The lighting of the candle represents the flame of faith, which is to be kept burning throughout the life of the baptized. Baptism provides a common foundation among all Christians, including those not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church. The question of why we have baptisms in the Catholic Faith is easily answered: to gain eternal life. The Bible shows in many places that the order of events is 1) a person believes in the Lord Jesus and 2) he is baptized. First and foremost, baptism doesn't mean the same thing across all religions. The Jordan was the largest and most important river in Palestine, and it contained enough water for the innumerable baptisms (immersions) … Baptism is the first holy sacrament followed by: Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing of the sick, Marriage and Holy Order. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. Baptism. Holy water reminds us of the waters of the baptismal font, the place where our existence changed forever. 1248 The catechumenate, or formation of catechumens, aims at bringing their conversion and faith to maturity, in response to the divine initiative and in union with an ecclesial … Though there is plenty of joy and excitement, there can also be feelings of uncertainty and fear. If a baptism is valid, then it is recognized as having been done using the correct form, matter, and structure that is needed for the sacrament. … If you have trusted in Jesus, you can ask your parents and your pastor about baptism. Doctrines range from a cleansing of sin to a step in a believer's life. 777 Forest Street, Saint Paul, MN 55106 It is rooted in Biblical and apostolic tradition, and it demonstrates the value of sacramental grace being received at the very beginning of one’s life. There are, of course, certain rituals that must be respected, the most important of these is to keep the matter of the sacrament, the water, intact. Virtues, Gifts and Fruits. Baptism. However, catholiccompany.com lays out four steps in getting your child baptized: If you still have questions about scheduling your child’s baptism, we suggest you contact your parish priest, or talk to friends who have baptized their kids. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation. Why is baptism so important? It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, the other two being the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Communion.Once … The origin of infant baptisms goes back to the days of the Old Testament when God established his covenant with Abraham. However, though all sins are removed, there remains, as an effect of Original Sin, the inclination to sin that is called concupiscence. The Sacrament of Baptism is steeped in history, dating back to the time of Jesus, when He was baptized by John the Baptist. While you don’t need to be Catholic to get your baby baptized, due to the nature of the sacrament as an initiation into the Catholic Church, the parents or legal guardians of the infant must agree to raise the child in the Faith upon being baptized. The parents present the child for baptism while the godparents are present as witnesses. Traditionally, the gown is white. It forgives all sins that were committed before baptism including original, mortal, and venial sin. Baptism doesn't save anyone from sin. Accepting his most important commandment proved that they were true believers of Christ's teachings. This sequence is seen in Acts 2:41, “Those who accepted [Peter’s] message were baptized” (see also Acts 16:14–15). Attend as many important family functions as you are able to. there are extreme circumstances in which someone can be baptized by even an unbaptized individual. The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. Baptism orients the soul not only to worship God and serve him with their lives, but also to take part in his kingly, prophetic, and priestly offices. Water is also a symbol of divine life, grace, new birth, growth, deliverance, power, and the covenant God established with his people, first through Abraham. We hope you found this guide helpful! Please log in again. If the parents refuse to raise their child in the Catholic Faith, in most circumstances the infant may not be baptized. Reasons for Baptism: Learn about why the Catholic Church baptizes infants. Water is the essential matter within a baptism. Through their hands, which are to represent the hands of Christ himself, we are brought into the body of the Catholic Church. The word “baptism” itself means “to be immersed.” For the first few hundred years of the Church’s history, baptisms would be done in large natural bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. A new Christian should want to obey the Lord Jesus by being baptized. Phone: 651-291-4400     E-Mail: communications@archspm.org, © 2021 Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. “Through the sacrament of baptism the faithful are incorporated into Christ and into his Church. When it comes to the form of the sacrament, the words said, it must be the Trinitarian baptismal Formula: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”. First, baptism requires enough water to immerse completely a believer. The second was the catechumenate as a process of preparation for Baptism, including an intense period of preparation for … This also plays into the reasoning of why we baptize our infants: it is to give them the gift of eternal life in heaven, and through our faith that we invite them into salvation (for more on baptizing infants, go to the FAQs below). It is a sacrament of initiation (which you can only receive one time), meaning once you received it, you officially enter into the body of Christ, the Catholic Church. “You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises’ of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pt 2:9). The role of the parents is a crucial aspect of any infant baptism, and must not be taken lightly. Likewise, if one is truly seeking to be baptized, but is unable to due to extreme circumstances (such as dying before they could receive the sacrament) those graces can be bestowed upon them as well. These distinguished early followers became his disciples who spread the teachings of Jesus Christ and waited for his return. Baptisms are a family affair, not just for the individual but for the Church as well! After one has been reborn in Christ, there is nothing to prevent one’s entry into God’s Kingdom. CCC 1274 teaches, “The Holy Spirit marks us at baptism with the seal of the Lord for the day of redemption.” Baptism is an important Sacrament and being baptized is an important part of being initiated into the family of the Catholic Church. Most are located at the front of the church, to signify the sacrament as being the “door to the Church.” In fact, we are reminded of our baptismal promises whenever we enter or exit a church. In the Catholic Church, infants are baptized to welcome them into the Catholic faith and to free them from the original sin they