Catechumenate Topic: Baptism

Catechumenate Topic: Baptism

What is a sacrament? A visible sign conferred by Christ of the invisible gift of Grace. What is grace? Grace is a supernatural spiritual gift of God to accomplish our everlasting salvation. Grace is an expression of God’s love an power given into our lives. There are seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Holy Orders.

Baptism is the washing away of all sin, and the giving of the Holy Spirit.

John was practicing a baptism of repentance when Jesus came. Jesus did not need to be baptized but asked that he be, “so that all righteousness may be fulfilled”. Christ identified himself with the sinners, even though He was not one. Then Holy Spirit descended on Him. Christ tells Nicodemus that he must be born of water and of spirit. Later Christ instructed His followers to “go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” This points to the necessity of being baptized in order to be incorporated into the life of Christ. Baptism is the sacrament of Faith.

Baptism is one of three sacraments of initiation, the others confirmation, and Eucharist. It is the first sacrament received. It’s essential rite includes the sprinkling of water, and the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and holy Spirit.”

Who can be baptized? Catechumens, who are already members of the Church, after the Catechumenate which brings their faith to maturity. Infants, whose parents, desire them to be joined to Christ and are willing to raise them up in the practice of the Catholic Faith. The ordinary ministers of the sacrament are Bishops, priests, and deacons.

The Lord himself declares the necessity of Baptism, and has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but He is not bound by his sacraments.

The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament.

For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.

As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them," allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.

The effects of Baptism are as follows: the forgiveness of all sins, original and personal. Though the effects of sin remain. The person becomes a new creature in Christ, the life was natural and is no supernatural, as sanctifying grace is bestowed. The incorporation into the Church, the body of Christ, and is a supernatural sign of unity among Christians. An indelible spiritual mark, as a person who is configured to Christ, indeed at Baptism a person dies and lives again in Christ’s life.

What are prefigurements of Baptism in the Old Testament: Noah and the Ark, the parting of the Red Sea, the crossing of the Jordan.

Those who die for the faith, those who are catechumens, and all those who, without knowing of the Church but acting under the inspiration of grace, seek God sincerely and strive to fulfill his will, can be saved even if they have not been baptized.

In case of necessity, any person can baptize provided that he have the intention of doing that which the Church does and provided that he pours water on the candidate's head while saying: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."