Baptism is the door that opens us to life in God's Spirit. It does this by linking us to Jesus Christ in faith, freeing us from sin, making us adopted children of God the Father, and incorporating us into Christ's church. (#1213)
The name "baptism" comes from the word which means "plunge" in Greek, and describes the action of a bath in which the plunge into water symbolizes a dying with Christ, and the emerging from the bath symbolizes a rising to a new life in Christ. (#1214)
Baptism in the Old Testament
The blessing of the baptismal water in the rite recalls the events of the Old Testament that prefigures this sacrament:
1. God's Spirit hovering over the primeval waters (Gen 1:2);
2. the water bearing Noah's ark is an instrument of salvation for the eight people who were saved but brought death to the sinners;
3. the crossing of the Red Sea liberated God's people from slavery;
4. miraculous crossing of the Jordan River brought the people into the promised land (1217-1222) .
Jesus himself was baptized by John in the Jordan. John's baptism was intended for sinners and Jesus being God's Son was sinless, so his submission to baptism becomes a manifestation of his self-emptying. (Phil 2:7) Because of his humility and obedience on this occasion, the Father revealed him as his "beloved Son" (Mt 3:16-17).
Jesus made baptism the sign of belief in Him, and commanded that his followers initiate new believers through baptism (Mt 28:19-20; Acts 2:38)
From the time of the apostles becoming a Christian has been accomplished by a journey in several stages: (1229-1233)
1. A hearing of the message of the Good News
2. Accepting the word entailing conversion
3. Professing the faith
4.Water baptism
5.The inpouring of the Holy Spirit (confirmation)
6. Admission to Eucharistic communion
For a child, certain of these stages occur after baptism itself and is commonly called catechesis.
Signing with the Cross (1235)
Proclamation of the Word of God (1236)
Exorcisms (1237)
Blessing of the Water (1238)
Cleansing with the water (1239-1240)
Anointing with chrism (confirmation) 1241-1242)
Clothing with white garment
Ceremony of light and recitation of the Our Father (1243)
Communion
An adult needs to be a catechumen, that is someone who has professed faith in Christ and his church.
An infant should be baptized shortly after birth. The pastor will ascertain that the catechumenal steps in which the child can grow in faith will be carried out by the family. (1253-1254)
The ordinary minister would be a bishop, priest or deacon. In case of necessity, any person, even someone not baptized can baptize if that person has the right intention. The rationale for this practice is the universal saving will of God and the necessity of baptism for salvation. (1256)
Read John 3:5 to see how important baptism was to Jesus. To baptize is the mission of the church that she received from Christ. (1257)
Baptism is a sign of salvation, for it is the sacrament instituted by Christ to incorporate us into his Body, the Church. "I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" John 3:5
Water is a sign of cleansing. The baptismal water, accompanied by the invocation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, cleanses the person of original sin and of all actual sin committed prior to Baptism. Water is also a sign of new life. Those baptized receive the new life of the Holy Spirit, which we call "sanctifying grace. "
The adult is obliged to seek Baptism in order to be saved, for Baptism alone is the sign which infallibly unites us with Jesus Christ. In the Baptism of infants the faith and desire of the Church is sufficient. This desire is expressed by the parents, assisted by the godparents. The Church recognizes adult "Baptism of desire." This desire may be explicit or simply implicit.
What happens to unbaptized infants? Limbo, a state where they enjoy a purely 'natural' happiness, was accepted in the Church in the past as a solution to this question, but never held universally. Such children are entrusted to the mysterious but infinitely kind and powerful love of God.
The physical appearance of Christ is no longer with us, but his words and gestures remain. And, because they are the words and gestures of the Spirit-filled Body of Christ ,the Church , they retain the power of Christ. They continue to reveal his glory. What they signify infallibly comes to be. Or, in terms which theologians have come to use, sacraments "effect what they signify. "
The sacraments, then, do not just tell us about something. In the very telling they make the event happen. They are signs which work. The sign tells us precisely what is happening.
If we want to know what is happening, we must therefore look at the sign. In Baptism the sign the pouring of water accompanied by the words: I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Having sought Baptism for themselves in order to be saved, Christians may well wonder about "Baptism of desire." Does it really matter whether or not they try to win converts? If following conscience is all that is required to be saved, wouldn't it be so much easier to leave others well alone in their comfort?
