versions throughout the years has had the most precise and concise Catholic answers.

You can study many books to find that some catechisms have answers that leave room for doubting the very sacrament itself; yet, this is the very sacrament that gives confidence: confidence - con fide - means "with faith".

How can one have confidence when the booklet has conflicting answers?

You can't. Neither can your children. This is why you'll want to use the best version of the Baltimore so your children can learn the right Catholic Confirmation answers the first time.

Be encouraged to help your children to study these answers and to prepare well so that they receive the most graces possible. This is serious, but it is also a joyful process. Just wait till your children are all confirmed! It's a truly great day. Check one more step on the path to Heaven.

The better they prepare the more well armed soldiers of Jesus Christ they will be. This is the way to have an easier trip to the highest place in Heaven where God wants you.

Confirmation confers the strength necessary for us to persevere. It gives us the right to the graces necessary to be Jesus' soldiers in all that we do. 

If you are fortunate enough to have the great grace to be able to receive Confirmation or get it for your children, go for it. You and they will get to Heaven more easily.

You'll find it is such a great grace for your children to receive this strength and the sacramental graces now, so that our happiness in eternity is brighter and surer; and our lives here on earth are safer and happier.

Many Catholics today are not convinced that there is a need for the sacrament of Confirmation which is just too, too, sad because they miss so many graces. Not receiving Confirmation is a reason so that many Catholics are not strong in their faith or have to watch their children and grandchildren leave the faith.

Worse, many bishops are delaying Confirmation till the children are out of school. At one point I received several calls a year from catechists and parents who complained that their bishop requires the confirmand to be 18 years old.

Parents are afraid that. if their children do not prepare for Confirmation during school, they will not have the time or motivation to do it later in life.

I think these parents are right.

You can teach your children these truths on your own. That's where Saint Anne's Helper Catholic Confirmation resources are so helpful.

Even if you simply copy the audio files to an MP3 player for your children to hear, they'll have heard the truth.

If they're trying to memorize the answers, the audio is a huge help - especially for audio learners! Give them headphones for a better experience.

2.B. Council of Trent Catechism

Did you know that the Baltimore Catechism is based on the Council of Trent catechism?

1. Infants - The sacrament of Confirmation can be received even by infants, especially those in danger of death.
2. Children - It teaches that even those who have merely attained the use of reason can and should receive the sacrament. They are old enough to remember receiving Confirmation.
3. Adults - We need the strength of this sacrament for final perseverance.

If you want more than an outline, The Catechism of the Council of Trent (CCT) is a wonderful book. The BC No. 3 is an outline of the CCT. The full book tells the Bible, historical, and saints stories that go with the catechism.

Oh, and if you or your students are curious, The Catechism of the Council of Trent is not a tricky book to read. You'll find it to be very interesting. It is perfect for high school children in eleventh and twelfth grade.

3. Catholic Confirmation Catechism Class

For teaching Confirmation class, you'll want to teach the main stories in the New Testament and saints stories so that you children have models to choose for their Confirmation names.  

On Pentecost Sunday, 10 days after Ascension Thursday, the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles who were made strong enough to teach the Catholic religion, and thousands of people converted to the Catholic Faith that very same day.

We need the same graces in our day.

Guess what? He confers those very same gifts on each one who receives the sacrament of Confirmation worthily throughout all these centuries. Also, when we face a spiritual battle we can count on the graces necessary to win; be encouraged, we have the right to these graces! 

The better disposed we are, the better we can imitate Jesus, Mary and the Apostles. Being disposed is not an academic or social matter. As one question asks, the requirement is simply:

• To know the basic truths and prayers; 
• Be baptized, 
• Go to confession and receive Communion; 
• Pray for an increase in graces. 
• A plus would be to read about saints. 

Note that it does not require

• Children to be able to write the answers.
• Social projects.
• Huge amounts of extra study.

There are many saints who could neither read nor write and there is a huge percentage who led very hidden lives. Do not worry that your children have to be academically sharp to receive Confirmation.

