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Prayer for the Twelve Fruits of the Holy Ghost.

O Holy Spirit, Eternal Love of the Father and the Son, vouchsafe to grant unto me, I beseech thee, the fruit of Charity, that I may be united to thee by divine love; the fruit of Joy, that I may be filled with a holy consolation; the fruit of Peace, that I may enjoy inward tranquillity of soul; the fruit of Patience, that I may endure humbly every thing that may be opposed to my own desires; the fruit of Benignity, that may willingly relieve the necessities of my neighbour; the fruit of Goodness, that I may be benevolent towards all; the fruit of Longanimity, that I may not be discouraged by delay, but may persevere in prayer; the fruit of Mildness, that I may subdue every rising of evil temper, stifle every murmur, and repress the susceptibilities of my nature, in all my dealings with my neighbour; the fruit of Fidelity, that I may rely, with assured confidence, on the word of God; the fruit of Modesty, that I may order my exterior regularly; the fruits of Continency and Chastity, that I may keep my body in such holiness as becometh thy temple, so that, having, by thy assistance, preserved my heart pure on earth, I may merit, in Jesus Christ, according to the words of the Gospel, to see God eternally in the glory of his kingdom. Amen.

Acts before Confirmation.

An Act of Faith.-O Holy Spirit, I firmly believe that I am about to receive thee in the sacrament of Confirmation. I believe it because thou hast said it, and thou art the Truth itself.

An Act of Hope.-Relying on thy infinite goodness, O Holy and Sanctifying Spirit, I confidently hope, that, receiving thee in the sacrament of Confirmation, I shall receive the abundance of thy graces. I trust in thee that thou wilt make me a perfect Christian, and that thou wilt give me strength to confess the faith, even at the peril of my life.

An Act of Charity.-I love thee, O Holy Spirit, with all my heart, and with all my soul, above all things, because thou art infinitely good and worthy to be loved. Kindle in my heart the fire of thy love; and grant that, having received

thee in the sacrament of Confirmation, I may faithfully perform all the duties of my state, to the end of my life.

Here also may be used the Renewal of the Baptismal Vows, p. 414.

A Prayer before Confirmation.

O God of infinite goodness, receive, I beseech thee, my most humble and hearty thanks, for all the favours which thou hast bestowed upon me, from the very moment of my birth; particularly for that thou hast been pleased to rank me among those who are now about to be set apart and consecrated to thee by the sacrament of Confirmation. Thou offerest me the greatest of thy gifts; thou art about to seal my soul with the sacred character of a soldier of Jesus Christ, and to send thy Holy Spirit down upon me, that he may abide within me continually. O my good and merciful Father, encouraged by such special marks of predilection, I venture to implore, with humble confidence, that thou wouldst thyself infuse into my heart all the dispositions necessary for its becoming the habitation of such a guest. Alas! O my God, I am far from possessing those sentiments of faith, love, humility, and fervour, which ought now to animate my soul; but all things are possible with thee, and thou hast promised to give to them that ask. I most sincerely detest all the sins of my whole life; every fault, every imperfect inclination, which may be an obstacle to the graces which thou desirest to bestow on thy unworthy child. Vouchsafe, O my God, to purify my soul from every stain, by the infinite merits of the death and passion of thy dear Son. I most sincerely resolve to serve thee faithfully all the days of my life; but, of myself, I am unable to do that which I desire and resolve to do; therefore I beseech thee to impart to me the graces of thy Holy Spirit, that, like the Apostles, I may be endued with strength from on high, and inspired with courage and resolution, to prove myself the disciple of thy Son. I ardently desire to receive this most precious gift; but do thou, O God, render my desire still stronger and more ardent, and accept, I beseech thee, on my behalf, the fervent desires that animated the heart of the Blessed Virgin and the holy Apostles on the day of Pentecost, and let their perfect dispositions supply in all things my deficiencies, through Christ our Lord, who, with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever liveth and reigneth God, world without end. Amen.

THE CEREMONIES OF CONFIRMATION EXPLAINED.

