Youtube Interviews
In this episode of Roadmap to Heaven, host Adam Wright is joined by special guest Bishop Mark Rivituso, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The focus of their conversation is the sacrament of Confirmation and how individuals can prepare themselves for this important milestone in their faith journey.
The topics of choosing a Confirmation patron saint and the tradition of taking on a new name are explored. Examples are given of how young people today choose their patron saints based on personal struggles and virtues.
The challenge of catechesis in the 8th-grade year is also discussed. Bishop Rivituso suggests helping candidates understand that Confirmation is not an “exit sacrament” but a continuation of their faith journey. He emphasizes the importance of ongoing commitment after Confirmation and how the Holy Spirit equips individuals to continue the mission of Jesus in the world.
The role of sponsors in Confirmation is highlighted, as they embody the qualities the candidates aspire to live out. Sponsors provide support during the preparation process and continue to walk the faith journey with newly confirmed individuals. They represent the larger community and offer encouragement and inspiration.
The conversation moves on to discuss the significance of Sacred Chrism, the oil used in sacramental anointing in the Catholic Church. Bishop Rivituso explains that the purpose of consecrating the Chrism oil is to remind individuals to conform their lives to Jesus and live out the image of Christ. He emphasizes that the anointing with Sacred Chrism is not just a ritual, but a reminder to live out grace and be sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Overall, this episode of Roadmap to Heaven provides valuable insights into the sacrament of Confirmation, discussing its significance, preparation, and ongoing commitment to living out the beauty of Jesus.
Adam Wright:
We are happy to have with us on the show today the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, his Excellency, Bishop Mark Rivituso. Bishop Rivituso, it’s so good to have you with us here on Roadmap to Heaven again.
Bishop Rivituso:
Good to be with you, Adam, and all the listeners as well.
Adam Wright:
So today, we are talking about something that, for many, is next year. For some, it’s already been this fall and, well, for a lot of us, it was a long time ago in our lives as well. That’s the sacrament of Confirmation. One of the times in the life of the church that, either the confirmandi go to the cathedral to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, or the Archbishop or his designate, you, the vicar’s general, head out to the parishes for Confirmations as well. And I thought, every Confirmation I’ve been to, it’s fitting that you get the last word in the homily right before the Confirmation. But if it were practical for you to go to all of the parishes at the beginning of their preparation, I was just kind of curious: you give them the capstone, but what would you give them at the beginning of the syllabus? What would you say as they begin their preparation?
Bishop Rivituso:
Right. Well, first of all, I think it’s important, the ritual speaks for itself, but I really believe that before the homily is given, they are presented by the pastor or the catechist, to the bishop or the designate for Confirmation, and they attest to the readiness of the candidates for Confirmation. And I believe in that testimonial, it shows that, take this seriously. That is so important that when we’re journeying in faith, we take our faith seriously, and we journey with faith seriously with the Lord and with the church. Helping us to, once again, advance in greater holiness to live a greater love of the Lord, and live His love in our life, and also to be more engaged in the church’s life. Because as we’re growing in our faith, we’re also being one with our family of faith to truly be part and engage with all of us in the mission of Jesus to bring Jesus to our world. So I would say, at the very beginning of all this, take things seriously because these things are important, and our faith is important, and living the faith and bringing Jesus to the world, that is of utmost importance for all.
Adam Wright:
I imagine that a lot of the parents of our confirmandi are going through this whole process as well of looking at high schools. I think of the many open houses we’ve been to, I think back to my years, that right upfront, they present the profile of the graduate at graduation. When your son or daughter graduates from this school, this is who we hope that they are. It’s good to know that because it’s like, “Wait a minute. Is that who I hope I am at the end of high school?” If that doesn’t fit with my hopes, maybe I need to be asking myself, “What am I doing here?” But that leads to my next question. Who actually is confirming what? Because at some point, I know I thought of Confirmation, “Alright. This is my chance to stand up and say, ‘Yes. I believe the Catholic faith'”, and that is certainly a component of it. But then when we look deeper in the prayers and the ritual itself, I mean, it seems like we’re asking God to do the confirming here, and to be sealing those with the Holy Spirit who come forward for Confirmation. So what exactly, when we talk about the sacrament, who is doing the confirming, and what is being confirmed?
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. Well, you know, as we have the actual Confirmation, the bishop or the delegate says, “We seal with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And, obviously, it’s the Holy Spirit that seals the person, that sets that person apart, that anoints them, for a special purpose. And as we find those prayers, it comes over and over again, that what is all this about, about conforming to the image of Jesus? And as we are confirmed by the Holy Spirit, confirmed by God in our life, that we’re confirmed to remember we’re set apart for a special purpose, a special mission to conform to the image of Jesus. And it’s living the beauty of Jesus by the helper, one of the great titles of the Holy Spirit, by the help of the Holy Spirit. So, every day of our life, the disciples’ objective is to become like the master. We are confirmed by God so we can indeed, as a disciple, always see the beauty of our life to be the beauty of Jesus,. To be living our life always, for not only the church, but also for the world.
Adam Wright:
So this really goes back to – if we want to take a big step back – this goes back to our baptismal calling. So we’re starting there, that we’re brought into the church of baptism. We’re called to live this life of Christ, and now in being sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit when we’re confirmed, we’re receiving more graces and those gifts of the Holy Spirit to go out and live that baptismal calling.
Bishop Rivituso:
How true that is. Yes. And even after we have the homily, then we have the renewal baptismal promises to make that connection. This is a sacrament of initiation: baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Confirmation reminds us that as you, when you were baptized, you died to yourself to live the newness of life. As Saint Paul says, “to live Christ’s life.” It’s His life that we live, and Confirmation by the help of the Holy Spirit. We want to live Christ’s life in our life. And isn’t that what the beauty of the saints are about? They lived out the beauty of Jesus in their life and lived out Christ for others, and they did it by the help of the Holy Spirit. And we’re called to be saints, and remember that for all the candidates, you were called to be saints. What a beautiful calling, to live the beautiful life of Jesus for others, and to do that by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
So when we think of then the mission that we’re sent out on by virtue of our baptism, and by virtue of making that profession of faith that we’re saying, “I believe this, and I believe that I am called to go do this.” As the confirmandi do their preparation, that’s part of why you want them to take it so seriously because if they’re saying, “Okay. I want God to confirm this in me”, that’s their way of saying, “I’m ready for the mission. I’m ready. I’m willing to serve. I’m willing to go out there.”
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. And I want them to take seriously that, “Yes, I want to be living the beauty of Christ.” But remember, this is the Sacrament of Initiation, to be fully initiated into the church, so you’re going to be one with all of us. As we all are doing the mission of Christ, we need to bring out the best in one another, which is Christ and each other, so we can be that image of Jesus for our world as we are called to be as a church, and living that beauty of that image of Christ for our world, which the world needs desperately. We need the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
I love the parallels that are there, and I can only imagine that these are not coincidental, between the Sacraments of Initiation and then those who go on to consecrated religious life. That there is a period of acceptance, there’s a period of formation and initiation, and then there is a final moment where all of that comes to a culmination and says, “Alright. Now you are professing your final vows, and you are part of the order, and your life going forward is dedicated to this mission.” And I think that’s just such a beautiful parallel we find in the life of the church.
I’d like to talk for a moment about some of the different things that our confirmandi are considering. Our listeners know that my son’s going through this process, and one day we came home, found him with the the Lives of the Saints, and he said, “Dad, I hear I have to pick a new name”, and now the other other kids are, “Dad, why don’t I get to pick a new name? I like my name, but I I’d prefer another one.” Why do we pick a new name at Confirmation, and what are some of the things that you would encourage the confirmandi and their parents and sponsors to consider as these young people look at possible names?
Bishop Rivituso:
Sure. This is something very dear to me. When we were growing up in our family, you had to have the name of Jesus, Mary, or Joseph in your name. So Confirmation was my last opportunity to do that, or I’d have been oust from my family. So I chose Saint Joseph, because I thought Saint Joseph was one kind of behind the scenes, did wonderful good, provided for the holy family. A wonderful role model, guardian of the church. I wanted to to emulate myself after Saint Joseph. And I mention this because it’s important for our candidates to discern, “Who was the saint that, really, I connect with? As well as I feel is an inspiration for me to live out sainthood in my life.” I always remind the candidates that you not only are praying and discerning about that Confirmation patron saint, but that saint chose you as well, and you should always have a relationship with that saint.
