Sacraments are at the heart of our lives as Catholics, the way we celebrate together our continuing conversion and encounter with God. Sacramental preparation is essential if we are to experience the fullness of our life in community and in Christ. Ever conscious of the complex history of the church and its dynamic relationship to ritual, Father Lawrence Mick provides these books 'convenient, individual chapters of his popular Understanding the Sacraments Today 'as a companion to the ongoing and repeated practices that nourish us.
Confirmation practices have varied throughout church history. Yet whether confirmation is experienced independently as a teenager or adult, or in conjunction with baptism and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil, it affects us the same. Confirmation is the sacrament that confers on the believer the Holy Spirit, the Advocate promised by Jesus. As such, confirmation is best seen not as a requirement for membership in the church but as an opportunity for continued growth and conversion in Christ. As we mature in faith, we recognize our gifts within the Body of Christ and renew our commitment to follow Jesus. In Confirmation, Mick provides a meaningful introduction to the history, theology, and practice of the sacrament, complete with questions for further reflection.
Lawrence E. Mick, a priest in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, is a liturgical consultant and writer whose numerous books include Understanding the Sacraments Today and Living Baptism Daly(both published by Liturgical Press).
