The Roman Catholic Church views confirmation as a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ. It confers the gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) upon the recipient, who must be a baptized person at least seven years old.

So what is the Sacrament of Confirmation all about?  Is it just a nice maturity ritual within the Catholic Church?  Is it simply your own adult decision to be Catholic?  Is it your graduation ceremony from religious education classes?!?  No, it’s not any of these.  

Confirmation can be confusing at times.  Perhaps the name itself can be misleading.  It is thought, at times, that Confirmation is your opportunity to “confirm” your faith.  Well, yes, you certainly must do this as you receive this sacrament.  But this does not get at the heart of Confirmation.  Confirmation is not so much about you confirming your choice to be Catholic; rather, it’s about God the Holy Spirit confirming you!  It’s much more something that God does to you and your eternal soul than something you do for God or even yourself.
Like Baptism, Confirmation changes your soul.  You receive a spiritual character (an indelible mark) on your soul.  And this marking becomes a permanent source of grace for you throughout eternity.  It’s God’s way of making a permanent commitment to you by deepening His covenant commitment made to you at Baptism.  In other words, at Baptism, God said to you, “You are my son”; “You are my daughter.”  Now that you have grown and matured in your faith, God says, “I am deepening my bond with you and empowering you to live out your baptismal calling to a greater degree.”  God knows we need help to live out our baptismal dignity and calling.  He knows we cannot do it by ourselves.  Therefore, He gives us the fullness of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation so as to provide all we need to live as we are called.  What a grace!

Effects of Confirmation
—it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, “Abba! Father!”; (Rom 8:15)
—it unites us more firmly to Christ;
—it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
—it renders our bond with the Church more perfect; (LG 11)
—it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross: (Council of Florence (1439): DS 1319; LG 11; 12)

Receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation
The Sacrament of Confirmation, being one of the Sacraments of Initiation, is intended to be given to every baptized Christian.  In the Latin Rite of the Church, Confirmation can be given any time after the age of reason (about seven years old).  Interestingly, the Eastern Catholic Church has the tradition of administering the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist together in infancy.  This reveals the unity of these three Sacraments.  The Latin Rite of the Church waits to offer Confirmation and Eucharist until the age of reason, which emphasizes the free choice to receive these sacraments as well as the free choice to live out the Christian faith. 

Signs and Symbols
Chrism: Chrism is a mixture of oil and fragrance.  The oil is a sign of anointing, joy, healing, cleansing, beauty and strength.  It symbolizes the anointing of the Holy Spirit and, in fact, brings about this spiritual anointing.  The fragrance symbolizes the sweetness of Christ, which must always permeate our lives.  Others will come to know we are Christians simply by the fragrance of Christ’s love that flows from us as a result of Confirmation.
Chrism is mixed and blessed by the bishop every year during Holy Week at the Chrism Mass.  This is significant in that, even if the bishop is not able to be the one conferring the Sacrament of Confirmation in the parish, he is still present in that the oil used at Confirmation previously was consecrated by him.
Laying on of Hands: The bishop (or priest) who confers the Sacrament of Confirmation, places his hands on the head of the one to be confirmed.  This action is a sign of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  It’s a bestowing of this grace from person to person, from the ordained minister acting in the Person of Christ to the one receiving this full outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Character: It’s also important to understand that the Sacrament of Confirmation imparts a spiritual character, or seal, upon the one receiving this Sacrament.  This is also referred to as an “indelible mark.”  Though this marking or seal is not visible, it is symbolized by the anointing with the chrism upon the forehead with the sign of the Cross.  During this anointing, the bishop (or priest) says, “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.”