Every day, I go to Saint Joseph, “Pray with me so I may live the fruits of my Confirmation, live out my personal Pentecost to be open to Holy Spirit working in a beautiful way this day to live out being a saint. To be that good shepherd for people, to be a priest who cares for the cares of others, to be a pastor who helps those who are in need.” So I always want to remind myself that Saint Joseph is always a relationship that is very dear to me. And I will say that as I have received letters many times from the candidates, and it’s very beautiful. They’re discerning very seriously who that Confirmation patron saint is.
You know, I’ll share two examples. This wonderful young lady who sent a letter saying she chose Saint Lucy because she is struggling because she’s probably eventually becoming blind. Saint Lucy is the patron of eyes, of eyesight. And she wanted Saint Lucy to be a help to her as she dealt with that struggle and see how she was able to live the beauty of Christ in the midst of that struggle, living out the help with the saints and with the Holy Spirit always guiding her. Also, I had another person that talked about her little brother who was having some mental illness concerns, and she chose Saint Dymphna, which is the patron saint for mental illness. To see the care and love that went into the consideration as well as the care and love of that person for her little brother, for her family, that’s living sainthood. And what a beautiful way that she lives sainthood by the help of the Holy Spirit and seeing that saint as someone very much connected to, to live out a love for those who are going through their struggles, maybe with mental illness. So I thought what beautiful things we’re seeing in our young people, of how they’re praying, discerning, looking at the saints, and seeing the connection which helps them not only to see that saint as an inspiration, but being inspired by that saint to live out sainthood themselves.
Adam Wright:
I have to admit I’m a little jealous of the candidates today who have the internet as their resource. You know, they can go on the computer and who is the patron saint of this, or tell me about saints who x, y, or z. Whereas we had to go through the book and at a certain point, I think I remember, like, “Okay, I’ve looked at 50 saints and this one I can kind of identify with. So maybe that’s the guy. I don’t know.” And it turns out, through some grace, I picked a saint. Saint John Leonardi was my Confirmation saint, and I don’t remember too much about him. But now later in life, I have a strong devotion to Saint Philip Neri, and I remember that Saint John Leonardi was an Oratorian in the community, not with Saint Philip, if memory serves, but in one of the communities founded by the Oratorians. So, there he was looking out for me. He said, “Alright. You picked me, but later in life. I’ll give you a little grace. I’ll share a little bit of God’s grace with you, through my intercession here.” But that’s a great place, I imagine, to start then. If someone’s saying, “Well, I don’t know anything about – I know of Saint Joseph. I know Mary. I know Jesus. I know that our school is named after a saint. I don’t know where to begin.” They could you know, “I like soccer.” Could I just type in Google or wherever, “Who is the patron saint of sports?” and read about that saint. Or “Who’s a saint that had a lot of brothers and sisters?” because I have a lot of brothers and sisters. You know?
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. And I will say, two names always come up: Saint Cecilia and Saint Sebastian for sports. So, music and sports. I always say it’s beautiful to hear in those letters, to read those letters, and also to talk to the candidates about the beauty of those saints in their lives. And, you know what’s important to them at that stage, I’m glad that faith is entering into it. Wherever they’re at, I’m happy that faith is a part of their life. And even in sports, they’re learning faith lessons through their sports, and the gift of music of how they can give that gift of music and the mission of the church. What a wonderful way to bring faith into things. So, I always figure we want to go where they’re at and help them to understand where they’re at is where they’re called to live faith.
Adam Wright:
One of the challenges that we face as we go through catechesis – and this is something that we’ve certainly talked about with our son – that part of the reason that that he will be confirmed at this age is because of where he’s at in his formation, both spiritual and intellectual. And we want him to know what’s happening with his Confirmation when he goes forward to receive the sacrament. The challenge lies in that it’s also his 8th grade year, and it’s a year of a lot of lasts. You know, this was the last time – he doesn’t even have to wear most of the school uniform. They get to wear their 8th grade shirt every day, so he doesn’t have to wear the old uniform as it was. It’s the last time that they’ll go to this event, the last time they’ll go to the mother son, or the family activity, and certainly the last time they’ll go to school at his particular school. And there can be that tendency to think that this is kind of an exit sacrament. Instead of that, really, that final initiation, this is a starting point. What do you say to those who who might be thinking that way, to help them? I mean, I know we can’t just force everyone to “Would you just realize this?”
Bishop Rivituso:
Right.
Adam Wright:
But how can we catechize? How can we assist in that?
Bishop Rivituso:
Sure. You know, I believe it’s very important. When we have the candidates, we remind them that your Confirmation is not one and done. Alright? Well, it’s like the first Pentecost. Why was there a need for the Holy Spirit? Well, Jesus ascends, and we are called to continue the mission of Jesus. Jesus always equips us to do the task, and the Holy Spirit is the equipping to do the task of continuing the wonderful mission of Jesus in our world so others may come to know Jesus as savior, loving redeemer, knowing His mercy, knowing the compassion of Christ in the mission and ministry of the church. So, it’s not one and done, and that’s what’s so important, is that when you receive Confirmation, it’s important to remember, come Holy Spirit every day of our life because I need to live the fruits of Confirmation. It’s not only a sacrament received, but living the fruits of that sacrament and helping the candidates to remember that the Holy Spirit’s going to help you. This is your personal Pentecost so you can make good Christ decisions. So you can make good Christ discernment in what you do with your life, to discern with Jesus by the help of the Holy Spirit, what is the beauty of living Christ in my vocation, and what will that vocation be? Jesus, what is it that I’m called to be in my life, to live the fullness of my life in you? To be dedicated to the single life, living the gospel or to be a married person who lives the beauty of marriage and family life. Or to be a consecrated religious, to live out the beauty of Christ’s image in poverty, chastity, obedience. Or to be a priest to live out the beauty of Christ, the good shepherd For His people, have the smell of sheep as, Pope Francis reminds us. So it’s just good to remind us that it’s not one and done, but the fruits of sacrament Confirmation ongoing help us to live our faith and help us to live by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
So in a sense, a year from now, when they’re off in high school and they’re saying, “Oh, Bishop Rivituso, I didn’t know how hard high school was going to be or I didn’t know how overwhelming this aspect of it might be.” You could say them, “Well that’s why at your Confirmation you received these gifts, and instead of an ending point, that was to get you ready for all these things you’re encountering now that you’re growing up in high school and moving forward in your life of faith.”
Bishop Rivituso:
Amen. And I will say that, once again, I remind people, when Christ calls, He doesn’t just leave you out on your own. He equips us for the task, and it’s always important, every day, rely upon the help of God in our life. We can’t do it by ourselves, and the helper, the Holy Spirit, is there to help us to remember our life’s about Jesus. There’s nothing greater than living the beauty of Jesus in our life. That’s the plan for all of us as disciples: living the beauty of Christ. There’s no better plan for us than to live Him in our life. And I was going to say, you know, it’s important. I remind the candidates every time I meet with them before the Mass itself, I tell them, “As you’re going out and living out the fruits of the sacrament of Confirmation, you’re not out there alone, not only with the help of God, but you have all of us as a church and so many people who are praying for you.” I have a special prayer I pray every day for them. Every day, I tell them, “Holy Spirit, Bless those I confirm, that they may live the beauty of Jesus this day in their life by your help and grace.” I don’t think there’s any better prayer than that. To want people to live Jesus in your life, that’s living the fullness of our life by the help of Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
I was going to say that, speaking of not being alone in all of this, one of the other big decisions that candidates have to make is that of a sponsor, that they are required to have a sponsor when they come forward for Confirmation. And I think back to baptism, that’s a very natural thing, when you have the baptism of infants. I don’t know any infants that when they say, “Do you want to accept this?” They would say “Yes.” Oh, wow. The infant spoke there. You just have the sponsors that answer, “Do you believe?” “Yes.” “Do you reject this?” “Yes.” “Do you believe this?” “Yes.”
What is the role of the sponsor at Confirmation, and what should the candidates be looking for when they’re determining, who am I going to ask to be my sponsor? Because there’s certainly no shortage of friends, family members, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etcetera, that they could ask.
