Tiber River Cafe--Sacrament of Baptism

Hello, and welcome to the Tiber River Café.  My name is Dean Humphreys, and today’s topic is the first of the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Baptism.  It is with our Baptism that we are brought into the life of the Church, and our Baptism is essential for our eternal salvation.

The Catholic Church recognizes seven Sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony (marriage), Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation (also known as confession).  We believe that there is a sacred reality to each of the Sacraments and that each Sacrament points us towards Jesus.  Catholics believe that each of the Sacraments was instituted by Jesus himself, pointing to Biblical events in the life and ministry, as well as the stories and teachings, of Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior. 

Each of the Sacraments also points to the Christian life, as we participate as a faith community, in the celebration of the Sacraments.   The Sacraments are signs and a means to God’s graces, the graces that are needed to live a truly Christian life.  The Church teaches that we cannot earn grace, for God’s grace is a free gift of Himself as the controlling influence in our lives.  Sacraments are the life of the Church for they help to make us more holy people, they help to build up the Body of Christ, and they point us towards God.

The Sacrament of Baptism is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, which also includes the Sacrament of Eucharist and the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Baptism is called the ‘door of the Church’, as Baptism is the first of the seven Sacraments in both time, as it is very often received as infants, as well as priority.  In the Catholic Church most baptisms are performed on infants, as baptisms were performed since the earliest days of the Church. 

Once baptized the person becomes a member of the Church, the newest member of the family of God.  For Catholics, being baptized is the very mark of being a Christian, for to be baptized is to be with Jesus.  Jesus made it very clear in the Gospel of John, chapter 3 verses 1-21, when Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus that baptism is essential for salvation, stating, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.”  Which is Baptism.

We are baptized with water, which is one of the essential elements of Baptism.  For water must be poured over the person’s head, or if they prefer they can be immersed in water; and the second essential element of Baptism are the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” which must be said.  Just like Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28 verse 19, when he told his disciples, when he told us, to “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.”  Water represents life and death, cleansing and growth, for water recalls the flood of Noah, of how the waters of the Red Sea were parted for Moses, and how Jesus himself was baptized in the Jordan River.

Baptism comes from the Greek word for ‘immersion’ or ‘bath’.  For the waters of Baptism cleanse us of our sins and gives us new life. It removes the guilt and effects of Original Sin of Adam and Eve as we read in the Book of Genesis.  We are made a new creation, we undergo a new birth in Christ, for we are born again in the truest sense.  At our Baptism we take off the old life and put on the new life that is in Jesus, we now fully participate in the life of Jesus.  At our baptism we are permanently changed, we become a new person, rising to a new life in Christ.  And we are baptized only once, as the Sacrament imparts an enduring sign, a mark that we are Christ’s, a permanent mark that we are brought into the life of the Church, that we become a part of the Body of Christ in a sacramental bond.

We celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism in the midst of our Christian community, at the Mass, with the community gathered together, supporting the newest member and their family as they start their spiritual journey.  The Baptism is celebrated in the presence of the Christian community, for we who are already baptized actively participate in the Sacrament and renew our own Baptismal promises.  In ordinary circumstances a new baby will be baptized by either a priest or deacon within a few weeks of birth. 

The parents understand the Christian values and will pass them on to their children.  The parents will have the support of the Christian community in living those ideals.  There must be a commitment on the parent’s part to live the mission of Christ, to accept the responsibility of training their child in the practice of the faith.  The parents must model and demonstrate daily to their children how to live a Christian life.  Children will then have the basics of our Christian faith at home, with their parents shaping their faith formation in word and deed.  The family home is considered the domestic church, where children will learn the foundations of our Catholic faith, and then will be able to grow in the faith and to understand the larger Church.

Baptism removes the guilt and punishment of Original Sin of Adam and Eve.  By delaying Baptism until a child can fully understand the Sacrament puts the eternal salvation of the child in jeopardy.  In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 16 verse 16, Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” and that person will have eternal life.  There is a direct and clear connection between Baptism and salvation. 

At our baptism we are given a burning candle, lit from the Pascal candle, for like Jesus, who is the light of the world, the newly baptized carries the light of Christ out into the world.  The candle symbolizes that we are an ‘Easter people’, that we believe in Jesus who was raised on the third day, on Easter morning, and we as a people of God pass on the torch, the Baptismal candle, to the newly baptized.  The infant will also traditionally wear a white garment, which is an ancient tradition.  Through the Sacrament of Baptism we share in the victory won over the powers of evil and darkness.  We are cleansed of Original Sin and the white garment that the newly initiated wears represents our being cleansed into a new life in Christ.

As discussed earlier, the Sacrament of Baptism has an enduring and permanent mark and can only occur once, so if an adult converts to the Catholic faith and underwent a proper Baptism in their former Protestant denomination (remember the water and proper words) then a second Baptism will not be done.  If the person has never been baptized, or the prior baptism was not valid, the person would be baptized after receiving proper instructions in the faith, normally as part of an RCIA program, which is the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.  The Easter Vigil, which is the Saturday night Mass before Easter Sunday, is the prime Baptismal liturgy for the RCIA candidates.   Adult Baptism is the first step of a life-long journey of Christian discipleship, to living a truly committed Christian life.

The Catholic Church teaches that there are six effects of Baptism.  The first effect is the removal of guilt from both Original Sin, which is the sin imparted on all mankind by Adam and Eve, as we read in the Book of Genesis, and Baptism also removes personal sin which are the sins we have committed ourselves.  Obviously only Original Sin is removed for infants and small children as infants and small children are not capable of personal sin.

The second effect of Baptism is the removal of all punishment because of sin.  Third, there is an infusion of God’s grace, the life of God comes within us.  Fourth, we become a part of Christ.  And fifth, we become a part of the Church, we are a member of the Body of Christ.  And finally, after Baptism which is the first of the seven Sacraments we are then able to participate in the other six sacraments of the Church.

So there you have it, a rather simple explanation of the Sacrament of Baptism, which is the first of the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church.  Through our Baptism we become a part of the Church, the Body of Christ, and through our Baptism we have eternal salvation, as Jesus said, “no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit.”  Something to think about next Sunday at Mass. 

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Thanks for stopping by the Tiber River Café, where there is always plenty of room at the banquet table.  I hope to see you next time.  Peace be with you.