The Sacrament of Baptism

The last two posts we did have each been on one of the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church.   I did them on two Sacraments that I felt are somewhat forgotten today; the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, and the Sacrament of Confirmation.

In the last post on Confirmation, I did mention the Sacrament of Baptism several times as there is a connection, and yet a distinction, between the two.    I spoke at length about this relationship in the last post, and encourage you to read that after you read this one, if you have not already.

Both posts on the Sacraments have been well received, so I have decided to continue posting on the seven Sacraments, and I thought it would make sense to discuss Baptism since we discussed it a bit last time.

The Catechism in paragraph 1213 refers to Baptism “as the basis of the whole Christian life”.  This is not a light saying.  Think about it for a minute.   If Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, then that means that being a good person, doing good works, and other things one might commonly think are the basis of being a Christian are not.    To be a Christian, you must be baptized!    After His Resurrection, Our Lord said to his apostles “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)   He did not say “go and be a nice person”, or “go and do good works”.   He said to baptize and to teach.   Baptizing and teaching is at the heart of the Church’s mission.

So, baptism was pretty important to Jesus!  Remember also that he was baptized himself, by John (Matthew 3:15) even though being the Second Person of the Trinity, he did not need it. Jesus was baptized to identify himself with us, to set his mission of salvation on course, and it also gave an opportunity for his true identity as the Son of God to be revealed.   And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)   So Jesus’ baptism allowed him to be identified with our humanity, but it also allowed his divinity to be revealed.

In a sense, there is a human and a divine reason for our Baptism, as well.   There are two main effects of Baptism: 1) our sins are forgiven (the human reason or effect), and 2) we become new creatures (the divine reason or effect). 

Think about the following for a minute.  When a baby is born, we adore its cuteness.  We adore its innocence.  We adore everything about a baby.   Yet, a little while after the baby is born, our natural inclination is to do something for him or her to protect him or her from the world.   We realize this innocence needs something strong to protect him or her from the influence of the world.

Now this line of thinking is not exactly the most theologically accurate way of thinking about the Sacrament.  After all, the Sacrament is not necessarily a protection against anything in this world.  The baby, or the adult being baptized, will still feel the effects of sin, and will still have to deal with what is in the world.  But what I am trying to say is instinctively, we realize there is something wrong with the world that we need to protect ourselves against.

The Church teaches what is ultimately wrong with the world is a result of what is called original sin.  I keep saying I will do a post on this topic, it deserves its own post, but for now, let’s just state that the Church teaches we are born with an inclination to sin that was passed down generation to generation from our first parents, and it is this inclination that is the source of struggle within ourselves and the world.

This teaching is tough for many to take, who think especially in the case of babies that oh he or she is so cute, what evil could possibly be in them that they could need redemption from?    Besides what I said above about original sin, let me offer this:  As a child grows, we see him or her develop traits or characteristics that we praise.   We would say the gifts a child exhibits, and/or a personality he or she shows is something that they were born with, and develop over the course of their life.  Sin, unfortunately, is the same; it exists in our birth, and it has a lifetime of development that we need to fight against.   That fight begins at Baptism, which forgives us from all sin, including original sin.

So often we think why can’t we all just get along?  Why can’t everyone just be kind to each other?   The answer is there is something fundamentally wrong with ourselves, and the world, that makes this impossible.   This is called original sin.   Holding hands, singing songs, or drawing pictures together will not address this dark reality.  Only Baptism can!  

It is called Baptism because we “take the plunge” and go into the deep water, where our sins get buried and washed away, and we come up as “new creatures”.    We enter into the entire Paschal Mystery, both the Death and the Resurrection of Christ, we die to ourselves, and become new men and women. 

Now, once we come out of the water, even though we have received the grace of the Sacrament at this point, the celebration of the Sacrament is not over.  Remember, at Baptism, there are other elements:  sacred chrism, the white garment, and the candle.   We are anointed into Christ as priest, prophet, and king, we are clothed in the garment, symbolizing we have risen with Christ, and then given the candle, showing that we are the “light of the world”.  The Catechism has a beautiful quote from an early Father of the Church, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, which speaks to all this symbolism which visualizes our new identity in the family of God:

Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift. . . .We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship.

So there is more than just forgiveness of sins through Baptism.  There is a new life in the Holy Trinity that is begun.  The person now has the power and strength to lead a life that will be victorious, one that ultimately overcomes the effects of sin within him or herself, and in the world.   The Catechism mentions several aspects of this new life.  We now have the power to believe, love, and hope in God (the theological virtues we have spoken of), the power to live and act under the promptings of the Holy Spirit (the gifts we spoke of, which will bear the fruits which we have also spoke of), and the power to grow in goodness through the moral virtues (the four cardinal virtues which we have also spoken of).

You may have heard the phrase “baptism by fire”.   Baptism should set us on fire!   Listen to these words of Our Lord:   “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! (Luke 12:49-50)  Now, he was most likely referring to his imminent death on the Cross, and that was definitely a “trial by fire” so to speak.  That was what he was likely referring to by his use of the word “baptism”.  But, recall, in Baptism we “die with Christ”.   Even though we are plunged in water, in a sense, we are also “set on fire”.   We need to kindle that fire in our souls all our lives. 

The world needs Baptism.  We need more people to be born and be Baptize.  We need more people who are alive today to be baptized.  We need more people today who have been Baptized to renew their Baptismal promises, get Confirmed if they have not (see more on this in the last post), and pray to the Holy Spirit for his gifts to be stirred up in them.

You may be saying, but I was baptized when I was an infant.  What can that Sacrament do for me now?  Baptism, like the other Sacraments that can be received only once (Confirmation, Holy Orders), however, leaves an indelible mark, or seal, of belonging to Christ.    This Sacrament is marked on your soul forever!  Therefore, its graces never run out.   So, a few things:

1)      Renew your Baptismal promises often, besides the 1-2 times a year it is done at Mass.

2)      Baptism, as we stated, is the doorway to all the other Sacraments.  You are baptized, you can receive them.   Receive them often!  Run to Confession and to the Eucharist to receive the strength you need to be on fire for the Lord.

3)      Baptism allows you to live the life of the Spirit, which we alluded to earlier.   The Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, who has always existed, and always will.  Pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  They, like the Spirit, never die!

Finally, beyond Baptism being the key to being able to survive and overcome this world, it is also necessary for our entry into the next world.   The Church teaches baptism is necessary for salvation.  The only way of entering Divine Life that has been revealed to us is through Baptism, there is no other way!  Our Lord says in John 3:5, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.”   If you think you can be saved without being baptized, and therefore are not bothering with it, you are taking an awful risk that you should not take.  The Church wishes everyone to be baptized, and be saved, so much that she teaches that in danger of death, anyone can baptize anyone as long as there is water, and the Trinitarian formula is used.  If you have not been baptized, please see to it you get baptized as soon as possible.

Let us all recall with fondness our own Baptisms, and make sure the fruits of that day make themselves known every day in our lives.  Let’s realize that feel good solutions are not the answer to the world’s problems.   The graces Baptism gives us are the only answer to the challenges we as individuals, and as a society, face.

Joseph, foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.