THE CONFIRMATION OF THOSE ALREADY BAPTISED SOME TIME AGO. NOTES.

1. Care should be taken to see that the candidates know the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, in their own language, and are instructed in the Christian Faith as summarised in the Church catechism.

2. Candidates should have proved that they are regular worshippers who desire to serve Christ day by day.

3. It is desirable that candidates should prepare for their confirmation and first communion by using the Sacrament of Penance.

(Normally the Confirmation takes place at the Eucharist and the first part of the service follows the Gloria, replacing the Collect, Epistle and Gospel of the day, except on major feasts when the Collect, Epistle and Gospel of the feast are used).
 

THE FIRST PART OF THE SERVICE.

Bishop: The Lord be with you.
People: And with you.

Bishop: Let us pray:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, through your Holy Spirit you have called these servants of yours, and made them your children in baptism. We pray that you will fill them with the Holy Spirit, and strengthen them by the Body and Blood of your Son, so that they may continue to be your servants and receive your promises, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

THE EPISTLE: 1 Corinthians 12: 12, 13.

For Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. In the same way, all of us, Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free men, have been baptised into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink. (T.E.V.)

READER: This is the Word of the Lord.
PEOPLE: Thanks be to God.

A psalm, or a part of a psalm, or a canticle or a hymn may be sung or said.

THE GOSPEL: John 14: 15-17

ALL: Glory be to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, the Spirit of Truth, to stay with you for ever. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, for he remains with you and lives in you.” (T.E.V)

The Sermon shall be preached.
 

THE DECISION.

BISHOP: Those who are to be confirmed must promise to be faithful to Christ and to reject all that is evil. Therefore I ask:

Do you turn to Christ?
ANSWER: I turn to Christ.
BISHOP: Do you repent of your sins?
ANSWER: I repent of my sins.
BISHOP: Do you reject Satan and all his works?
ANSWER: I reject Satan and all his works.
 

THE PROFESSION OF FAITH.

BISHOP: You have come here to be confirmed. You stand here in the presence of God and His Church. You must now proclaim the Christian Faith in which you were baptised. I therefore ask you to say the Apostles’ Creed.

ANSWER: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

BISHOP: Do you promise to obey God’s will and commandment?
ANSWER: I do.
 

THE CONFIRMATION:

The Bishop will now call upon the whole congregation to kneel in silence, and to pray for the candidates that they may be filled with the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands.

After a period of silence a hymn to the Holy Spirit may be sung. Then the Bishop shall say:

Our help is in the name of the Lord.
PEOPLE: Who has made heaven and earth.
BISHOP: Blessed be the name of the Lord.
PEOPLE: Now and for ever.

Stretching out his hands towards those to be confirmed the Bishop shall say:

Almighty and everliving God, you have freely given a new birth to these your servants by water and the Spirit, you have given them forgiveness of all their sins. Pour on them your Holy Spirit;
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding;
the Spirit of guidance and inward strength;
the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness;
and fill them Lord with the spirit of your holy fear. Amen.

The Bishop shall then lay his hand on the head of each, and may anoint him, saying:—

Lord, confirm your servant (N ..... ) with your Holy Spirit (and seal him with the oil of salvation to eternal life.)

Each one will answer:--Amen.

When all have been confirmed the Bishop and people shall say:

Lord defend these your servants with your heavenly grace, that they may daily increase in your Holy Spirit more and more and continue yours for ever. Amen.

There may be a hymn.

(If the confirmation takes place at the Eucharist the service will continue with the Greeting of Peace and the words “We are the Body of Christ...”) If there is to be no Eucharist the service concludes with these prayers:—

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

(The following prayer may be used before the Blessing at the Eucharist).

Almighty and everliving God, we humbly thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit which you have poured on these your Servants through the laying on of our hands. Guide and protect them all their lives; let your Holy Spirit always be with them; strengthen them with the Body and Blood of your Son; and so lead them to know and obey your word that in the end they may not lose everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Bishop shall then give the Blessing.
 

CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE SERVICE.

First the Banns of those who are to be married must be called in the church during three separate weeks, at the chief Sunday Service or on some other day in churches where most people come to church on some other day.

The Minister will say:

I publish the banns of Marriage between N ...... (bachelor) (widower) of ...... and N ........ (spinster) (widow) of ………… If any of you know any law or good reason why it is not right for them to marry you must show it. This is the (first) (second) (third) time of asking.

This must be read in the church where each of them lives and also where each one of them comes from and a letter must be sent to the priest who is to marry them to say it is all right.

In special circumstances Priests in the Diocese have authority from the Bishop to marry people without calling banns, but they must be satisfied that there can not be anything to stop the marriage. But the laws of P.N.G. do not allow anyone to get married until one week after they have given notice to the celebrant.

The Priest and the bridegroom and his uncle meet the bride at the door of the Church. When she arrives the priest says to them:

N ...... and N ...... we are happy to join with you in making your marriage, to hear your promises in the presence of God, to pray with you and to wish you joy in your life together.