Bishop Rivituso:
Right. In the letters I read from the candidates, they’re very inspiring in saying, “I chose this sponsor because they are very devout in their faith, or they live a goodness in their life, or they do so much for others. They have a heart of Jesus, caring about all those who are in need.” I always feel like they’re giving a testimonial that that sponsor is someone they admire and someone they want to be kind of like in their life. They want to emulate that person by their goodness, or their care, their kindness, or their prayerfulness, or their faithfulness to God. So I really believe that their choice of a sponsor is something very much connected with how they see what their life should look like, and they’ve seen in their sponsor good qualities that they want to live themselves.
So, to me, it’s a little insightful on who their sponsors are and how they want to live their life more fully by living Jesus in those good qualities. I will say that the sponsors, every time I meet with them prior to the ceremony, I commend them because these sponsors have been with these candidates, helping them in their preparation by their prayers, by sharing their own faith, by sharing how important the Holy Spirit is in their faith life, of helping them to know that the Holy Spirit is helping them and they’re living out their vocation. And reminding them that we’re there for you as a sponsor, but not only us, but there’s so many who are there for you in your journey of faith as you ready yourself for Confirmation. So, the the choice of a sponsor is very important, and it says a lot about the candidate, of how they see where their life should be leading and what they want to live in their life, these wonderful qualities, living Jesus, and these are things they want to do by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
If I could bring in a cultural reference, I think so often, in the digital age, especially, we’re seeing it. “This video is sponsored by…” or “This show is sponsored by…” It becomes almost an endorsement of the message of the program or the event. You know, I think of so many of our great Catholic events and the philanthropists that are happy to say, “I will sponsor this event. I believe in it.” Is that somewhat similar, too, for our sponsors that as they come forward with their hand on the shoulder of the candidate, they’re giving that sign of, “I believe this candidate is ready to be confirmed”?
Bishop Rivituso:
That is so important. When the sponsor does that, I think they’re not only representing themselves, but they’re representing all of us. They symbolize all of us there, with our hand on their shoulder as a means of support for them. And it’s a reaffirmation, not only of their journey with that candidate, but they will continue to journey with that candidate beyond Confirmation. To be part of their life, to be a role model for that person’s life, to be a witness of the faith, and help them to be encouraged in those candidates living out their faith and the beauty of Jesus in their life. So they can see they have that role, and it doesn’t stop with Confirmation, but they’re living it in a wonderful way to be an inspiration and encouragement for the candidates that are newly confirmed, to continue to live what God is calling them to, live out their Confirmation by living the beauty of Jesus, by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
I’m trying to remember back to the Confirmation Mass. Is there a moment before the homily where the pastor or the catechist presents the candidates to you, who will be doing the Confirmation, to testify to their worthiness?
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. It is. It’s right after the gospel, and then the pastor or the catechist will come up and testify that this class is now ready for Confirmation because they have taken seriously their faith journey by prayer, by study, and works of goodness. As I remind them before the Mass, that prayer study and words of goodness doesn’t stop with Confirmation. We continue to want to emulate Jesus, the beauty of Jesus, by living His prayerfulness in our life and studying being disciple, as a student, a disciple of Jesus, and continuing the good works, remembering the model Christ who came to serve and not to be served.
Adam Wright:
I asked that because I was having a conversation recently about ordination, and the call to the priesthood. And one of the comments that was made was that from that moment — First off, in ordination, the bishop of the diocese, the ordinary, sends a letter calling the candidates to come forward for ordination, and then they are presented as worthy, usually by the rector of the seminary. And that from that moment onward, the candidates for ordination could never say that they were not called to the priesthood because they have been called by the representative of Christ in the diocese, the bishop, and it’s not a question of, “Well, I think I’m called?” Is that a similar thing in the sacrament of Confirmation, that now it’s not just that the candidates are saying, “Well, I want to be confirmed. Bishop Rivituso, if you could fit it into your schedule. I know Adam Wright keeps adding all these things to your schedule in the radio interview. But I’d like to be confirmed.” This is more about the church now calling them forward, and the church saying, “We want to confirm you.”
Bishop Rivituso:
Right. You know, and I will say that comparison is very, very good because when those present themselves for ordination, the church confirms the call of God. But remember, when we call them forth, they say “Present.” And saying “present” means, “I am completely giving myself to this call to be lived by the help of the Holy Spirit, to be that ordained minister for the church. And the same thing here with our Confirmation candidates. The testimonial that is given, that is confirmed, not only that the church confirms what God confirms through the sacrament, but these candidates, in renewing their baptismal promises, confirm for themselves saying, “I’m present. I’m all in on this. All my chips are in on this game, the game of life and the game of living out being a disciple of Jesus. I’m all in with living the beauty of Jesus, and I know I need the help of the Holy Spirit.” So, that is another beautiful correlation of seeing how this Confirmation of the call and the response of all in, of being completely present to live out that call, is shown in that moment of the presentation and also in the renewal of baptismal promises.
Adam Wright:
So after the candidates are presented, after they receive that last bit of catechesis from you or whoever is doing the Confirmation, wherever the case is, they come forward. And what exactly is said and done as they come forward to receive the sacrament?
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. As they come forward, their Confirmation sponsor has their hand on their right shoulder, and then the bishop or the delegate would say whatever their Confirmation patron saint name is, “Cecilia, be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” and anoint that person’s forehead. I usually have my hand on top of the person’s head for reminding them of the laying on of hands, as well as the actual anointing with the sign of the cross of the sacred chrism anointed to be sealed, to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, to live that beauty of Jesus in their life. But also, after I do that, I say to them, “Peace be with you”, and they respond, “And with your spirit.” And I shake their hand to remind them that we’re one in living out that beauty of Christ’s peace and being at peace and living out the fruits of our Confirmation. What greater peace can we have every day than living out the beauty of Jesus in our lives? So we’re all in this together. We’re all supporting each other, praying for each other. We’re living the beauty of Christ by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
And I imagine, like any of the sacraments, we would need to be in a state of grace when we’re called forward. Honestly, just in preparation for any big moment in my life, when I think back to our wedding, the baptisms of our children, just looking at my role in all of these things, it was a good opportunity to say, “Hey, the weekend before, let’s go to confession at the parish. Even if we’re not in the state of mortal sin, let’s just go and receive those graces.” And that’s really the thing, that this isn’t just a moment. We don’t have the glasses invented yet where you can now see grace in action. But there is actually supernatural grace then that that is involved in all of this. These aren’t just nice words and a ritual to say welcome to the club. This is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit even though we can’t see it with our eyes.
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes, and I believe you’re right. We want to be completely open, and open to the Holy Spirit working in a wonderful way in our life. We don’t want to present any obstacles. We don’t want to hold anything back. We want to be open to the Holy Spirit so we can be fully giving our life over love, and have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s love so we can live that love of Jesus. So it’s so important. And I would say, too, as we mentioned about them coming forward to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. You know, I want the candidates, and I remind all, as we have that beautiful moment of the sacrament, please open yourself to the beauty of the outpouring of love. Experience that outpouring of love for the Holy Spirit, of God’s love for you, and all of us in our love for you as a wonderful means of support and lifting you up. And helping you to live out, the beauty of the fruits of Confirmation.
Adam Wright:
I wanna wrap up with this. It was a hot topic at the Wright institute of theological discourse the other night. The paper came home with our oldest that said, “Here are all the important dates for Confirmation” and sponsor parent candidate meeting this date. Then one of the ones he noticed, “Dad, what’s the Chrism Mass, and why do I have to go to that? Aren’t we off school on that day, and why are we going down there?” And I said, “Oh, the Chrism Mass is one of my favorite masses”, and we started talking about the Sacred Chrism and the oil of the catechumen, the oil of the infirmed, and the beautiful richness of that Mass in the life of the church and in the life of the diocese. And a couple of questions came up that I answered to the best of my ability, but the kids said, “Hey. I don’t know that you know what you’re talking about here.” I said, “Come on! I’ll tell you what. I have an interview with Bishop Rivituso coming up. I will ask him.”
First off, you know, we think of those oils. And the oil of the infirmed, I think most of us, we’re familiar with that. If we know the anointing of the sick, we know the oil. The oil of the catechumen used in baptism. As well as the Sacred Chrism. But of the three oils, the oil of the infirm, the oil of the catechumen, for those of us who’ve been to the Chrism Mass, we know are blessed. But the oil of the Sacred Chrism, which is the only one we call sacred, even though they’re all sacred smallest, is consecrated. And when I hear consecration, I think of things like consecrated religious, consecrated virgin, consecration at Mass, most especially where bread and wine cease to be bread and wine. First off, what is the Chrism oil? Why is it consecrated? And then, in Confirmation, the confirmandi are anointed with the Sacred Chrism, but we anoint a lot in our Catholic faith. What is the meaning and the purpose behind anointing?