The chrism used in Confirmation is a sacred ointment, composed of oil of olives and balm of Gilead, solemnly blessed by the Bishop on Maundy-Thursday. The outward anointing of the forehead with chrism represents the inward anointing of the soul, in this sacrament, with the Holy Ghost. The oil, whose properties are to strengthen and invigorate the limbs, to assuage pain, &c., represents the like spiritual effects of the grace of the sacrament in the soul, penetrating and diffusing itself throughout all her powers; oil also, being a smooth and mild substance, represents that spirit of meekness and patience under the cross, which is one principal effect of Confirmation. The balm, which has a particular property of preserving bodies, after death, from putrefaction, fitly represents the fortifying grace received in Confirmation, by which our souls are preserved from corruption after our sins have been destroyed by the sacrament of Baptism: also, being of a sweet smell, it represents the good odour or sweet savour of Christian virtues and an innocent life, with which we are to edify our neighbours, after having received this sacrament.

The anointing of the forehead is made in the form of a cross, because the virtue of this sacrament, as all other graces, comes through the merits of the sacrifice of the death of Jesus Christ; and to shew that, being now confirmed in his service, and enlisted as his soldiers, we should never be ashamed of our Master's livery, but boldly profess ourselves disciples of a crucified Saviour, and members of his Church, in spite of all the world may do against us, either by ridicule or persecution.

The Bishop gives the person confirmed a gentle blow on the cheek, to teach him that, being now a soldier of Jesus Christ, he must fight manfully against all his enemies; suffer patiently all kinds of affronts and injuries for his faith; and bear with meekness all crosses and trials, for the sake and for the glory of his Lord and Master.

In giving him this gentle blow, the Bishop says, Peace be with you, to signify that the true peace of God, which, as St. Paul says (Philip. iv. 7), "surpasseth all understanding," is chiefly to be found in suffering patiently for Christ's sake; and also to encourage him to do so by the hopes of reward, according to our Lord's promise (Matt. xi. 29): "Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you shall find rest to your souls."

Persons usually take a new name at Confirmation, which ought to be the name of some Saint, whom they choose for their particular patron.

The Order of Confirmation.

The Bishop, wearing over his rochet an amice, stole, and cope of a white colour, and having a mitre on his head, proceeds to the faldstool, before the midst of the Altar, or placed for him in some other convenient place, and sits thereon, with his back to the Altar, and his face towards the people, holding his pastoral staff in his left hand. He washes his hands, still sitting; then, laying aside his mitre, he rises up, and, standing with his face towards the persons to be confirmed, and having his hands joined before his breast, (the persons to be confirmed kneeling, and having also their hands joined before their breasts,) he says:

Spiritus Sanctus superveniat in vos, et virtus Altissimi custodiat vos a peccatis. R. Amen.

May the Holy Ghost come down upon you, and may the power of the Most High preserve you from sins. R. Amen.

Then, signing himself, with his right hand, with the sign of the Cross, from his forehead to his breast, he says:

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Then, with his hands extended towards the persons to be confirmed, he says:

Oremus.

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui regenerare dignatus es hos famulos tuos ex aqua et Spiritu Sancto, quique dedisti eis remissionem omnium peccatorum; emitte in eos septiformem Spiritum tuum, sanctum Paraclitum, de cœlis. R. Amen.

Spiritum sapientiæ et intellectus.

R. Amen.

Let us pray. Almighty, everlasting God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate these thy servants by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given unto them the remission of all their sins, send forth upon them thy sevenfold Spirit, the Holy Paraclete, from heaven.

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The Bishop, sitting on the faldstool, or, if the number of persons to be confirmed requires it, standing, with his mitre on his head, confirms them, arranged in rows, and kneeling in order. He inquires separately the name of each person to be confirmed, who is presented to him by the Godfather or Godmother, kneeling; and having dipped the end of the thumb of his right hand in chrism, he says:

N., signo te signo crucis. N., I sign thee with the sign of the cross +.

Whilst saying these words he makes the sign of the Cross, with his thumb, on the forehead of the person to be confirmed, and then says:

Et confirmo te chrismate salutis. In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus + Sancti.

R. Amen.

And I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy +Ghost.

R. Amen.

Then he strikes him gently on the cheek, saying:

Pax tecum.

Peace be with thee.

When all have been confirmed, the Bishop wipes with breadcrumb, and washes, his thumb and hands over a basin. Whilst he is washing his hands, the following Antiphon is sung or read by the Clerks:

Confirma hoc, Deus, quod

Confirm, O Lord, that which

operatus es in nobis, a templo thou hast wrought in us, from

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