To answer these questions, it is well to remember that one word of God was sufficient to redeem the world. And here we approach the great mystery of faith. For the word of God that we needed for our redemption couldn't be "bottled up" in the secrecy of the Godhead. Such an unspoken word is worthless. The truth is that the uttering of a true word means nothing less than the giving of oneself. "And the Word was made flesh." Jesus Christ, the Word of God, was born.
Now, as followers of Christ we have received the Word of God into our own hearts. And we can do no less than God himself. We can only give that Word to others. This means nothing less than the giving of ourselves.
At first glance all this may seem very unfair. Life for the Christian seems more painful than for others who, not having received the Word of God, nonetheless win the same salvation provided only that they follow their conscience. The truth is, of course, that at no time did Jesus claim that his followers would enjoy an easier life. Quite the reverse! But in so giving ourselves we follow God; and all humanity becomes more like God.
Baptism is celebrated by pouring water on the head of the person, saying at the time these words: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The ordinary minister of Baptism is a priest; but anyone may baptize in case of necessity, when a priest cannot be had.
In solemn Baptism the priest anoints the newly baptized with the oil of chrism. This anointing is a sign that God himself is "marking us with his seal and giving us the pledge, the Spirit that we carry in our hearts" (2 Cor 1:22). It is a sign that the baptized person shares in the kingly and priestly power of Christ.
The proper time for the celebration of Baptism is Easter when the Church commemorates the Lord's Resurrection. (Lent is traditionally and primarily the time of preparation for Baptism.) For this reason the paschal candle is placed in the baptistry so that in Baptisms throughout the year the candles for the baptized may be lit from it. The candle is a symbol of the light of Christ which is to be kept burning brightly.
A priest, writing a few years ago in a Catholic periodical, pointed out how Baptism can sometimes be downgraded by the way we approach the actual ceremony: Dad watching a sports program on TV; Mom cooking the dinner; baby handed over to a teenage daughter with instructions to take him or her to church at 2:30 p.m. to be "done."
He was obviously describing an extreme case of carelessness. The Church, however, still feels the need to issue constant reminders about the need to prepare well, both on an individual and parish level, for the celebration of the sacrament. And so it is useful to follow step-by-step the ceremony in which children become members of the Church, are united to Christ, and freed from all sin.
The celebrant first greets those present. The greeting is an informal one; it helps to put everyone at ease and allows the priest to express in his own way the spiritual welcome the Church is offering through his ministry. Usually, he will remind the parents that their child is a wonderful gift from God and that their happiness and joy will come from doing God's will for the child.
Then it is the turn of the parents and godparents to speak. They must answer some very direct questions. What do they seek from the Church ? Are they aware of the obligations they are undertaking? Will the godparents be prepared to assist the parents?
The priest now invites everyone to join in the liturgy of God's Word. The reading and the preaching of this Word (see Heb 4:12) is "something alive and active," is meant to stimulate the faith of everyone present. This is the living faith of the Church from which the child will in due course draw his or her own faith.
The prayer of exorcism and the anointing with the oil of catechumens which follow represent the withdrawal of the child from the forces of evil. Tradition compares the anointing with oil to the custom of anointing athletes. The child is prepared by this anointing for the combat of the Christian life.
When parents bring their child for Baptism they undertake to pass on to the child their; own Christian outlook. Before the central moment of Baptism, then, they give expression to their own attitude to life by renouncing Satan and professing anew their faith. This renunciation of Satan is followed by the climax of the celebration, the Baptism itself, which binds the Christian to Christ.
After the Baptism, three traditional ceremonies take place: the anointing with chrism, the clothing with the white garment and the giving of the baptismal candle. They underline our belief that our Lord has freed us from sin, given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed us into the People of God.
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Catholic Prayer
The renewal of baptismal promises takes place at Easter, at baptisms and on other occasions. We respond vigorously with our "I do" after the triple renunciation of Satan and the triple profession of faith in Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Catholic Practice
The taking of holy water when we enter the church is a "re-baptism" in a sense. We renew our baptismal vows, we wish to be cleansed of any conscious sin or failing on our fault so that we can receive communion at that Mass.
For Discussion
1. What do you believe ultimately attracts adults to Catholicism?
2. Do you think the demands of the Church frighten people away?
3. How can baptism have any effect on an infant who can not even express a desire to be baptized?
4. If you were baptized as an infant, do you feel that you were trapped into something that you would have preferred having a say in? If you were not baptized as an infant, do you wish you had been?
11/20/04