Bishop Rivituso:
Chrism comes from Christ. So, Sacred Chrism, that in the use of Sacred Chrism is to remind us by the help of God, that we are to conform our very life to Jesus. It’s no longer our life, but to live out that image of Christ in our life. So those that are receiving the Sacred Chrism are always reminded my life is beyond myself, and my life is not my own. It’s always about the life of Jesus. So, I always remind the candidates that when you receive the anointing of Sacred Chrism, Christ, you are reminded that you are called to live that beauty of Jesus. It’s not just an anointing as part of a ritual, but it’s living that ritual in your life, living out that grace of the anointing and being sealed by the Holy Spirit so you may always know my life should always conform to Jesus. Does my life conform to Jesus? And I need to remember living out the fruits of the sacrament. My life should reflect that I’m living Christ, the Chrism I received, on that consecration with Confirmation. So I think it’s important that we remember those consecrations are giving ourselves completely over love, over sacrifice, over in dedication, that we may live Chrism, Christ in our life.
Adam Wright:
And the Sacred Chrism, if I remember correctly, is only used for up to four things, and that’s the anointing at baptism when those who are to be baptized are baptized, they’re anointed with Sacred Chrism. They’re set apart. At Confirmation, those who are confirmed are anointed with Sacred Chrism, they’re set apart. And then, for the men who are called to the priesthood, when they are ordained a priest, their hands specifically are set apart and anointed with Sacred Chrism. And then you and your brother bishops, when you were made a bishop, you were anointed with Sacred Chrism again at that point as well.
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. There is one other time, too. I have this coming up. We had the old shrine of Saint Saint Ferdinand that was flooded. I’m going there on the eighteenth, and I’m consecrating an altar. We consecrate an altar with the Sacred Chrism to remind that this is a sign of Christ and His sacrifice for us. So, it’s another beautiful way when we go into churches to remember the sign of Christ, the consecration of Jesus, helping us to live our consecration to Him as well.
Adam Wright:
That’s what sets it apart, then, from the other two oils. That while the oil of the infirmed is important and the anointing of the sick confers sacramental grace. The oil of the catechumens is important. The Sacred Chrism is just on a whole other level in a way, it’s fair to say. But then anointing, that goes back to the Old Testament.
Bishop Rivituso:
Oh, yes.
Adam Wright:
Right? The things that are set apart for God are anointed with oil.
Bishop Rivituso:
Right, and it was always done for kings and priests and all those who were prophets, all those who were important, on important tasks, an important mission by God. God gave them what they needed to be equipped to do the task of the mission. So, the anointings were always important to remind us we can only do this by the help of God, and we say that in ordination too. We rely upon the help of the of the Lord. So, we always rely upon the Lord’s help to be about the work of the Lord.
Adam Wright:
Yeah. I think back, even though they’re separated from communion with the Catholic church, our Anglican brothers and sisters to the coronation of King Charles within the past year or so, that the screens come out. And in a very sacred moment in their tradition, he was anointed with oil to be prepared to receive the graces he would need to be king. Because I can’t imagine being king without the help of God. I wouldn’t want to be king without the help of God if I had the choice. Luckily, I will never be confronted with that choice. So, all of these things, in summary, this is about God saying, “You’re my sons and daughters. You’ve entered into this life of faith begun at your baptism. You’ve received the grace that I provide through the most holy Eucharist. And I’m choosing to say, I want to give you the grace you need to live out the rest of your life if you’re willing to come forward and ask for it.” And I love that in all of the sacraments, baptism, reconciliation, Eucharist, everything. There’s always God initiates the call, and we have the opportunity to say yes or no. He still gives us that free will. But once we say yes and come forward, He’s setting us apart in a very, very beautiful way. So, not just a ritual to join the club. I have my lifetime membership to the Catholic church. You got that at baptism. But a beautiful opportunity for us.
Bishop Rivituso, I can’t thank you enough for really giving us this deep dive here, in a longer perspective of all of the things that we might only experience if we go to that Mass to see our friend, or niece, or nephew, or son, or daughter, confirmed. I’m very grateful for your time. Any final thoughts we haven’t covered that you’d like to share with our listeners?
Bishop Rivituso:
I would just mention one thing. I think it’s important as we remember the sacrament of Confirmation, to go to the sacrament of the Eucharist very frequently because if we’re really living the beauty of Christ’s life by the help of the Holy Spirit, living out Confirmation, we need to receive Him frequently, and the graces from our Eucharistic Lord to live out that beauty of His life and our life, His love and our love, and to live out the goodness of Jesus in our life, His beauty, the beauty of the goodness of of the Eucharist in our life for others and for our world. So I always say, it’s important as we say amen, be transformed by that amen, by those graces of the Holy Eucharist to live the beauty of Jesus in our life, that we receive the gift received, to live that gift in our life. And the Holy Spirit helps us, help me to act upon every one of those graces of the Holy Eucharist so I can live that beauty of Jesus.
Adam Wright:
I always like to end with two things, a challenge for our listeners, and then a prayer for our listeners when we have a priest or bishop in the studio. And I think the challenge I’d like to ask: we think of the sacraments, and one of the things that sets us apart as Catholics, weddings this comes up a lot. The sacraments happen in churches, whether it’s our parish church or for many who receive the sacrament of Confirmation at the diocese mother church, everyone’s parish, the cathedral. That’s a very important aspect of it, that these sacraments don’t happen in a vacuum. So whether all of the parishioners are present, and usually not just due to space constraints in the church, if nothing else. The entire parish is involved, represented through the pastor and others in those receiving the sacrament. So here’s the challenge I want to ask for. How can those of us in the parishes, whether we know any of the candidates or not, when our children are coming forward for Confirmation, how can we best pray for them? And then after that, if I could ask you to conclude with a prayer as well.
Bishop Rivituso:
As I mentioned about the prayer I always say for the confirmandi, “Holy Spirit, help those that are confirmed to live the beauty of Christ in their life by your help and grace.” You know, I always believe that sometimes when we pray, we’re asking God to do what we want. And I would say, I’m not here to tell God, I want that person to be more generous to me or to be kinder to me. I want for all people, the best prayer is that all of us become more like Jesus. So, I think to help our young people preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation, help them by praying that they just be open to Jesus, open to a relationship with Jesus, open to living the beauty of Jesus in their life, and they may know the come Holy Spirit, who is with them living the fruits of Confirmation, to live a life that is so beautiful, beautifully living a life that imitates Christ himself.
Adam Wright:
I love it because at the end of the day, it’s not Adam Wright on the radio. It’s not the catechist. It’s not the pastors. It is not the parents ultimately who confer that grace. We’re all just instruments in the hand of the master, and what a joy that is. But He’s the one that’s going to do the ultimate conversion of heart, the ultimate call, and we’re just saying yes to helping Him out in the vineyard.
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. Amen.
Adam Wright:
Alright. Well, Bishop Rivituso, again, thank you so much for your time. If I could ask you to close us out with a prayer.
Bishop Rivituso:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. Holy Spirit, you are the helper, and we rely upon your help every day. May you always come to us. Come to our heart. Help our hearts to be transformed into the very heart of Jesus. May we always be reminded by the fruits of Confirmation that we are called by your grace to live the beauty of Jesus. To live that beauty for others and for our world. Help us always to be joyful in our witness of Jesus in our life, and help us to bring that joy to a world that is broken, that needs healing, and to those who are suffering, to bring comfort, to those who are in need, to be Christ’s compassion. May we always bring Jesus to who we are and everything we do. And we ask you to bless us, strengthen us in our faith, strengthen us to live our witness, strengthen us to live that beauty of Jesus. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. And may Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Adam Wright:
Amen. Well, if you liked this conversation that we were just able to have with Bishop Rivituso, you know someone who might be coming forward for Confirmation this year or in the next few years, we encourage you to share the podcast of Roadmap to Heaven with them so they can get a glimpse of what they are preparing for, or what their children, their nieces, their nephews, their grandchildren, whoever it may be, those in the parish are preparing for. It’s a great way that we can support one another in our faith, and most importantly, after hearing all of this wonderful information, to pray for the candidates who will receive Confirmation this year and in the years to come.
