Understanding What Baptism Is - A Brief Overview:
The Sacrament of Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic faith and just like all of the other sacraments, it has been instituted and practiced by Christ and his church over the last 2000 years. It is originally and primarily the very first sacrament that is reserved for those who desire to reject sin, live for God and be officially welcomed into God's family in the universal church, The Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. During Baptism the soul of the person being baptised is forgiven of original sin (the sin of Adam & Eve) and then also cleansed of their own sin that may be is stained on their soul from their own actions if they are not innocent infants of course! Baptism by the help of God's grace, cleanses that person from all sin connected to them and it officially makes them a new member of the universal church which also makes them ready to receive all other sacraments the church has on offer. Baptism (after the action of prayer) is the first primary action God asks of us when we decide to live for him and it allows his grace to work more freely in our souls for the rest of our lives.
The First Baptiser - Saint John The Baptist:
Before Jesus and his church were officially established there was a man by the name of John who was the initiator of what we now know as baptism. John was a local Israeli man and also just so happened to be the cousin of Jesus Christ. John has been acknowledged to be the 'way-maker' so to speak for Jesus and his church in the several years leading up to the beginning of Christ's ministry. John was the first person to ever baptise which makes him the only person apart from Christ primarily that instituted one of the seven sacraments, as all the other sacraments have been primarily instituted by Christ. John baptised large crowds of people during his life and he taught by the authority of God that Baptism was a necessary act of faith for believers to undergo for the very same reasons we believe as Catholics today which is for the sake of becoming a member of God's family in the universal church, for forgiveness of original and current sins and to allow access to partake in the other sacraments in the Catholic life as well. We all must be 'born again' so to speak which involves firstly having a contritely repentant heart of course with a firm commitment to amend our lives, but we then must also do as God has commanded us by undergoing these sacraments for the other graces they offer us as well.
“I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with The Holy Spirit and fire."
- St John The Baptist, Matthew 3:11.
"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
- Jesus Christ & Nicodemus, John 3: 3-5.
These bible verses make it clear to us by John and Jesus that there is process that we must undergo when we are seeking to become born again. After our firm commitment to amend our lives we must follow the rest of God's commands here by being born again of water and spirit. The being born again with water refers to the sacrament of baptism, and the being born again with the spirit, is referring to the following sacrament of confirmation we as faithful believers must undergo after our Baptism (which will be covered in our next blog!).
What The Sacrament Of Baptism Looks Like - Stages Of A Catholic Baptism:
Stage 1. Reception of the child - The priest or deacon performing the baptism greets the parents and child, asks the name of the child as well as questions like:
- "What do you ask of God's Church for your child?"
- "Are you willing and able to fulfil your duties to bring up this child in the Christian faith?" (Directed at an infant's parents and godparents).
- The priest or deacon makes the sign of the cross on the child's head with their thumb. This symbolises the idea of the cross of Christ that saves. The parents and godparents perform the same making of the cross on their own foreheads.
Stage 2. Celebration of God's word - The priest offers readings and prayers (commonly from the New Testament) for the child and his or her parents. The person being baptised then has Oil of Catechumens (blessed olive oil) rubbed on their neck.The oil symbolises the belief that the baptised person is now being set apart from the world by the anointing process.
Stage 3. Celebration of the Sacrament - The priest blesses the baptismal water, asks the parents to renounce sin, and baptises the child with water. The water signifies a belief that sins can be washed away. It also represents new life, deliverance from slavery, and new beginnings. The priest or deacon asks the questions:
-"Do you renounce Satan? And all his works? And all his empty promises?"
-"Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?"
- "Do you believe in Jesus Christ?"
-"Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?"
Water is then poured over a child's head three times.
Stage 4. Explanatory rites - The priest anoints the child with oil from his crown, signifying the child is a Christian. The child is dressed in a christening gown or other white garment, and a family member or godparents light a candle to symbolise enlightenment and that a new Christian has entered the world.
Stage 5. Conclusion of the rite - The priest says the Lord's Prayer and blesses the child. A celebration normally follows the ceremony.
So that concludes our summary blog on the sacrament of Baptism! Thank you for reading along to what I hope is now a great new source of information for you in more deeply understanding the Catholic sacrament of Baptism, and more than that I hope that if you aren't already Baptised that you may even consider undergoing the sacrament yourself as I firmly believe that this is God's will for all people. As a final note, I just wanted to also say just be careful who you listen to in our world today regarding key matters of faith, whether it is about baptism or anything else because if that person doesn't abide in the Catholic faith which is the only faith that offers 2000 years of real history, true christian teaching and tradition, that person is more than likely to mislead you at some point (by accident of course). But I just say this because there is much misinformation out there so we must be careful before we are too quick to believe things people say, be polite but also humbly put all your requests to God about such matters to him in prayer and then dive into the amazing books of our faith such as The Holy Bible and The Catechism of the Catholic Church. These books help guide our faith as will the spirit of God. But truth is crucial and so thats what we aim to do here at Light Of The World Ministries. Thats all, thank you! :)
God bless, love and keep you.
-Benjamin, Light Of The World Ministries.
References:
Catechism of the Catholic Church. (n.d.). https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/
Bible Gateway John 3 :: NIV. (n.d.). https://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/JOHN+3.html
Matthew 3:11 - The Mission of John the Baptist. (n.d.). Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/matthew/3-11.htm
Roberts, A. (2022, February 24). Catholic Baptism Ceremony Steps and What to Expect. LoveToKnow. https://baby.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Catholic_Baptism_Ceremony
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