were born with. The Sacrament of Baptism is often called "The door of the Church," because it is the first of the seven sacraments not only in time (since most Catholics receive it as infants) but in priority since the reception of the other sacraments depends on it. For example, for baptism, the form is the baptismal formula, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The matter is the water poured over the head of the recipient. Baptism. Godparents are expected to help the parents raise the baptized child in the Faith, and therefore need to be practicing it themselves. the candle symbolizes the risen Christ, as he is the light of the world. Parents (or guardians) take on the responsibility for raising the child Catholic when they ask for baptism. Next, we will cover the Eucharist. That fact alone should convince us that baptism is important. This inclination to sin shows itself in what is sometimes referred to as a darkening of the mind and a weakening of the will, that is, the inability to know clearly the right or wrong of an action and/or the lack of strength to resist temptation and always to do the right thing no matter how hard this is. The two exceptions are these: martyrdom and an untimely death. "If the ordinary minister is absent or impeded, a catechist or some other person deputed to this office by the local … If the person is a child who has yet to reach the age of reason, then the faith of the baptizer is sufficient, as is the case when baptizing infants. Although it can't save you, baptism is important. Subscribe to this RSS feed. Unpacking Confirmation, Baptism, and the Birth of the Church, Sealed in the Spirit: Relying on the Graces of Baptism and Confirmation. In this article we would love to help you understand a little bit more about this significant next step in your journey of following Jesus. For Catholics, baptism is not the culmination of the faith journey. It’s also an annual occasion for many to ask, “Why was Jesus baptized?” After all, he is the sinless, divine Son of God, and the baptism that John the Baptist administered was “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). Baptism also gives us new life as adopted children of God. We … What is the significance of baptism? Subscribe to this RSS feed. For example, if someone dies for the Faith but never was baptized, their act of martyrdom can grant them the same graces one would receive in baptism. Baptism not only gives supernatural life to the soul, it also gives the … The color white is also to symbolize being clothed with Christ, as we are cleansed from sin. It was uncompromisingly commanded by the Lord Jesus. The Church must never neglect the duty to proclaim the Gospel, and by the grace of God, call people in faith to baptism. We enjoy the community we find in the Church, share our talents and gifts with its members, respond willingly to its teachings and requirements, and assume the responsibilities that our membership implies. It is an extremely important event in a Catholic family’s life and is marked with celebrations, family gatherings and festive parties as well as gift-giving and special white clothes. It is thus believed that the priest is the best member of the Church, given practical circumstances, to administer the sacrament of baptism. In order to explain baptism to a 7-year-old, it is important for you yourself to understand why someone is baptized. For More Info on Why Christ Was Baptized: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Encountering the Word with Jeff Cavins), “You don’t have to be perfect to be a godparent! Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world. Why is Confirmation important? Is one automatically bound for hell without them?” The Church recognizes that baptism is an essential element in the salvation of a soul, however, there are some extraordinary circumstances that could grant a soul salvation without having received baptism. This indwelling is called the uncreated grace that we have received when we were baptized and are to retain when the Lord calls us to our everlasting destiny. Nicholas LaBanca points this out in his article on infant baptisms, quoting from The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s “Instruction on Infant Baptism” (IIB): “It produces in the baptized ‘interior enlightenment,’ and so the Byzantine liturgy is right to call it the sacrament of enlightenment, or simply enlightenment, meaning that the faith received pervades the soul and causes the veil of blindness to fall before the brightness of Christ.”. Christian baptism is an act of obedience to the Lord after salvation; although baptism is closely associated with salvation, it is not a requirement to be saved. It’s true, the teaching on Baptism is forever blossoming as more people continue to enter the Catholic Church. Early on in Church history, this olive oil was used for several different functions, such as welcoming guests into a home, cooking, medicating the ill, preparing a body for burial, and many other practices. It leaves a spiritual mark (or character) of belonging to Christ on the soul of the baptized. As Christians, we are blessed by baptism. The Sacred Chrism and Oil of the Catechumens. Indeed, it is not too much to say that the day of our baptism is one of the most important days of our earthly lives, if not the single MOST important. What effect does it have on me? Here are just a couple of the biggest areas of symbolism in a Catholic baptism: For more info on the meaning behind these and more objects in the Catholic Church, check out The Sacred That Surrounds Us at the link. This being said, the faith of the godparents is an extremely important factor in fulfilling the baptismal promise of being raised in the Catholic Faith. This is the first in a series on the Sacraments of the Catholic Church – what they are and why they are important. The two exceptions are these: martyrdom and an untimely death. There truly is no salvation without baptism. Because of original sin, we come into the world with a soul which is supernaturally dead. Through Confirmation, our personal relationship with Christ is strengthened. Send occasional cards or notes of encouragement throughout the year to your sponsored child. Back in those days, male infants would enter covenant with God by being circumcised at just eight days old through their parents faith. Every sacrament requires two things, form and matter. This is to signify Christian dignity, and the act of becoming a new creature through the sacrament. Other articles in this series will be Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing of the sick, Marriage and Holy Order. It is impossible for a baptism to be invalid and licit, because all invalid baptisms are also illicit. Jesus was baptized to take on our sins and to give us a model for our own baptisms, giving us the means to accept our spot in heaven. “No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit” (Jn 3:5). 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