Adam Wright:
We are happy to have with us on the show today the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, his Excellency, Bishop Mark Rivituso. Bishop Rivituso, it’s so good to have you with us here on Roadmap to Heaven again.
Bishop Rivituso:
Good to be with you, Adam, and all the listeners as well.
Adam Wright:
So today, we are talking about something that, for many, is next year. For some, it’s already been this fall and, well, for a lot of us, it was a long time ago in our lives as well. That’s the sacrament of Confirmation. One of the times in the life of the church that, either the confirmandi go to the cathedral to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, or the Archbishop or his designate, you, the vicar’s general, head out to the parishes for Confirmations as well. And I thought, every Confirmation I’ve been to, it’s fitting that you get the last word in the homily right before the Confirmation. But if it were practical for you to go to all of the parishes at the beginning of their preparation, I was just kind of curious: you give them the capstone, but what would you give them at the beginning of the syllabus? What would you say as they begin their preparation?
Bishop Rivituso:
Right. Well, first of all, I think it’s important, the ritual speaks for itself, but I really believe that before the homily is given, they are presented by the pastor or the catechist, to the bishop or the designate for Confirmation, and they attest to the readiness of the candidates for Confirmation. And I believe in that testimonial, it shows that, take this seriously. That is so important that when we’re journeying in faith, we take our faith seriously, and we journey with faith seriously with the Lord and with the church. Helping us to, once again, advance in greater holiness to live a greater love of the Lord, and live His love in our life, and also to be more engaged in the church’s life. Because as we’re growing in our faith, we’re also being one with our family of faith to truly be part and engage with all of us in the mission of Jesus to bring Jesus to our world. So I would say, at the very beginning of all this, take things seriously because these things are important, and our faith is important, and living the faith and bringing Jesus to the world, that is of utmost importance for all.
Adam Wright:
I imagine that a lot of the parents of our confirmandi are going through this whole process as well of looking at high schools. I think of the many open houses we’ve been to, I think back to my years, that right upfront, they present the profile of the graduate at graduation. When your son or daughter graduates from this school, this is who we hope that they are. It’s good to know that because it’s like, “Wait a minute. Is that who I hope I am at the end of high school?” If that doesn’t fit with my hopes, maybe I need to be asking myself, “What am I doing here?” But that leads to my next question. Who actually is confirming what? Because at some point, I know I thought of Confirmation, “Alright. This is my chance to stand up and say, ‘Yes. I believe the Catholic faith'”, and that is certainly a component of it. But then when we look deeper in the prayers and the ritual itself, I mean, it seems like we’re asking God to do the confirming here, and to be sealing those with the Holy Spirit who come forward for Confirmation. So what exactly, when we talk about the sacrament, who is doing the confirming, and what is being confirmed?
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. Well, you know, as we have the actual Confirmation, the bishop or the delegate says, “We seal with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And, obviously, it’s the Holy Spirit that seals the person, that sets that person apart, that anoints them, for a special purpose. And as we find those prayers, it comes over and over again, that what is all this about, about conforming to the image of Jesus? And as we are confirmed by the Holy Spirit, confirmed by God in our life, that we’re confirmed to remember we’re set apart for a special purpose, a special mission to conform to the image of Jesus. And it’s living the beauty of Jesus by the helper, one of the great titles of the Holy Spirit, by the help of the Holy Spirit. So, every day of our life, the disciples’ objective is to become like the master. We are confirmed by God so we can indeed, as a disciple, always see the beauty of our life to be the beauty of Jesus,. To be living our life always, for not only the church, but also for the world.
Adam Wright:
So this really goes back to – if we want to take a big step back – this goes back to our baptismal calling. So we’re starting there, that we’re brought into the church of baptism. We’re called to live this life of Christ, and now in being sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit when we’re confirmed, we’re receiving more graces and those gifts of the Holy Spirit to go out and live that baptismal calling.
Bishop Rivituso:
How true that is. Yes. And even after we have the homily, then we have the renewal baptismal promises to make that connection. This is a sacrament of initiation: baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Confirmation reminds us that as you, when you were baptized, you died to yourself to live the newness of life. As Saint Paul says, “to live Christ’s life.” It’s His life that we live, and Confirmation by the help of the Holy Spirit. We want to live Christ’s life in our life. And isn’t that what the beauty of the saints are about? They lived out the beauty of Jesus in their life and lived out Christ for others, and they did it by the help of the Holy Spirit. And we’re called to be saints, and remember that for all the candidates, you were called to be saints. What a beautiful calling, to live the beautiful life of Jesus for others, and to do that by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
So when we think of then the mission that we’re sent out on by virtue of our baptism, and by virtue of making that profession of faith that we’re saying, “I believe this, and I believe that I am called to go do this.” As the confirmandi do their preparation, that’s part of why you want them to take it so seriously because if they’re saying, “Okay. I want God to confirm this in me”, that’s their way of saying, “I’m ready for the mission. I’m ready. I’m willing to serve. I’m willing to go out there.”
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. And I want them to take seriously that, “Yes, I want to be living the beauty of Christ.” But remember, this is the Sacrament of Initiation, to be fully initiated into the church, so you’re going to be one with all of us. As we all are doing the mission of Christ, we need to bring out the best in one another, which is Christ and each other, so we can be that image of Jesus for our world as we are called to be as a church, and living that beauty of that image of Christ for our world, which the world needs desperately. We need the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
I love the parallels that are there, and I can only imagine that these are not coincidental, between the Sacraments of Initiation and then those who go on to consecrated religious life. That there is a period of acceptance, there’s a period of formation and initiation, and then there is a final moment where all of that comes to a culmination and says, “Alright. Now you are professing your final vows, and you are part of the order, and your life going forward is dedicated to this mission.” And I think that’s just such a beautiful parallel we find in the life of the church.
I’d like to talk for a moment about some of the different things that our confirmandi are considering. Our listeners know that my son’s going through this process, and one day we came home, found him with the the Lives of the Saints, and he said, “Dad, I hear I have to pick a new name”, and now the other other kids are, “Dad, why don’t I get to pick a new name? I like my name, but I I’d prefer another one.” Why do we pick a new name at Confirmation, and what are some of the things that you would encourage the confirmandi and their parents and sponsors to consider as these young people look at possible names?
Bishop Rivituso:
Sure. This is something very dear to me. When we were growing up in our family, you had to have the name of Jesus, Mary, or Joseph in your name. So Confirmation was my last opportunity to do that, or I’d have been oust from my family. So I chose Saint Joseph, because I thought Saint Joseph was one kind of behind the scenes, did wonderful good, provided for the holy family. A wonderful role model, guardian of the church. I wanted to to emulate myself after Saint Joseph. And I mention this because it’s important for our candidates to discern, “Who was the saint that, really, I connect with? As well as I feel is an inspiration for me to live out sainthood in my life.” I always remind the candidates that you not only are praying and discerning about that Confirmation patron saint, but that saint chose you as well, and you should always have a relationship with that saint.
Every day, I go to Saint Joseph, “Pray with me so I may live the fruits of my Confirmation, live out my personal Pentecost to be open to Holy Spirit working in a beautiful way this day to live out being a saint. To be that good shepherd for people, to be a priest who cares for the cares of others, to be a pastor who helps those who are in need.” So I always want to remind myself that Saint Joseph is always a relationship that is very dear to me. And I will say that as I have received letters many times from the candidates, and it’s very beautiful. They’re discerning very seriously who that Confirmation patron saint is.
You know, I’ll share two examples. This wonderful young lady who sent a letter saying she chose Saint Lucy because she is struggling because she’s probably eventually becoming blind. Saint Lucy is the patron of eyes, of eyesight. And she wanted Saint Lucy to be a help to her as she dealt with that struggle and see how she was able to live the beauty of Christ in the midst of that struggle, living out the help with the saints and with the Holy Spirit always guiding her. Also, I had another person that talked about her little brother who was having some mental illness concerns, and she chose Saint Dymphna, which is the patron saint for mental illness. To see the care and love that went into the consideration as well as the care and love of that person for her little brother, for her family, that’s living sainthood. And what a beautiful way that she lives sainthood by the help of the Holy Spirit and seeing that saint as someone very much connected to, to live out a love for those who are going through their struggles, maybe with mental illness. So I thought what beautiful things we’re seeing in our young people, of how they’re praying, discerning, looking at the saints, and seeing the connection which helps them not only to see that saint as an inspiration, but being inspired by that saint to live out sainthood themselves.