As a matter of fact, Confirmation can give them the wisdom, understanding, and counsel necessary to improve their thinking abilities as well as their spiritual graces.

3.A. Traditional Catholic Confirmation Questions

Saint Anne's Helper's Catholic Confirmation catechism asks the question What is Confirmation? rather than the subjective "What does Confirmation do for you?"

It gives the Catholic answers with clean definitions that do not cloud the truth.

What is holy Chrism?

"Holy Chrism is composed of olive oil and balsam blessed by the bishop on Holy Thursday."

Chrism is made of olive oil and balsam as taught in the old Catholic Confirmation catechisms. If the matter (chrism) and form (words) are correct, we can be certain that we are receiving the same gifts as the Apostles and Mary received at Pentecost.

This question is very interesting today as traditional Confirmation ceremonies still use olive oil.

Here are other questions that many new catechisms do not teach that many traditional priests still ask:

What are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost?

"The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord."

What are the Fruits of the Holy Ghost?

"The twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost are: charity, joy, peace, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, long-suffering, modesty, continency, chastity."

Who are the enemies a soldier of Jesus Christ must fight against?

"The enemies a soldier of Jesus Christ must fight against are namely these three: the world, the devil, and the flesh."

There are several answers for the definition of the world, the devil, and the flesh as well. Here's a super important question:

Which weapons has Jesus Christ given us to use?

"The weapons Jesus Christ has given us to use are:

1. Prayer and sacrifice.
2. Grace and the sacraments.
3. The seven gifts and twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost."

The weapons we are to use in our daily life are the same as Jesus Himself used, like prayers and sacrifices. There's no big social project necessary.

Confirmation is the sacrament that gives the grace to even very small children to be brave enough to confess the faith even unto martyrdom. It also gives us the right to God's grace in our everyday lives. Count on it.

A good Catholic Confirmation catechism teaches the important facts about the sacraments in a true, concise and memorable manner. For example: One who is Confirmed needs to know when to honor the Third Commandment.

• Does your catechism teach the Catholic Ten Commandments? 
• Does it teach the Catholic Holy Days of Obligation? They're still the same in the United States as when they were listed in the original Baltimore Catechism.

If your Confirmation catechism does not have these same answers, you might want to supplement your program using our downloads (see below or on our order page). 

3.B. Choosing Confirmation Names

Choosing a Catholic Confirmation name can require much study if you are searching for that perfect patron saint!

It is easy if you have already been reading good Catholic books about the saints'.

An idea is to think of your favorite name and find out what the saint was like, or read a collection of saints lives to find your favorite patron saints. 

It is very good to study about the Roman Catholic saints during the year before Confirmation preparation, so you are familiar with the choices that you have for your Confirmation name. See our growing list of Roman Catholic saints.

Here are some examples: 

• Saint Martha, patroness of Homemakers and Hospitals.
• Saint Andrew, Apostle.
• More Catholic saints.

Here's more information for choosing a Confirmation name based on a saint's story you like, a name you like, or for what virtue the saint is patron. 

Other ideas are to check lists that are found in Catholic liturgical calendars and the book Is it a Saint's Name? by Tan Books. This last may well be your favorite Catholic saints lists because the booklet has instructive information about naming in general, Catholic names in specific, and even Baptismal names. 

May God grant you a happy and holy life!

~Mary

Baltimore Catechism Confirmation Preparation: Audio, Worksheets, eBooklet - or all 3 bundled.

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Order our Baltimore Catechism worksheets. Choose your favorite fonts, colors, and SIZES on our fillable digital interactive worksheets and coloring pages. Paperless or printable.

First Communion Preparation Baltimore Catechism No. 1 For Children And Adults - Or get the bundle.

Baltimore Catechism Confirmation Preparation: Audio, Worksheets, eBooklet - or all 3 bundled.

All for the love of You, my God!