Drums may sound or a hymn be sung while the priest leads them all to the place of marriage and the priest says to the people:

Friends, we have come here in front of God to see this man and this woman joined in Christian marriage. God gave us the joining together of men and women in marriage. At Cana Jesus was happy to help at a marriage. The Bible tells us that the joining of a man and woman in marriage is like the joining of the Church to Christ and marriage must be a very holy thing to Christian people.

God has given us marriage to be the union of the hearts and bodies and minds of a man and a woman in a single love and joy so as to be friends, to help each other and comfort each other in good times and bad times.

When we see them make their promises to each other that is only the beginning of their marriage. In it they will share in the spirit of Jesus a life together. Children may be born and brought up in the life of a family, they will be secure as our loving Father wishes them to be; they may learn to love him and know him. So people must go into marriage thoughtfully, reverently and according to the purpose for which God gave it.
 

THE CONSENT

The Priest says to the man:

N ..... Will you have N ...... to be your wife, to live together in Christian Marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health? Will you leave all others and be faithful to her as long as you both live?

Man: I will with the help of God.

The Priest says to the Woman:

N ...... Will you have N ...... to be your husband to live together in Christian Marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health? Will you leave all others and be faithful to him as long as you both live?

Woman: I will with the help of God.

Priest: Who gives this man to be married to this woman?

The man’s father or uncle or other of his family answers:
I do.
and places him facing the woman.

Priest: Who gives this woman to be married to this man?

The woman’s father or uncle or other of her family answers:
I do.
and places her facing the man.

The custom of Provinces may be followed. In one Province he leads her onto a mat that has been given by the man’s family and he may put on her the ornaments of a married woman.

The Priest says to all the people:

You have come to see these two people make their promises to each other. Will you try hard to help this Marriage and to keep it good now and in the years ahead?

People: we will.
 

THE MARRIAGE.

There will be one or more readings from the Bible.

Epistles
1 Cor 12:31b-13:8a ‘Best of all ..., eternal’.
Col 3:12-15.

Holy Gospels
Mark 10: 6-9
John 2: 1-11
John 15: 9-12

Priest: Let us pray.

The people remain standing for the Collect.

Eternal God you have made all men and you keep us alive and always give us your help. Give your help to N ...... and N ...... that their promises may be true and their love may be strong and that the love and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ may surround their life together. Amen.

The man and the woman are facing each other and the priest gives the woman’s hand to the man who takes it and says:

I, N ...... take you N ...... to be my wife, to have you and to hold you from now on, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love you and to take care of you till death separates us, as God has said. This is my true promise.

They loose their hands, then the woman herself takes the man’s right hand and says:

I, N ...... take you N ...... to be my husband, to have you and to hold you from now on, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health; to love you and to take care of you till death separates us, as God has said. This is my true promise.

In some provinces it is the custom that a man makes a canoe or builds a house for his wife or there are presents of baskets, mats, tapa cloth that help to tie up the marriage. If it is convenient these may be given and blessed at this point, also gifts of the woman’s family.

One of the friends may put a ring on the priest’s book and the priest then says:

Lord, bless + this ring that he who gives it and she who wears it may be faithful to each other and continue in love to their lives’ end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The man (puts the ring on the woman’s finger and) says:

N ...... I marry you. With my body I honour you. I share with you all that I have. Where you go, I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your people shall be my people. Nothing but death will divide us. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The woman says:

N ....... I marry you. With my body I honour you. I share with you all that I have. Where you go, I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your people shall be my people. Nothing but death will divide us. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

N ...... and N ...... have given their consent to this marriage in front of God and of this congregation and have joined their hands and given themselves to each other by solemn promises (and by giving and receiving a ring and presents) I declare that they are husband and wife in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Then the priest will join their hands and wrap his stole round them and say:

Those whom God has joined together let not man put apart.

People: Amen.

The husband and wife kneel.

Priest: The strength of God the Father keep you,
the love of God the Son be in your life together,
the grace of God the Holy Spirit fulfil your love that it may last forever. Amen.

In a large church the priest and the husband and wife will now move up from the marriage place to the altar. There can be music. If there is a Nuptial Mass it will follow now beginning at the Offertory. The Lord’s Prayer will then be said in its own place and the other prayers will be said after the thanksgiving and before the Blessing.

If there is no Mass the priest will say:

The Lord be with you.
People: And with you.

Priest: As our Lord has taught us we pray:
People: Our Father in Heaven etc.

Priest: Almighty God, you made mankind and all life comes from you, give N ...... and N ...... the gift of children and the grace to bring them up to know you and love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord God, you have consecrated the life of marriage to be a sign of the spiritual unity between Christ and his Church. Bless these your servants. May they love each other. May they honour each other and take care of each other. Give them faithfulness and patience; give them wisdom and goodness and make their home a place of blessing and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen.

The Blessing:

The peace of God which is more than we can understand keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen.