Comparing the Jewish Bar Mitzvah and Catholic Confirmation Ritual

The term “Bar Mitzvah” literally refers to the “son of the commandment.” The word “Bar” is Aramaic and means “son.” It used to be a common word among the Jewish people. The term “Mitzvah” means “commandment” in both Aramaic and Hebrew. The ceremony is also referred to as Bat Mitzvah when it is the girl who is the subject, as “Bat” refers to daughter in Aramaic and Hebrew. Under Jewish Law, children may not always be forced to observe ten commandments, even though they may often be encouraged to do so as many times as possible as a way of learning the commitment they will be having as adults. When they turn 13 years of age (usually 12 for girls), children get committed to observing the commandment (Grondin, 2020). The ceremony notes the conclusion, in a rather formal way, that both obligation and right of taking part in leading the religious services in countering a minyan, in forming a binding contract, as a way of testifying prior ecclesiastical courts and in marrying.

A person automatically becomes a Bar Mitzvah after turning 13 years of age. No ceremony may be needed in conferring such obligations and rights. The famous service may not always be the need, and does not necessarily fulfill any of the commandments. It may prove to be instead a common thing today had been unheard of not only in recent times but a century ago. The ceremony is typically held to celebrate the moment, an age when the child gets to determine whether or not they may be obligated to keep the commandments, not the ceremony in itself (Grondin, 2020). The ceremony also tends to impart nothing on the child but a rather symbolic celebration of the moment in the child’s life.

On the other hand, confirmation refers to the sacrament where children get to receive gifts from the Holy Spirit. The evidence includes anointing using charism, lying of the hands and prayer, with the ones already baptized are believed to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit as a way of firmly professing their faith and faithfully living up to their individual professions. It is indeed necessary as a contribution to Christian perfection. Unlike the Bar Mitzvah, it not only symbolic. The sacrament may be validly received at any time of an individual’s life (Judaism 101, 2020).

The Catholic Churches of the East conduct sacrament celebrations of confirmation at the same time as infants and baptism. In churches in South America, receiving the sacrament is typically given later in life. However, the delay may not be connected to any of the notions that once the sacrament has been received, the individual is currently adult or which their obligations have been changing as a result of receiving a sacrament (Judaism 101, 2020).

The Confirmation Ceremony has four major parts. The first one is where the Word is proclaimed. Confirmation readings are selected in reflecting on help which the Holy Spirit may offers participants in the ceremony. The second part is the need to renew baptismal promises. It is necessary to replace the participant’s baptismal promises in the course of the confirmation ceremony in highlighting the connection between confirmation and baptism. Like the Bar Mitzvah, however, the community gets to be present during the process (Smethurst, 2014). Through their prayers and support, the promises made for the participants are confirmed at the baptism. The understanding is that participants are now admitting to themselves of the Christian way of life, and the community gets to witness that promising helping them as they continue on the journey of faith.

The third part includes the lying of the hands. The Old Testament time understood laying of the hands as a blessing, as well as it is a sign of the individual is chosen to do the work of God Jesus also got to lay the hands of the people in healing and blessing them. The apostles were also laying their hands as a way of signifying the Holy Spirit’s coming in the course of confirming the priests and bishop laying their hands on the subjects (Smethurst, 2014). The fourth part is anointing with Chrism. The process of the anointing of oil stands out as a sign that the  Holy Spirit strengthens its participants, where the gifts come from the Holy Spirit being offered for the subjects and the ones that received God’s blessing.

Conclusively, the difference existing between the Catholic Confirmation Ritual and the Jewish Bar Mitzvah can be understood in this one summarized way. For confirmation, the person going through the process is different in terms of their metaphysical standing when they enter and exit the church during verification. However, for the Bar Mitzvah ceremony, the person’s reputation changes in terms of their age regardless, as the formal process does nothing but publicizes the fact (Judaism 101, 2020). As practiced in Catholicism, the confirmation ceremony does not need a lot of effort from the participant, apart from sincerely professing the religion. For the Bar Mitzvah, the participant has to read from the Torah scroll, even in the case they are a native speaker of Hebrew and the entire thing if they are not. It is a significant challenge in need of continued participation.

References

Grondin, C. (2020). Confirmation Is Not Like a Bar Mitzvah. Retrieved March 14, 2020, from https://www.catholic.com/qa/confirmation-is-not-like-a-bar-mitzvah

Judaism 101. (2020). Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah and Confirmation. Retrieved March 14, 2020, from http://www.jewfaq.org/barmitz.htm

Smethurst, T. (2014, March 23 ). Confirmation VS Bar Mitzvah. Retrieved March 14, 2020, from https://prezi.com/liqdglpcdbpr/confirmation-vs-bar-mitzvah/