Adam Wright:
I have to admit I’m a little jealous of the candidates today who have the internet as their resource. You know, they can go on the computer and who is the patron saint of this, or tell me about saints who x, y, or z. Whereas we had to go through the book and at a certain point, I think I remember, like, “Okay, I’ve looked at 50 saints and this one I can kind of identify with. So maybe that’s the guy. I don’t know.” And it turns out, through some grace, I picked a saint. Saint John Leonardi was my Confirmation saint, and I don’t remember too much about him. But now later in life, I have a strong devotion to Saint Philip Neri, and I remember that Saint John Leonardi was an Oratorian in the community, not with Saint Philip, if memory serves, but in one of the communities founded by the Oratorians. So, there he was looking out for me. He said, “Alright. You picked me, but later in life. I’ll give you a little grace. I’ll share a little bit of God’s grace with you, through my intercession here.” But that’s a great place, I imagine, to start then. If someone’s saying, “Well, I don’t know anything about – I know of Saint Joseph. I know Mary. I know Jesus. I know that our school is named after a saint. I don’t know where to begin.” They could you know, “I like soccer.” Could I just type in Google or wherever, “Who is the patron saint of sports?” and read about that saint. Or “Who’s a saint that had a lot of brothers and sisters?” because I have a lot of brothers and sisters. You know?
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. And I will say, two names always come up: Saint Cecilia and Saint Sebastian for sports. So, music and sports. I always say it’s beautiful to hear in those letters, to read those letters, and also to talk to the candidates about the beauty of those saints in their lives. And, you know what’s important to them at that stage, I’m glad that faith is entering into it. Wherever they’re at, I’m happy that faith is a part of their life. And even in sports, they’re learning faith lessons through their sports, and the gift of music of how they can give that gift of music and the mission of the church. What a wonderful way to bring faith into things. So, I always figure we want to go where they’re at and help them to understand where they’re at is where they’re called to live faith.
Adam Wright:
One of the challenges that we face as we go through catechesis – and this is something that we’ve certainly talked about with our son – that part of the reason that that he will be confirmed at this age is because of where he’s at in his formation, both spiritual and intellectual. And we want him to know what’s happening with his Confirmation when he goes forward to receive the sacrament. The challenge lies in that it’s also his 8th grade year, and it’s a year of a lot of lasts. You know, this was the last time – he doesn’t even have to wear most of the school uniform. They get to wear their 8th grade shirt every day, so he doesn’t have to wear the old uniform as it was. It’s the last time that they’ll go to this event, the last time they’ll go to the mother son, or the family activity, and certainly the last time they’ll go to school at his particular school. And there can be that tendency to think that this is kind of an exit sacrament. Instead of that, really, that final initiation, this is a starting point. What do you say to those who who might be thinking that way, to help them? I mean, I know we can’t just force everyone to “Would you just realize this?”
Bishop Rivituso:
Right.
Adam Wright:
But how can we catechize? How can we assist in that?
Bishop Rivituso:
Sure. You know, I believe it’s very important. When we have the candidates, we remind them that your Confirmation is not one and done. Alright? Well, it’s like the first Pentecost. Why was there a need for the Holy Spirit? Well, Jesus ascends, and we are called to continue the mission of Jesus. Jesus always equips us to do the task, and the Holy Spirit is the equipping to do the task of continuing the wonderful mission of Jesus in our world so others may come to know Jesus as savior, loving redeemer, knowing His mercy, knowing the compassion of Christ in the mission and ministry of the church. So, it’s not one and done, and that’s what’s so important, is that when you receive Confirmation, it’s important to remember, come Holy Spirit every day of our life because I need to live the fruits of Confirmation. It’s not only a sacrament received, but living the fruits of that sacrament and helping the candidates to remember that the Holy Spirit’s going to help you. This is your personal Pentecost so you can make good Christ decisions. So you can make good Christ discernment in what you do with your life, to discern with Jesus by the help of the Holy Spirit, what is the beauty of living Christ in my vocation, and what will that vocation be? Jesus, what is it that I’m called to be in my life, to live the fullness of my life in you? To be dedicated to the single life, living the gospel or to be a married person who lives the beauty of marriage and family life. Or to be a consecrated religious, to live out the beauty of Christ’s image in poverty, chastity, obedience. Or to be a priest to live out the beauty of Christ, the good shepherd For His people, have the smell of sheep as, Pope Francis reminds us. So it’s just good to remind us that it’s not one and done, but the fruits of sacrament Confirmation ongoing help us to live our faith and help us to live by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
So in a sense, a year from now, when they’re off in high school and they’re saying, “Oh, Bishop Rivituso, I didn’t know how hard high school was going to be or I didn’t know how overwhelming this aspect of it might be.” You could say them, “Well that’s why at your Confirmation you received these gifts, and instead of an ending point, that was to get you ready for all these things you’re encountering now that you’re growing up in high school and moving forward in your life of faith.”
Bishop Rivituso:
Amen. And I will say that, once again, I remind people, when Christ calls, He doesn’t just leave you out on your own. He equips us for the task, and it’s always important, every day, rely upon the help of God in our life. We can’t do it by ourselves, and the helper, the Holy Spirit, is there to help us to remember our life’s about Jesus. There’s nothing greater than living the beauty of Jesus in our life. That’s the plan for all of us as disciples: living the beauty of Christ. There’s no better plan for us than to live Him in our life. And I was going to say, you know, it’s important. I remind the candidates every time I meet with them before the Mass itself, I tell them, “As you’re going out and living out the fruits of the sacrament of Confirmation, you’re not out there alone, not only with the help of God, but you have all of us as a church and so many people who are praying for you.” I have a special prayer I pray every day for them. Every day, I tell them, “Holy Spirit, Bless those I confirm, that they may live the beauty of Jesus this day in their life by your help and grace.” I don’t think there’s any better prayer than that. To want people to live Jesus in your life, that’s living the fullness of our life by the help of Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
I was going to say that, speaking of not being alone in all of this, one of the other big decisions that candidates have to make is that of a sponsor, that they are required to have a sponsor when they come forward for Confirmation. And I think back to baptism, that’s a very natural thing, when you have the baptism of infants. I don’t know any infants that when they say, “Do you want to accept this?” They would say “Yes.” Oh, wow. The infant spoke there. You just have the sponsors that answer, “Do you believe?” “Yes.” “Do you reject this?” “Yes.” “Do you believe this?” “Yes.”
What is the role of the sponsor at Confirmation, and what should the candidates be looking for when they’re determining, who am I going to ask to be my sponsor? Because there’s certainly no shortage of friends, family members, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etcetera, that they could ask.
Bishop Rivituso:
Right. In the letters I read from the candidates, they’re very inspiring in saying, “I chose this sponsor because they are very devout in their faith, or they live a goodness in their life, or they do so much for others. They have a heart of Jesus, caring about all those who are in need.” I always feel like they’re giving a testimonial that that sponsor is someone they admire and someone they want to be kind of like in their life. They want to emulate that person by their goodness, or their care, their kindness, or their prayerfulness, or their faithfulness to God. So I really believe that their choice of a sponsor is something very much connected with how they see what their life should look like, and they’ve seen in their sponsor good qualities that they want to live themselves.
So, to me, it’s a little insightful on who their sponsors are and how they want to live their life more fully by living Jesus in those good qualities. I will say that the sponsors, every time I meet with them prior to the ceremony, I commend them because these sponsors have been with these candidates, helping them in their preparation by their prayers, by sharing their own faith, by sharing how important the Holy Spirit is in their faith life, of helping them to know that the Holy Spirit is helping them and they’re living out their vocation. And reminding them that we’re there for you as a sponsor, but not only us, but there’s so many who are there for you in your journey of faith as you ready yourself for Confirmation. So, the the choice of a sponsor is very important, and it says a lot about the candidate, of how they see where their life should be leading and what they want to live in their life, these wonderful qualities, living Jesus, and these are things they want to do by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
If I could bring in a cultural reference, I think so often, in the digital age, especially, we’re seeing it. “This video is sponsored by…” or “This show is sponsored by…” It becomes almost an endorsement of the message of the program or the event. You know, I think of so many of our great Catholic events and the philanthropists that are happy to say, “I will sponsor this event. I believe in it.” Is that somewhat similar, too, for our sponsors that as they come forward with their hand on the shoulder of the candidate, they’re giving that sign of, “I believe this candidate is ready to be confirmed”?
