Being Inwardly Touched and Strengthened
With puberty, the soul fully arrives on earth. Outwardly, this is seen in changes such as the deepening of the voice. Inwardly, a new sense of responsibility emerges—toward one’s destiny and the tasks life will bring. The child’s once-open soul begins to establish boundaries, asserting independence.
Across cultures, religious traditions have recognized this transition with rites of passage—initiations that add a spiritual dimension to the natural process of self-definition. Without such guidance, this growing independence can lead to isolation. A confirmation, a strengthening, is needed to support this transformation.
How does Christianity—and The Christian Community in particular—approach this moment?
Baptism as a Precursor to Confirmation
A small child has no distinct inner space. The child’s moods are deeply affected by their surroundings—becoming restless when others are restless, finding calm when others are at peace. Even the child’s spiritual life is shaped by the environment.
In Baptism, the first religious act, the child’s connection with Christ is not yet an inward experience (as it later is in the Communion service) but is established externally through consecrated substances. This lays the foundation for a relationship with Christ on earth.
In early Christianity, adult baptism was common, combining an outward immersion in water with an inward baptism through Communion. For children, this second step comes later, with puberty—when an inner soul space has developed, making an inner connection possible.
Community and the Independence of the Soul
The process of self-definition reaches a climax in puberty. Doors are marked with “Do not enter!” Signs of withdrawal emerge—gruff responses, impenetrable silence. A delicate, inward space is forming—no longer open like a newborn’s, yet not yet fully grounded.
In many traditional societies, initiation rituals were designed to break through this isolation, integrating the youth into the adult community. Often, these rites involved intense physical trials—pain, even encounters with death—bestowing spiritual capacities but also binding the initiate firmly to the tribe. These youth were never alone, but neither were they truly independent in soul.
Christianity also offers an initiation: Confirmation. But unlike those earlier rites, its purpose is not to dissolve individuality into the group. Instead, it strengthens the inner soul space, fostering true independence while deepening a sense of belonging.
Strengthening the Inner Space Without Overpowering It
Each person has a name, a way of distinguishing themselves from others. But our most personal name is one that only we can speak: I.
In John’s Gospel, Christ uses this name for Himself: “I am the Bread of Life,” “I am the Good Shepherd.” In Greek, this I is strongly emphasized—His spiritual name is, like ours, I.
What is most personal to us is also what connects us—to one another and to Christ, who became human. In Confirmation, this connection is strengthened. Christ approaches the soul, not to overshadow its uniqueness, but to empower it—to ensure that independence does not turn into self-centeredness, but rather into a capacity for true community.
This is not just symbolic. In the Communion of bread and wine, Christ’s connection with the human being reaches into the physical body itself.
The Communion of Bread and Wine—Connecting One’s Own Destiny with Christ
During Confirmation, which takes place within the Act of Consecration of Man, bread and wine (or unfermented grape juice, as used in The Christian Community) are transformed. Christ unites Himself with these substances so deeply that He can say: “This is my body and my blood.”
How can this be understood?
If seen purely as a material event, it seems macabre. If viewed as merely symbolic, it becomes subjective and ultimately meaningless. But through our own experience, we can grasp something essential: our body is our body because we inhabit it, are existentially connected to it. The moment we die and depart from it, it ceases to be ours.
In the same way, Christ unites Himself with the bread and wine—so fully that His being lives in them.
For those being confirmed, this is a moment of deep connection. The individual, stepping into their own destiny, unites with the Being who carries and accompanies the destiny of humanity. Christ becomes an inner foundation—not one that dictates or controls, but one that strengthens and frees. His presence does not bind a person to a specific path or tradition; rather, it enables them to stand firm in themselves, even if their journey takes them in a different direction.
The Beginning of One’s Own Biography—And a New Relationship to Death
Until puberty, a child is not yet fully on earth—not fully embodied. Their relationship to death reflects this: dying is simply a return to their spiritual home. Unless fear has been instilled in them, children do not perceive death as a threat, but as a transition.
With puberty, this changes. Taking responsibility for one’s own destiny means that the body becomes the soul’s home. Death is no longer just a return—it becomes a passage, a path.
Confirmation acknowledges this. Christ is spoken of as a companion—not only through life’s joys and sorrows, but also at the moment of death. This shift is visually represented in the service when the priest momentarily reveals the black cassock, the innermost vestment, as a reminder of the mystery of dying.
Preparation for Confirmation—Through Instruction and the Sunday Service
Without preparation, the demands of Confirmation would be overwhelming. A crucial part of this preparation happens through religious instruction, which is not merely about learning concepts but about attuning the soul to the event.
However, even the best lessons cannot replace religious experience—praying together, standing before the altar.
Through the Sunday Service for the Children, young people develop an intuitive relationship with stillness, ritual, and the sacred encounter at the altar. This is the best preparation for Confirmation—ensuring that when the moment comes, they step forward not as observers, but as fully conscious participants.
Written by Claudio Holland, edited by Tom Ravetz