a) What is Confirmation?
Confirmation is the sacrament through which the Holy Spirit makes us more deeply rooted in our being children of God; makes us more Christ-like; and binds us more intimately to the Church, obliging us more strictly to spread and defend the faith both by word and by deed as true witnesses of Christ, and giving us special strength to carry out this mission. Its principal effects are: it increases sanctifying grace, it confers actual graces and a special sacramental grace, and it imprints a lasting character on the soul.
Confirmation is administered by the bishop (or by a priest when given permission by the bishop or in danger of death) through the anointing with chrism (a mixture of olive oil and balsam) on the forehead, which is done by laying on of the hand, while saying the words, “N. [State the name of the person], be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The newly confirmed responds, “Amen”.
b) Why should an Altar Server receive the sacrament of Confirmation?
The grace of Confirmation makes us more aware of the need to bring others closer to Christ by word and example in all the circumstances of everyday life.
After Confirmation, we should aspire to improve our knowledge and practice of the Christian faith so that we could continuously spread and defend it, bear a more authentic and faithful witness of Christian life, and carry out a more effective apostolate especially among our relatives, friends, and colleagues—in short, to become good soldiers of Christ.