Bishop Rivituso:
That is so important. When the sponsor does that, I think they’re not only representing themselves, but they’re representing all of us. They symbolize all of us there, with our hand on their shoulder as a means of support for them. And it’s a reaffirmation, not only of their journey with that candidate, but they will continue to journey with that candidate beyond Confirmation. To be part of their life, to be a role model for that person’s life, to be a witness of the faith, and help them to be encouraged in those candidates living out their faith and the beauty of Jesus in their life. So they can see they have that role, and it doesn’t stop with Confirmation, but they’re living it in a wonderful way to be an inspiration and encouragement for the candidates that are newly confirmed, to continue to live what God is calling them to, live out their Confirmation by living the beauty of Jesus, by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
I’m trying to remember back to the Confirmation Mass. Is there a moment before the homily where the pastor or the catechist presents the candidates to you, who will be doing the Confirmation, to testify to their worthiness?
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. It is. It’s right after the gospel, and then the pastor or the catechist will come up and testify that this class is now ready for Confirmation because they have taken seriously their faith journey by prayer, by study, and works of goodness. As I remind them before the Mass, that prayer study and words of goodness doesn’t stop with Confirmation. We continue to want to emulate Jesus, the beauty of Jesus, by living His prayerfulness in our life and studying being disciple, as a student, a disciple of Jesus, and continuing the good works, remembering the model Christ who came to serve and not to be served.
Adam Wright:
I asked that because I was having a conversation recently about ordination, and the call to the priesthood. And one of the comments that was made was that from that moment — First off, in ordination, the bishop of the diocese, the ordinary, sends a letter calling the candidates to come forward for ordination, and then they are presented as worthy, usually by the rector of the seminary. And that from that moment onward, the candidates for ordination could never say that they were not called to the priesthood because they have been called by the representative of Christ in the diocese, the bishop, and it’s not a question of, “Well, I think I’m called?” Is that a similar thing in the sacrament of Confirmation, that now it’s not just that the candidates are saying, “Well, I want to be confirmed. Bishop Rivituso, if you could fit it into your schedule. I know Adam Wright keeps adding all these things to your schedule in the radio interview. But I’d like to be confirmed.” This is more about the church now calling them forward, and the church saying, “We want to confirm you.”
Bishop Rivituso:
Right. You know, and I will say that comparison is very, very good because when those present themselves for ordination, the church confirms the call of God. But remember, when we call them forth, they say “Present.” And saying “present” means, “I am completely giving myself to this call to be lived by the help of the Holy Spirit, to be that ordained minister for the church. And the same thing here with our Confirmation candidates. The testimonial that is given, that is confirmed, not only that the church confirms what God confirms through the sacrament, but these candidates, in renewing their baptismal promises, confirm for themselves saying, “I’m present. I’m all in on this. All my chips are in on this game, the game of life and the game of living out being a disciple of Jesus. I’m all in with living the beauty of Jesus, and I know I need the help of the Holy Spirit.” So, that is another beautiful correlation of seeing how this Confirmation of the call and the response of all in, of being completely present to live out that call, is shown in that moment of the presentation and also in the renewal of baptismal promises.
Adam Wright:
So after the candidates are presented, after they receive that last bit of catechesis from you or whoever is doing the Confirmation, wherever the case is, they come forward. And what exactly is said and done as they come forward to receive the sacrament?
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. As they come forward, their Confirmation sponsor has their hand on their right shoulder, and then the bishop or the delegate would say whatever their Confirmation patron saint name is, “Cecilia, be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” and anoint that person’s forehead. I usually have my hand on top of the person’s head for reminding them of the laying on of hands, as well as the actual anointing with the sign of the cross of the sacred chrism anointed to be sealed, to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, to live that beauty of Jesus in their life. But also, after I do that, I say to them, “Peace be with you”, and they respond, “And with your spirit.” And I shake their hand to remind them that we’re one in living out that beauty of Christ’s peace and being at peace and living out the fruits of our Confirmation. What greater peace can we have every day than living out the beauty of Jesus in our lives? So we’re all in this together. We’re all supporting each other, praying for each other. We’re living the beauty of Christ by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Adam Wright:
And I imagine, like any of the sacraments, we would need to be in a state of grace when we’re called forward. Honestly, just in preparation for any big moment in my life, when I think back to our wedding, the baptisms of our children, just looking at my role in all of these things, it was a good opportunity to say, “Hey, the weekend before, let’s go to confession at the parish. Even if we’re not in the state of mortal sin, let’s just go and receive those graces.” And that’s really the thing, that this isn’t just a moment. We don’t have the glasses invented yet where you can now see grace in action. But there is actually supernatural grace then that that is involved in all of this. These aren’t just nice words and a ritual to say welcome to the club. This is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit even though we can’t see it with our eyes.
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes, and I believe you’re right. We want to be completely open, and open to the Holy Spirit working in a wonderful way in our life. We don’t want to present any obstacles. We don’t want to hold anything back. We want to be open to the Holy Spirit so we can be fully giving our life over love, and have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s love so we can live that love of Jesus. So it’s so important. And I would say, too, as we mentioned about them coming forward to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. You know, I want the candidates, and I remind all, as we have that beautiful moment of the sacrament, please open yourself to the beauty of the outpouring of love. Experience that outpouring of love for the Holy Spirit, of God’s love for you, and all of us in our love for you as a wonderful means of support and lifting you up. And helping you to live out, the beauty of the fruits of Confirmation.
Adam Wright:
I wanna wrap up with this. It was a hot topic at the Wright institute of theological discourse the other night. The paper came home with our oldest that said, “Here are all the important dates for Confirmation” and sponsor parent candidate meeting this date. Then one of the ones he noticed, “Dad, what’s the Chrism Mass, and why do I have to go to that? Aren’t we off school on that day, and why are we going down there?” And I said, “Oh, the Chrism Mass is one of my favorite masses”, and we started talking about the Sacred Chrism and the oil of the catechumen, the oil of the infirmed, and the beautiful richness of that Mass in the life of the church and in the life of the diocese. And a couple of questions came up that I answered to the best of my ability, but the kids said, “Hey. I don’t know that you know what you’re talking about here.” I said, “Come on! I’ll tell you what. I have an interview with Bishop Rivituso coming up. I will ask him.”
First off, you know, we think of those oils. And the oil of the infirmed, I think most of us, we’re familiar with that. If we know the anointing of the sick, we know the oil. The oil of the catechumen used in baptism. As well as the Sacred Chrism. But of the three oils, the oil of the infirm, the oil of the catechumen, for those of us who’ve been to the Chrism Mass, we know are blessed. But the oil of the Sacred Chrism, which is the only one we call sacred, even though they’re all sacred smallest, is consecrated. And when I hear consecration, I think of things like consecrated religious, consecrated virgin, consecration at Mass, most especially where bread and wine cease to be bread and wine. First off, what is the Chrism oil? Why is it consecrated? And then, in Confirmation, the confirmandi are anointed with the Sacred Chrism, but we anoint a lot in our Catholic faith. What is the meaning and the purpose behind anointing?
Bishop Rivituso:
Chrism comes from Christ. So, Sacred Chrism, that in the use of Sacred Chrism is to remind us by the help of God, that we are to conform our very life to Jesus. It’s no longer our life, but to live out that image of Christ in our life. So those that are receiving the Sacred Chrism are always reminded my life is beyond myself, and my life is not my own. It’s always about the life of Jesus. So, I always remind the candidates that when you receive the anointing of Sacred Chrism, Christ, you are reminded that you are called to live that beauty of Jesus. It’s not just an anointing as part of a ritual, but it’s living that ritual in your life, living out that grace of the anointing and being sealed by the Holy Spirit so you may always know my life should always conform to Jesus. Does my life conform to Jesus? And I need to remember living out the fruits of the sacrament. My life should reflect that I’m living Christ, the Chrism I received, on that consecration with Confirmation. So I think it’s important that we remember those consecrations are giving ourselves completely over love, over sacrifice, over in dedication, that we may live Chrism, Christ in our life.
Adam Wright:
And the Sacred Chrism, if I remember correctly, is only used for up to four things, and that’s the anointing at baptism when those who are to be baptized are baptized, they’re anointed with Sacred Chrism. They’re set apart. At Confirmation, those who are confirmed are anointed with Sacred Chrism, they’re set apart. And then, for the men who are called to the priesthood, when they are ordained a priest, their hands specifically are set apart and anointed with Sacred Chrism. And then you and your brother bishops, when you were made a bishop, you were anointed with Sacred Chrism again at that point as well.
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. There is one other time, too. I have this coming up. We had the old shrine of Saint Saint Ferdinand that was flooded. I’m going there on the eighteenth, and I’m consecrating an altar. We consecrate an altar with the Sacred Chrism to remind that this is a sign of Christ and His sacrifice for us. So, it’s another beautiful way when we go into churches to remember the sign of Christ, the consecration of Jesus, helping us to live our consecration to Him as well.
Adam Wright:
That’s what sets it apart, then, from the other two oils. That while the oil of the infirmed is important and the anointing of the sick confers sacramental grace. The oil of the catechumens is important. The Sacred Chrism is just on a whole other level in a way, it’s fair to say. But then anointing, that goes back to the Old Testament.
Bishop Rivituso:
Oh, yes.
Adam Wright:
Right? The things that are set apart for God are anointed with oil.
Bishop Rivituso:
Right, and it was always done for kings and priests and all those who were prophets, all those who were important, on important tasks, an important mission by God. God gave them what they needed to be equipped to do the task of the mission. So, the anointings were always important to remind us we can only do this by the help of God, and we say that in ordination too. We rely upon the help of the of the Lord. So, we always rely upon the Lord’s help to be about the work of the Lord.
Adam Wright:
Yeah. I think back, even though they’re separated from communion with the Catholic church, our Anglican brothers and sisters to the coronation of King Charles within the past year or so, that the screens come out. And in a very sacred moment in their tradition, he was anointed with oil to be prepared to receive the graces he would need to be king. Because I can’t imagine being king without the help of God. I wouldn’t want to be king without the help of God if I had the choice. Luckily, I will never be confronted with that choice. So, all of these things, in summary, this is about God saying, “You’re my sons and daughters. You’ve entered into this life of faith begun at your baptism. You’ve received the grace that I provide through the most holy Eucharist. And I’m choosing to say, I want to give you the grace you need to live out the rest of your life if you’re willing to come forward and ask for it.” And I love that in all of the sacraments, baptism, reconciliation, Eucharist, everything. There’s always God initiates the call, and we have the opportunity to say yes or no. He still gives us that free will. But once we say yes and come forward, He’s setting us apart in a very, very beautiful way. So, not just a ritual to join the club. I have my lifetime membership to the Catholic church. You got that at baptism. But a beautiful opportunity for us.
Bishop Rivituso, I can’t thank you enough for really giving us this deep dive here, in a longer perspective of all of the things that we might only experience if we go to that Mass to see our friend, or niece, or nephew, or son, or daughter, confirmed. I’m very grateful for your time. Any final thoughts we haven’t covered that you’d like to share with our listeners?
Bishop Rivituso:
I would just mention one thing. I think it’s important as we remember the sacrament of Confirmation, to go to the sacrament of the Eucharist very frequently because if we’re really living the beauty of Christ’s life by the help of the Holy Spirit, living out Confirmation, we need to receive Him frequently, and the graces from our Eucharistic Lord to live out that beauty of His life and our life, His love and our love, and to live out the goodness of Jesus in our life, His beauty, the beauty of the goodness of of the Eucharist in our life for others and for our world. So I always say, it’s important as we say amen, be transformed by that amen, by those graces of the Holy Eucharist to live the beauty of Jesus in our life, that we receive the gift received, to live that gift in our life. And the Holy Spirit helps us, help me to act upon every one of those graces of the Holy Eucharist so I can live that beauty of Jesus.
Adam Wright:
I always like to end with two things, a challenge for our listeners, and then a prayer for our listeners when we have a priest or bishop in the studio. And I think the challenge I’d like to ask: we think of the sacraments, and one of the things that sets us apart as Catholics, weddings this comes up a lot. The sacraments happen in churches, whether it’s our parish church or for many who receive the sacrament of Confirmation at the diocese mother church, everyone’s parish, the cathedral. That’s a very important aspect of it, that these sacraments don’t happen in a vacuum. So whether all of the parishioners are present, and usually not just due to space constraints in the church, if nothing else. The entire parish is involved, represented through the pastor and others in those receiving the sacrament. So here’s the challenge I want to ask for. How can those of us in the parishes, whether we know any of the candidates or not, when our children are coming forward for Confirmation, how can we best pray for them? And then after that, if I could ask you to conclude with a prayer as well.
Bishop Rivituso:
As I mentioned about the prayer I always say for the confirmandi, “Holy Spirit, help those that are confirmed to live the beauty of Christ in their life by your help and grace.” You know, I always believe that sometimes when we pray, we’re asking God to do what we want. And I would say, I’m not here to tell God, I want that person to be more generous to me or to be kinder to me. I want for all people, the best prayer is that all of us become more like Jesus. So, I think to help our young people preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation, help them by praying that they just be open to Jesus, open to a relationship with Jesus, open to living the beauty of Jesus in their life, and they may know the come Holy Spirit, who is with them living the fruits of Confirmation, to live a life that is so beautiful, beautifully living a life that imitates Christ himself.
Adam Wright:
I love it because at the end of the day, it’s not Adam Wright on the radio. It’s not the catechist. It’s not the pastors. It is not the parents ultimately who confer that grace. We’re all just instruments in the hand of the master, and what a joy that is. But He’s the one that’s going to do the ultimate conversion of heart, the ultimate call, and we’re just saying yes to helping Him out in the vineyard.
Bishop Rivituso:
Yes. Amen.
Adam Wright:
Alright. Well, Bishop Rivituso, again, thank you so much for your time. If I could ask you to close us out with a prayer.
Bishop Rivituso:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. Holy Spirit, you are the helper, and we rely upon your help every day. May you always come to us. Come to our heart. Help our hearts to be transformed into the very heart of Jesus. May we always be reminded by the fruits of Confirmation that we are called by your grace to live the beauty of Jesus. To live that beauty for others and for our world. Help us always to be joyful in our witness of Jesus in our life, and help us to bring that joy to a world that is broken, that needs healing, and to those who are suffering, to bring comfort, to those who are in need, to be Christ’s compassion. May we always bring Jesus to who we are and everything we do. And we ask you to bless us, strengthen us in our faith, strengthen us to live our witness, strengthen us to live that beauty of Jesus. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. And may Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Adam Wright:
Amen. Well, if you liked this conversation that we were just able to have with Bishop Rivituso, you know someone who might be coming forward for Confirmation this year or in the next few years, we encourage you to share the podcast of Roadmap to Heaven with them so they can get a glimpse of what they are preparing for, or what their children, their nieces, their nephews, their grandchildren, whoever it may be, those in the parish are preparing for. It’s a great way that we can support one another in our faith, and most importantly, after hearing all of this wonderful information, to pray for the candidates who will receive Confirmation this year and in the years to come.
In this episode of Roadmap to Heaven, host Adam Wright is joined by special guest Bishop Mark Rivituso, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The focus of their conversation is the sacrament of Confirmation and how individuals can prepare themselves for this important milestone in their faith journey.
The topics of choosing a Confirmation patron saint and the tradition of taking on a new name are explored. Examples are given of how young people today choose their patron saints based on personal struggles and virtues.
The challenge of catechesis in the 8th-grade year is also discussed. Bishop Rivituso suggests helping candidates understand that Confirmation is not an “exit sacrament” but a continuation of their faith journey. He emphasizes the importance of ongoing commitment after Confirmation and how the Holy Spirit equips individuals to continue the mission of Jesus in the world.
The role of sponsors in Confirmation is highlighted, as they embody the qualities the candidates aspire to live out. Sponsors provide support during the preparation process and continue to walk the faith journey with newly confirmed individuals. They represent the larger community and offer encouragement and inspiration.
The conversation moves on to discuss the significance of Sacred Chrism, the oil used in sacramental anointing in the Catholic Church. Bishop Rivituso explains that the purpose of consecrating the Chrism oil is to remind individuals to conform their lives to Jesus and live out the image of Christ. He emphasizes that the anointing with Sacred Chrism is not just a ritual, but a reminder to live out grace and be sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Overall, this episode of Roadmap to Heaven provides valuable insights into the sacrament of Confirmation, discussing its significance, preparation, and ongoing commitment to living out the beauty of Jesus.
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